(By David Giarrizzo)


After months of preparation, BTC 2010 is upon us. This weekend, August 6-9, 110 people from 25 different churches in 14 different states will descend upon Prescott, Arizona, for what should be a blessed weekend of time in God’s Word and fellowship with God’s people.

Please keep the following requests in your prayers:

• That God would be glorified in every part of our weekend together.
• That those who are travelling long distances to and from the conference will travel safely and without difficulties.
• That God would give Pastors Don Donell and Raymond Perron power from on high as they preach the Word.
• That God would encourage the young adults who attend the conference through the messages and fellowship.
• That God would encourage the brethren in the churches back home through the Christians who return to continue in their service to the Lord.
• That God might raise up the next pastor, missionary, or church planter through this year’s conference.  

We are continually amazed at what God has and is doing through this annual conference. Please pray for BTC 2010.

For more information, visit www.buildingtomorrowschurch.com.

(By David Giarrizzo)

Growing up in a church where the Gospel was preached every week from the pulpit and in a home where biblical evangelism was just a part of life, I have understood from an early age the importance of gospel missions as it relates to the local body of believers. Tales of missions and missionaries were commonplace stories at bedtime or at the breakfast table in the Giarrizzo home. I remember fellowshipping with David Straub in our home on various occasions, listening to his stories of the spread of the Gospel to faraway lands, and being amazed by this man who would eat an entire apple—everything but the stem. (Rumor has it that ARBCA’s current coordinator also eats whole apples, core and all!) I remember attending RBMS missions banquets at Cornerstone Bible Church, even singing a duet with my brother at one of these conferences. As children, my brother and I knew who our missionaries were because we were taught to pray for them often.

I think I was in fifth grade when I went as a missionary for Career Day; I basically dressed like my dad on Sunday mornings and carried my Bible around all day. But there was a time in my life when I seriously wondered if God would someday call me to be a missionary to a foreign land, be it Australia or Hollywood. Since then, however, God has taught me more than I deserve to know about His Word, the Gospel of His Son, and His means of saving His elect throughout the world.

Ironically enough, even though I have never lived more than 13 miles from the house I grew up in, God has shown me still that I really am called to be a missionary.

In about two weeks from now, at this year’s Building Tomorrow’s Church conference for Reformed Baptist young adults, the emphasis will be on missions and how it relates to the local church, ultimately to each one of us individually. Although I grew up understanding the definition and importance of mission work, I had trouble really grasping my part in the work of missions. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one to experience this. At BTC’10, attendees will here from two men qualified to teach others about the biblical reasons for missions and the practical application the subject has on the lives of everyday church members. Pastors Raymond Perron and Don Donell will be bringing two messages each to help conference attendees synthesize the biblical doctrine of evangelism with personal practice. (To view the session titles, click here: BTC 2010 Messages)

Please pray that the Lord of the harvest might be pleased to instill in the lives of those who attend BTC 2010 a sincere and lasting desire to see Christ’s kingdom grow; a yearning so strong that maybe even one person from this conference will be used of God to bring a sinner to repentance and faith.

May the words of this song ever be a prayer in our hearts, our homes, and our churches:

Let Your Kingdom Come

Your glorious cause, O God, engages our hearts
May Jesus Christ be known wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray
Your kingdom come

Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name
Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth
Till Your sovereign work on earth is done
Let Your kingdom come

Give us Your strength, O God, and courage to speak
Perform Your wondrous deeds through those who are weak
Lord use us as You want, whatever the test
By grace we’ll preach Your gospel
Till our dying breath

-Bob Kauflin

© 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

(By David Giarrizzo)

In last week’s post I gave my simple definition of a small group and discussed some of the benefits that small groups offer. This week I want to consider some of the potential pit-falls of small groups. As with any kind of ministry in this world of sin, men have been found to misuse or abuse something like small groups which are intended for our good. Based on my definition of a small group—“an identifiable, regular, and deliberate gathering of people (usually 12 or less?) from within the larger congregation who meet together to study God’s Word, pray, practice their spiritual gifts, and fellowship for the purpose of spiritual growth”—the very first part of the definition points to the very first potential problem with small groups: they’re full of people.

