Welcome to the Mariners Church Life Group leader podcast. This weekly conversation is designed to equip and resource you to build a healthy life group community that studies God's word, practices spiritual rhythms, and changes the world together. Hello and welcome to the Mariners Life Group leader podcast. I'm Kirby, the group's pastor here, and I am your host.
And today I have with me a very special guest, Linda Vino, our marriage pastor, as well as our amazing mother of our staff team. I feel like sometimes, how are you doing Linda? Yes, thank you. Yeah, happy, happy Mother's Day.
It's a great weekend and I'm so grateful for you. And I hope that you groups as you're listening to this, that you have something planned great for your mom, or you already celebrated her really, really well. I'd love to know Linda, what are you, and your family doing? Well, of course I made them come to church.
So they came to church, you got a picture, because that's one of the musts also. And then we are all going, I'm taking my mom and my husband's taking his mom, and then our kids are going to the Angels Games today. Oh, that's really special. So do you guys know that you have to cook or do anything?
Absolutely. You know, snack bar food and that's perps in the sun and watch some Angels. Yeah, that's good. Make sure mom doesn't have to cook on Mother's Day, right?
I have to clean up anything. Absolutely. And you're such a sports girl. That you're getting to do that with your family.
That's one of my favorite things to do. I love that. And I'm so excited for you guys to kind of talk with your groups this week after celebrating Mother's Day so well, as well as hopefully attending church this weekend to learn all about the shocking love of God. I thought it was so appropriate.
Yeah. I thought it was so appropriate on Mother's Day too. I feel like my mom has loved me. It was some really hard things in my life.
And I think that it's probably pretty shocking, you know, in a lot of ways how moms have been so intentional. But I know that's not everyone's story, but I hope that you were able to celebrate really well with the mothers in your life. So anything else that you love from this weekend? No, I just, it was interesting.
I was with my kids in the service. So when he said, you know, your mom has 100% wanted to take the pain away when you have a stroke throat or when you were suffering from mental illness and or where you didn't get a job you wanted. And it's just so true. I need to know that God has done that for us, that he took the pain for us.
He was cursed on the cross. So good. It's just so relatable in that sense. Because as a mom, you understand what that means.
You want to just take everything away. That Christ actually did it. Oh, amen. That is so beautiful.
I love that. I mean, I think that's so much the main point of the discussion today that we're able to understand the weight of what Christ took on, that it was not a punishment. I mean, we all know, like in your analogy there, Linda, like our moms are surely not deserving of the throw up or the hard moments or the painful moments when your kid fails at something or what have you. Hard work, absolutely.
But yet you would take on any of that to protect and care for your child. And I love that illustration of who Christ has been to us. So I'm excited for your guys group discussion this week. We are going to jump in and look at that lean in question, which is so easy.
Remember your lean in questions don't have to be perfect every single time. But let's just get the group talking and thinking about the discussion at hand. So this great question has, what did you do for Mother's Day? Like, then, and I just talked about.
But also it says, what comes to your mind when you think of family? And that is so appropriate because family can be such a tight knit unit for some people, but can also be really broken for others, right? Right. Or also people who don't have moms in their lives, because we know that's true.
So there's been a godly woman in your life who has been a godly example to you. A lot of you, you too, Kirby. You don't live near your mom. So you depend on motherly care from other people.
Exactly. That's so true. And I love celebrating the moms in my life. But also, I think this part of the conversation, when people start to open up about how much they celebrate their mom or how much hurt they might have because of distance or maybe even a broken relationship with a mom, that will start to give you some cues of how a conversation about God taking on our punishment will kind of translate, right?
The way we view our family impacts oftentimes the way we think about God or the way we used to think about God. So in today's discussion, we're really going to look at the extension of faith and family and open up in scripture. So turning over to the amazing look down questions, we will be looking at God's word as always. Praying out loud is so helpful to really get a full sense of what the scripture is.
