Why Small Groups: Together Toward Maturity

by C.J. Mahaney and Greg Somerville C. J. Mahaney

Book Overview

'....Small groups provide the ideal context for 'working out our salvation' together....'-from the back cover. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1881039064
• ISBN13: 9781881039068
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Sovereign Grace Ministries
• Length: 133 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Makes the case for the presence and function of small groups very well

This is a well designed and written little book about the need to have properly functioning small groups within the context of the local church. At one point it could be downloaded as a PDF from the Covenant Life bookstore for free and it is well worth the price if that is the case :-). As one of the leaders of our small group ministry for the past five years I found lots in here to agree with, much more new concepts or applications and cannot think of much that wasn't extremely helpful to me.

A New Standard on Discipleship for the Church

An old black preacher once said, "You can no more do what you don't know than come back from where you ain't never been." That's so true. If we became aware of the fact that there was a life-changing truth that we needed to know and didn't, then we could diligently study to learn it, memorize what we learned, and get help to learn how to apply it to our lives so that we could do it. But the old preacher is right, his axiom undeniable, and Hosea concurs, warning us of as much, when he laments, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." The solution for all God-fearing believers then is this, we must inextricably link our quest for right living to right thinking (Ps 119:9). The great need of the hour today is for the church to relearn how to progressively grow in holy living. We need to regain a biblical vision for how to become Christ-like and how to live in God-pleasing ways in an ungodly, please-me, pleasure-seeking world. That's obvious to all of us. Collectively, we seem to have forgotten how to live holy, and you can't do what you don't know. Ask just about any pastor, church leader, or church member to honestly answer this question: Are you living holy like God is holy? Wouldn't the most honest answer be Daniel's quote, "We have sinned. . . . Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame" (Dan 9:5, 7)? And wouldn't we, like Isaiah under God's piercing holiness, confess, "I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips" (Isa 6:5)? With holy living as our standard (1 Pet 1:15-16), this is not the church's finest hour. The church desperately needs to relearn how to grow in progressive holy living. We need Spirit-filled, seasoned/wise, Bible breathing men of God to re-teach us how to live like our holy Savior. That is the great need of the hour for the church today. That is why Covenant Eyes asked me to do a thorough review of a very promising book, Why Small Groups? Together toward Maturity. The question I have sought to answer with chapter by chapter blog style reviews is, do these authors and does this book significantly empower the church to live holy? Why Small Groups? is a part of a series produced by Sovereign Grace Ministries called The Perspective Series. So far there are five titles: Disciplines for Life, How Can I Change?, This Great Salvation, The Rich Single Life. Released October 1, 1996, Why Small Groups? has sold an impressive 20,000 plus copies. It has recently been released as a free e-book, which I pray will significantly increase in circulation beyond the 1,000 downloads so far to date. This is the version that I read for my reviews. An obvious strength of the book is its authors. C.J. Mahaney (also serves as the general editor), John Loftness, Greg Somerville, Mark Mullery, Mickey Connolly, John Butler, and Dave Harvey are all experienced pastors, small group leaders, and small group leader trainers. Also the appendix, written by Walt Russell, professor of NT at Talbot School of

Good Value Book

Book had little use on it and no writting in it. Fast delivery, well packaged, great price.

Why Small Groups?

this is the best book on what a small group should be and it's place in the life of heathy local church. this a must read for pasters and laymen a like.

the heart of small groups

This book is biblically founded and helped me to see the importance(largely from the bible) of having small groups. Accountability, biblical fellowship, speaking into each other's lives is the heart of the church. While small groups cannot take the place of the local church, they are a great context in which to apply the truths we learn in church. I especially liked the part about qualifications of a leader and being motivated by God' grace. Overall, the best book ever written (theologically and practically) on the subject!