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Falling asleep and growth!

You can't force yourself to fall asleep. No matter how hard you try, there is no mental or physiological switch that you can flick in order to slip into unconsciousness. But you can create an environment that is conducive to sleep. You can turn the lights off, get a soft pillow, wear comfortable clothes and (if you're like me) turn on a little white noise. Achieving transformation in your small group follows a similar dynamic. You can't force your group members to humbly seek the Holy Spirit. You can't compel the Holy Spirit to convict anyone of their sin or move into your group with a rushing wind and tongues of fire. But you can create an environment within your group meetings that is conducive to regular, life-changing encounters with the Holy Spirit..
An excellent analogy about how proper fellowship conditions can help us move towards God honouring objective. The quote is taken from Sam O'Neal's Field Guide for Small Group Leaders: Setting the Tone, Accommodating Learning Styles and More. It is an enjoyable read that provides insightful observations on many areas of leading fellowship groups. 
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