Small(er) Groups of Sinners—It is important for us to remember the doctrine of Total Depravity when we think about assemblies of people, especially when those assemblies involve lot of talking. Proverbs 10:19 aptly describes the idea here: “When words are many, sin is not absent…”. Furthermore, Matthew 12:36 warns, “…men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” Small groups, though they can be wonderful environments of peace, love, and unity, they can also be precarious minefields of pride, selfishness, and anger. We all have our opinions about things; we all have our suggestions and criticisms. But the small group setting is not the place to air our feelings on a wide variety of church issues or publicize our perspectives on specific areas of doctrine. Both small group leaders and members must remember humility and self-control. Judgmentalism, gossip, self-promotion, grumbling, defiance, exaggeration, course joking, divisiveness, and lying are sinful attitudes or behaviors and should have no place in a Christian’s life. May our small groups promote dying to self and living for Christ.

Self-Serving & Inept Leaders—In my last post I considered how one of the benefits of small groups is to allow believers to exercise their spiritual gifts, namely the ability to teach. Conversely, however, one of the dangers of small groups is that a group may be harmed by a poor teacher. Poor leaders come in various forms; but for the sake of this post, I will break it down into two types: the self-serving leader and the inept leader.

1.) The self-serving leader is a person with an agenda. This kind of person has volunteered for the “position” of small group leader/teacher (by no means, a biblical office of the church) because he has something to either gain or ingrain, not because he sincerely cares for the study of God’s Word and the edification of God’s people. This person’s mission may be political in nature: to earn the respect of others; to make a name for himself; to gain friends (or future followers). Or maybe he just has an opinion or belief or perspective that he is aching to share or promote and ingrain in the minds of others. Unfortunately, there have been numerous instances in churches across the country where a teacher has taught so persuasively on a position contrary to the church’s position that he convinced others of his position. Instances like these seldom end well. I have heard of these kinds of self-serving teachers leading their small groups away from the held position of the church and eventually away from the church itself. This is an example of the danger of self-serving teachers. (2 Timothy 6:3-6)

2.) There is another danger of having a leader who is unqualified to teach. While small group lessons are often discussion-heavy, I think that the leader should be a man who is gifted to teach. This doesn’t mean that a small group leader should necessarily be a seminary graduate, but simply someone who has some ability to handle the Word of God and lead a discussion on a specific text with others. According to Mark Mullery, “small group leaders are in place to extend the pastoral ministry of the church by providing a context in which to apply God’s Word so that growth, care, and relationships may occur.” I read this to mean that a small group leader’s role is not to serve self but to serve others through the faithful application of God’s Word for the purpose of sanctification and under the submission and oversight of his elders.

Formal & Informal Extremes—We humans are prone to extremes. Finding a proper, balanced way is often a difficulty we all face. This propensity can be evidenced in some churches’ small groups. Some small groups are so well-planned, neatly structured, and diligently led that they feel more like a business meeting or rehearsed performance than a Bible study. They are just too formal. Other small groups are so relaxed, casual, and spontaneous that they resemble more of a Fourth of July Bar-B-Que or Friday afternoon happy hour than a time of fervent prayer and true fellowship. Either extreme is a divergence from what C.J. Mahaney describes as the purpose of small group ministry: “…to be provoked and challenged by others so we can grow in spiritual maturity, for the glory of God.” Small groups should be places where Christ’s preeminence and our sanctification for God’s glory—not mental exercising or social networking—are primary themes.

Elder Planning & Oversight—All of the above dangers of small groups can boil down to a lack of awareness on the part of the church’s leaders. When the elders of a congregation cease from shepherding the flock, wolves are more likely to creep in the fold and sheep are more likely to get lost or stolen or eaten by wolves. Therefore, with any small group’s style or setup, elder oversight is essential to spiritual safety. However a church decides to do it, oversight must occur. Of course, while the only proven safeguard against Satan’s attacks is the sustaining grace of God at work in our churches, elders still carry the responsibility to look out for the health of the body. This, then, requires concerted effort and time to stay involved in the various ministries of the local church.

As we think about the ins and outs of small groups, it’s important for us to remember that the local church is a family. No family is perfect; they are comprised of people who have unique and peculiar personalities that when interacting with others can result in disagreements and bickering. The cause is remaining sin in the lives of believers; the solution is the Gospel and love of Christ.

May God grant us biblical wisdom and spiritual discernment as we consider our own church small groups and their potential for immense blessing as well as their potential for great harm within the local body. May the grace of God be upon our churches to keep us safe and keep us strong as we seek to further His Kingdom and give God all the glory in all things.

