Why Small Groups?/Take This Group and Own It!

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CHAPTER THREE<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">&nbsp;</span>
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== Chapter Three: <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"></span>Take This Group and Own It! <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"></span> ==
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TAKE THIS GROUP&nbsp;
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Greg Somerville<span style="font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" class="Apple-style-span"></span>
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AND OWN IT!<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">&nbsp;</span>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" class="Apple-style-span"></span>We begin with a tale of two cars: an aging Plymouth Voyager and a sleek new Lincoln Continental. I had the opportunity to drive them both last year, but I treated them quite differently.
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GREG SOMERVILLE<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">&nbsp;</span>
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The Plymouth minivan looked as if it had been owned and operated by a second-rate day care center. There were footprints on the vinyl and nose prints on the windows. Cracker crumbs littered the floor. Acorns, rocks, chewing-gum wrappers, and other collector’s items filled the cup holders. In the cracks between the seats I found a wide assortment of archeological remains. And judging by the smell, the windows had been left down during a series of heavy thunderstorms.
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<div><br></div><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">W</span>e begin with a tale of two cars: an aging Plymouth&nbsp;
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Voyager and a sleek new Lincoln Continental. I had&nbsp;
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It was a well-used vehicle.
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the opportunity to drive them both last year, but I treated&nbsp;
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The Lincoln, on the other hand, appeared to have rolled off the assembly line moments before I got behind the wheel. The floor mats were notsticky with spilled soda. The rearview mirror had notbeen knocked off and reattached three times. The carpet didn’t ooze with some unidentifiable engine fluid. The odometer had not broken a thousand, much less a hundred thousand. And the smell—is it only guys who notice?—the smell of that new leather interior, untainted by rotten bananas and car sick-ness and all the other fragrances of a family van.
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them quite differently.&nbsp;
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It was a beautiful car...but it was a rental car, and I treated it that way. I filled it up with low-grade gas. I accelerated fast and braked hard. I didn’t wash it, vacuum it, or change the oil. And by the time I returned it to the rental lot, those pristine floor mats were thick with dirt&nbsp;
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The Plymouth minivan looked as if it had been owned&nbsp;
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and sand.
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My Plymouth Voyager isn’t much to look at, but it’s mine. (And it’s paid for!) I wash it, change the oil, check&nbsp;the tire pressure, and vacuum it out when the cracker&nbsp;crumbs get too deep. This morning I dropped it off at the</div></div>
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and operated by a second-rate day care center. There were&nbsp;
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footprints on the vinyl and nose prints on the windows.&nbsp;
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Cracker crumbs littered the floor. Acorns, rocks, chewing-&nbsp;
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gum wrappers, and other collector’s items filled the cup&nbsp;
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holders. In the cracks between the seats I found a wide&nbsp;
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assortment of archeological remains. And judging by the&nbsp;
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smell, the windows had been left down during a series of&nbsp;
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heavy thunderstorms.&nbsp;
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It was a well-used vehicle.&nbsp;
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The Lincoln, on the other hand, appeared to have&nbsp;
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rolled off the assembly line moments before I got behind&nbsp;
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the wheel. The floor mats were notsticky with spilled&nbsp;
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soda. The rearview mirror had notbeen knocked off and&nbsp;
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reattached three times. The carpet didn’t ooze with some&nbsp;
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unidentifiable engine fluid. The odometer had not broken&nbsp;
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a thousand, much less a hundred thousand. And the&nbsp;
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smell—is it only guys who notice?—the smell of that new&nbsp;
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leather interior, untainted by rotten bananas and car sick-&nbsp;
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ness and all the other fragrances of a family van.&nbsp;
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It was a beautiful car...but it was a rental car, and I&nbsp;
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treated it that way. I filled it up with low-grade gas. I&nbsp;
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accelerated fast and braked hard. I didn’t wash it, vacuum&nbsp;
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it, or change the oil. And by the time I returned it to the&nbsp;
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rental lot, those pristine floor mats were thick with dirt&nbsp;
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and sand.&nbsp;
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My Plymouth Voyager isn’t much to look at, but it’s&nbsp;
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mine. (And it’s paid for!) I wash it, change the oil, check&nbsp;
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the tire pressure, and vacuum it out when the cracker&nbsp;
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-
 
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crumbs get too deep. This morning I dropped it off at the<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">&nbsp;</span>
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&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 31&nbsp;
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From Why Small Groups?, part of the Pursuit of Godliness series from Sovereign Grace Ministries,&nbsp;
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7505 Muncaster Mill Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.&nbsp; www.sovereigngraceministries.org&nbsp;
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© 1996 Sovereign Grace Ministries. All rights reserved.&nbsp;
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This book is made available free of charge by Sovereign Grace Ministries for use by individuals, churches, or other groups.&nbsp;
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Reproduction and distribution of up to 100 copies of this material free of charge is encouraged; under no circumstances may a&nbsp;
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charge be rendered to the recipient. For permission to reproduce more than 100 copies, please contact Sovereign Grace&nbsp;
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Ministries. The Pursuit of Godliness books are available for purchase at www.sovereigngraceministries.org
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<br>
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<br>
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</div>  
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<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"></span>
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</div>
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Revision as of 19:45, 4 April 2008


Chapter Three: Take This Group and Own It!

Greg Somerville

We begin with a tale of two cars: an aging Plymouth Voyager and a sleek new Lincoln Continental. I had the opportunity to drive them both last year, but I treated them quite differently.

The Plymouth minivan looked as if it had been owned and operated by a second-rate day care center. There were footprints on the vinyl and nose prints on the windows. Cracker crumbs littered the floor. Acorns, rocks, chewing-gum wrappers, and other collector’s items filled the cup holders. In the cracks between the seats I found a wide assortment of archeological remains. And judging by the smell, the windows had been left down during a series of heavy thunderstorms.

It was a well-used vehicle.

The Lincoln, on the other hand, appeared to have rolled off the assembly line moments before I got behind the wheel. The floor mats were notsticky with spilled soda. The rearview mirror had notbeen knocked off and reattached three times. The carpet didn’t ooze with some unidentifiable engine fluid. The odometer had not broken a thousand, much less a hundred thousand. And the smell—is it only guys who notice?—the smell of that new leather interior, untainted by rotten bananas and car sick-ness and all the other fragrances of a family van.

It was a beautiful car...but it was a rental car, and I treated it that way. I filled it up with low-grade gas. I accelerated fast and braked hard. I didn’t wash it, vacuum it, or change the oil. And by the time I returned it to the rental lot, those pristine floor mats were thick with dirt 

and sand.

My Plymouth Voyager isn’t much to look at, but it’s mine. (And it’s paid for!) I wash it, change the oil, check the tire pressure, and vacuum it out when the cracker crumbs get too deep. This morning I dropped it off at the
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