And immediately, you'll see in some of our questions, there's a lot of questions about how does this strong language impact anything that sticks out to you? Well, I think anytime we use strong language as a parent or to be in a relationship, that it's something that we really want to emphasize. For instance, at the very moment, my son is driving across country and I said, please, please, please, be very, very, very safe. When you use multiple words, you're trying to get your point across.
So I think when Paul's using strong language is because he's so passionate about it. And it's not out of a rule following passion. It's out of he's desperate for these people to seek and follow Christ. Absolutely.
And what they're doing is breaking his heart. That's so true. And I think it's so obvious, when people start to respond to strong language of different ways, like, oh, I hated what my dad used to be really strong with his language. Oh, well, that would make sense.
OK, there might be a little Paul by some of the things that Paul are saying. But how do we direct the conversation to help people see the value? Well, there's not a lot of things that Paul speaks very strongly about. But one of the things that he definitely does is when he's talking about the gospel, something that we can't refute, that we must protect, that know that there's nothing that can be added.
There's no that people must have been under a trance to think that there's anything apart from accepting Jesus's love and grace that could can grant you eternal life or consider yourself a Christian. Right. I think too, it's just as passion. Again, it's not a yelling at anger where sometimes we could be off putting a little bit for us, especially if we grew up in a home where there was a lot of yelling.
It's a strong language. It doesn't say he was screaming at them. It was just strongly because he cared about their well-being. Absolutely.
And maybe people, as they look at scripture, they'll really appreciate the strong language. So there'll be people in all different parts of the discussion that view and receive to the strong, or the curse, be cursed, put a curse upon you under a spell and the word law. How people respond to those, those different kinds of words will be very interesting. It will help reveal more of what may God want to be speaking to the people in your group.
So excited for that discussion around God's word. But then let's see, how can we apply this word into this truth to our lives? That the gospel cannot be, nothing can be added, and there would be a curse upon us, that we would be so wrong and so far off if we were to believe that differently. Now we look into ourselves and we start to ask the group questions.
First off, I want to make sure that you're allowing there to be a very vulnerable and safe place for people to share, especially after these last questions around some strong language. You want to make sure you're maintaining a lightness while also maintaining safety in the group. So I love this first question. When has the truth of scripture felt harsh to you?
Kind of like we were just talking. How has it proven to be an active grace for you to recognize the harsh truth revealed? So this question has to be saturated with maybe even a vulnerability moment of you going first, setting the stage of saying, this is how deep we're going to get here. I remember a time when I really, really struggled with the truth of God's grace or what he desired for me.
And it really did prove to be an active grace, and he totally protected me. So your ability to share something might actually set the tone for the group. I think too, as we fall because we're human under the assumption that people can't handle it, or this is what he's saying when it's not. We're not God.
It means everything good and perfect. For us, that's going to help us and guide us and give us good direction. So if we look at it in the lens of love, that the truth is feels harsh, but it's out of love. And a lot of times we try to say, I don't think he really meant that, or that just sounds a little mean.
But not as intentions were never, ever to be mean. Absolutely. And I love that it says the second part of that question. How has it proven to be an active grace in your life?
That's where especially those who haven't seen the active grace would really learn from others of how, well, when I didn't sleep with that guy in college, I really felt like it protected me. And now I'm with my husband, or our relationship is stronger because of it, or lots of different things. Or when I didn't break that law inside my workplace, when nobody would have known, it actually protected me and allowed me to progress in my job. Or it protected me from rising up so high and having a huge ego and having way too much money.
Absolutely. Which I think that's something I really stuck out to me more recently, is that pride can often be one of the most deadliest of sins that we experience. And it really can permeate our hearts. Also looking at look in, I think what's really great to always call back to, when you're thinking when you're looking into where God has maybe convicted you or challenged you, is looking back at the weekend message.
Because sometimes we will feel an urge when we're sitting in service to do something, or to think differently about something, or live out something different. So calling that back for your group with that third question here. What are some other insights from the weekend that were timely for you? That's kind of double clicking, say, hey, remember the weekend message?