(By David Giarrizzo)

[Disclaimer: The following post is not intended to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject of small group studies. I acknowledge that many churches practice small groups and many others do not; there are varying opinions about small groups in every church. Therefore, I do not intend to directly build a case for or against small groups; nor do I intend to propose a specific methodology. Instead, my intention is to outline some of the potential benefits that small groups can have on an individual and a congregation when done correctly. My description of small groups and their benefits is based simply upon my personal observations of and experiences with small groups at Grace Covenant Church and elsewhere.]


C.J. Mahaney wrote in Why Small Groups: Together Toward Maturity (1996), “Since the mid-1970s, the church in America has been fascinated with small groups.” It’s true—small groups have thrived across the landscape of American Evangelicalism for years. I remember when I used to work in a Christian bookstore, there was an entire room devoted to small group curriculum and study guides. Every day it was a popular part of the store. The material found on the shelves there ranged from study guides for every book of the Bible to material we might hear Dr. Phil discussing on his show. While some of the small group helps out there that are doctrinally sound, there are plenty more books that lack the same theological accuracy. (More on that another time!) The reality is, however, that small groups are a vital part of the ministry of many American churches.

In my mind, the concept of small groups is simple. I think of a small group as is an identifiable, regular, and deliberate gathering of people (usually 12 or less?) from within the larger congregation who meet together to study God’s Word, pray, practice their spiritual gifts, and fellowship for the purpose of spiritual growth. Small groups come in different shapes and sizes. Some might refer to their small group as a “Care Group;” others simply call it a “Wednesday Night Bible Study.” Some small groups are organized by geographic proximity; others are designed to be age-specific or geared towards a specific stage of life (college & career, young married’s, new parents, etc.). But regardless of the names of the small groups or the way they are comprised, in most churches, the basic components of small groups are the same: Time in the Word, a time in prayer, and a time of discussion and fellowship. When done correctly, I think the ministry of small groups offers a variety of important benefits for the individual believer and the local church.

Below I have outlined what I believe to be some of the primary benefits of small groups.

Bible Study—One of the most important and beneficial aspects of small groups are when they are used to confront us with the powerful Word of God. Small groups become less and less useful the further away they stray from the Bible. Conversely, only when the small group curriculum or study material or subject matter is founded firmly upon God’s Word can we derive the best and most practical applications for living godly lives (Matthew 7:24).

Conviction & Encouragement—When a small group is rooted in Scripture, God will work through the means of the lessons and study times to convict and encourage by His Word. Additionally, small groups can provide a setting for mutual accountability and discipleship; a place where we can “spur one another on” in our sanctification (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Prayer—Martin Luther is attributed with saying, “As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.” Prayer isn’t reserved for Sunday morning worship or Sunday evening prayer meetings or meal-time thanks. As believers, we should gather to pray as often as possible; the more opportunities we have for corporate intercession the better. Small groups offer the benefit of mid-week prayer opportunities—to share our requests, rejoice in each other’s praises, and join our hearts in prayer to God.

Spiritual Gifts—The local church is the place where Christians are able to practice their spiritual gifts to the glory of God and the good of their brethren. Small groups offer wonderful opportunities for the exercising of the spiritual gifts of teaching, hospitality, and encouragement, just to name a few (Romans 12). For example, small groups provide the setting for a believer who has the gift of teaching to use that gift to edify others who sit in the living room of someone who is exercising their gift of hospitality. Additionally, as the members of the church use their gifts to bless one another through small groups, some may find other avenues for using their spiritual gifts.

Evangelism—Because of their less-formal structure and setting, small groups offer a wonderful occasion for reaching out to unsaved friends and neighbors. All too often this opportunity to serve and communicate Gospel truths to our unbelieving friends is overlooked. Small groups provide more of a conversational atmosphere than most church services and thus provide opportunities for the unconverted to listen to God’s Word being taught and interact with it in a personal way. Those of us in present and future small groups should take note of this important opportunity to reach the lost with the love of Christ.