Was there anything else that really stuck out to you that you want to change in your life now? Or that you might also want to help others see in you or see about God? Well, and I think two people who didn't attend the weekend service will have maybe a feeling of sitting back and not really being able to participate. Sure.
But it's really allowing them. And then as life group leaders, it's just really remind and make sure that people, depending on when your group meets, that they do go and watch online. Absolutely. And make sure that they're prepared as part of being prepared for your life group to watch the weekend message.
But understanding again that they don't have to not participate because something came up and they couldn't be at the weekend. So true. So true. And I love that you made that note.
Because I mean, that's what's so easy about these incredible sermon-based content is that when you go to the church, that's your preparation right there. You don't have to watch another video or read another book. Sermon-based content is already in line with our weekend rhythms, as long as we are attending church and so forth. So hopefully you guys are doing that together.
As we look out and see how does this apply to our lives moving forward and how do we impact? How do we change the world, as our mission statement says? We really want to identify the relevance of this gospel conversation to our lives. And so one of the first questions here is how can we help ministry partners take the gospel to all the nations?
And so one of the best ways that we know that we really understand the gospel. When you get a really good gift, what's the first thing you want to do? Share it. Yeah.
Thank them for the gift. And then share it. Have gratitude and then share it. Absolutely.
So this is where we take a turn towards thinking intentionally about the next upcoming weekend, which is Outreach Weekend. I love Outreach Weekend. I love it. Yeah.
It's a great time. And not only is it a good weekend to enjoy in the 10, but we also don't want to miss out an opportunity for you guys to participate in Outreach Weekend. Another way is that just observing and sitting back, we want to participate. And so as you think ahead, there are great ways to participate.
One can be through serving, serving as a group. There are so many incredible groups, serve opportunities for you and your group to adventure together and see what God has for you guys and some great opportunities. And those are available on our Life Group Leader resources page. I think just inviting too, because you're not going to, it's very difficult to get 100% participation.
True. But what's going to happen is you guys are going to go on a faith adventure. You're going to go build a house in Mexico. And let's say four or five people went.
You're going to come home and have that story. There's going to be a unique bond. And then the other people are going to feel like, I don't want to miss out on that next time. Absolutely.
But I'm just taking that step. I think what we have a propensity to do sometimes is cancel because nobody's going to do it. But do it anyway. I love that.
Just do it anyway. Absolutely. Even if it's food pantry. I mean, again, the kind of moments that we have, some of the best healing moments we have in our lives when we're serving others.
And that's because Christ did that first. And he modeled that for us. And we know that he was fulfilled in his purpose by serving and loving and being sacrificial. And we too are made for that purpose to serve and love one another.
Oh, we get so much back from it. Absolutely. It's such an act of obedience as well. And forever will be busy.
Forever will make excuses. Absolutely. But it's just saying yes. You'll look back and say, I'm so glad I did that.
I'm so glad. Absolutely. I have never been. I hate using absolutes.
But I've never done anything in a service-centered action that I said, I wish I didn't do that. Never. Right. We have to come back more fulfilled.
So grateful for stepping into that. Absolutely. Absolutely. And with our bad attitudes, God uses us anyway.
Amen. Amen. Thank you, Lord. That you use all things for the good.
Yes. For those who love him, which we're so grateful for that. And also another way that you can partake in outreach weekend is, of course, giving. And giving is a great way we can involve others who are too busy.
It's outreach weekend is above our normal giving, but it's also a great way to be a part, even if people can't go on a faith adventure and then supporting one another in that endeavor. So we hope that you guys will find a great way for your group to participate in the upcoming outreach weekend. Our conversation is coming to a close. Both Linda and I are praying for you guys this week that you have a great discussion that helps people better see the importance of the gospel, how it applies to their lives, and how they can live it out.
We love you guys. Yeah, don't forget to reach out to your coaches if you need resources or have questions. Absolutely. And therefore, we want to support you as much as we possibly can.
So please don't be afraid to ask questions, or raise your hand and ask for help. Absolutely. Love that. Have a great week.