Fellowship—Finally, small groups offer just another opportunity to relate to our spiritual siblings. Small groups should support the idea of the church as a large family. Small groups encourage peace and love and encouragement and growth. Fellowship is an action that is facilitated within the small group setting through verbal discussion and corporate prayer. I like what J.I. Packer wrote about the topic of fellowship:

“We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotions. Fellowship is one of the great words of the New Testament: it denotes something that is vital to a Christian’s spiritual health, and central to the church’s true life…The church will flourish and Christians will be strong only when there is fellowship.” (God’s Words, Baker Academic, 1998, p.193)

By way of summary, may we be reminded of what our confession states in chapter 26:

Each church and all its members are obligated to pray constantly for the good and prosperity of all Christ’s churches everywhere, and to help forward everyone who comes into their district or calling, by the exercise of their gifts and graces. It clearly follows that when churches are planted by the goodness of God they ought also to hold fellowship among themselves to promote peace, increasing love and mutual edification as and when they enjoy an opportunity to do so to their advantage.” -LBCF (1689)

Here we see the description of a unified, loving, and serving family of believers who are engaged in active and mutual encouragement, be it through Bible studies, small groups, discipleship meetings, or just regular times of fellowship. May we seek to emulate this kind of Christian living in our local churches.

(There are surely other benefits of small groups that I have not listed here. Please feel free to add your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. I hope to soon follow up on this post with another to discuss the potential dangers that small groups can pose to believers. Stay tuned!)

(By David Giarrizzo)

Recently our pastor reminded our congregation about the importance of keeping Christ first in every area of our lives, even our travel plans. He preached from 2 Thessalonians 1:4 where we read Paul’s words to the Christians in Thessalonica: “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” Here we are given a glimpse of the kind of network of churches among which Paul was travelling and communicating. Here we are reminded of a biblical argument for associationalism.  Likewise, we read the following in our 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith:

As each church, and all the members of it, are bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ, in all places, and upon all occasions to further every one within the bounds of their places and callings, in the exercise of their gifts and graces, so the churches, when planted by the providence of God, so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage for it, ought to hold communion among themselves, for their peace, increase of love, and mutual edification. (XXVI, 14)

We should seek to stay informed and connected with our brothers and sisters in other churches across the state, across the country, or around the globe. We should communicate with them when possible and pray for them often. Through our Association of churches, this is made possible and we are encouraged to stay connected for Gospel efforts and our edification.

Finally, from the text in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 my dad applied some sound advice for us to ponder and apply: When we know we will be out of town and away from our home churches on a Lord’s Day, we should plan in advance to visit a Reformed Baptist church in the area of where we will be staying. If a sister ARBCA church cannot be found nearby, we should do the research ahead of time to find the best Bible-teaching, Gospel-preaching church. This usually means doing some work: look the church up online; read their statement of faith or core beliefs; call the church office and ask for the pastor; listen to some sermons online. In other words, take the assembling of saints seriously. Or as my dad would say, “When you take a vacation, don’t take a vacation from God.” (Listen to the entire message here. The above mentioned part is approximately 27 minutes in.)

Please check out any of the following links to aid you in revolving your future travels around the Lord and His Day:

ARBCA Church Directory

Johnny Farese’s Directory of Reformed Baptist Churches

9 Marks Church Search

Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out the Building Tomorrow’s Church conference for Reformed Baptist young adults in Arizona later this summer!

(By David Giarrizzo…and Isaac Watts)

How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores!

While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
“Lord, why was I a guest?

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there’s room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?”

’Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly forced us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

Why was I made to hear? Why was I made to come? Why was I made to sit? Why was I made to eat? Thousands upon thousands, born in sinful rebellion just like me, remain in the dark outside of the banquet-hall of God. And yet, for whatever reason that pleased Him, the loving Father has accepted this prodigal wretch and has given me a place at His heavenly table. Nothing I could do would ever repay this debt I owe. The King has made this enemy His child. By this I begin to understand grace.

Pity the nations, O our God!
Constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

The love of God, as expressed through the sending and dying and resurrecting of His only Son, Jesus Christ, has been lavished upon those from every tribe, tongue, and nation whom God had chosen according to His perfect will from before the foundation of the world. That love which has drawn us, broken us, and compelled us to turn our eyes to Jesus for life everlasting—that same everlasting love that displayed salvation to me should thus compel me to pity the nations as He has.

Do I pity the nations as Christ does? Do I long to see true churches filled? If I do, then why am I not doing more to share the love of Christ? What gratitude do I show Him who redeemed my life from the grave when I do not open my mouth and tell of His wonders? What part am I playing in sending the victorious Word abroad? If God wills, might that even one stranger be sought and found and brought into the house of the Lord by way of a lowly messenger like me.

We long to see Thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May with one voice, and heart and soul,
Sing Thy redeeming grace.

God’s redeeming grace will be the unified song of all God’s children for all eternity. The harmony of heaven will sound forever to the only One Who is worthy to receive all power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

God give me the strength to sing this song as long as you give me days. Amen.