Last fall our small group leaders zero’d in on how the gospel is the center of how we think about accountability. This is true for us as a church, but particularly within our small groups. For those unfamiliar, our small groups are built on three ideals – Accountability, Bible, Community (the ABCs!). While Bible and Community might be more familiar, Accountability brings a lot more confusion. What is it? And how might Hope differ from other churches when it comes to accountability? First, we believe it means holding one another accountable to belief more so than behavior. This is critical. Many forms of accountability focus on creating a new set of habits or attempting to fix the presenting symptoms. That’s not our approach. At Hope, we encourage you to go underneath the behaviors and find the root of the issue. This means we seek to identify the ways we buy into false gospels (or false fixes), trusting in them rather than Christ. Why is this so important? Because those false gospels will never result in the security, significance, and lasting rest that only Jesus and his gospel can bring. So accountability means encouraging one another to trust Jesus more deeply in all areas of life. Second, there is no perfect formula for how to do “accountability.” Some of us want the perfect playbook. Life is not that way so it’s no surprise that accountability is not that way either. Instead it looks like ordinary people clinging to Jesus and the hope that is found in him alone. Third, how do we practically let the gospel steer conversations focused on accountability? We admit it can be challenging. So we want to help. Here are 10 questions for us as we let the gospel get bigger and direct accountability toward deeper trust in Jesus for our lives, relationships, and small groups at Hope CC:
- What truth about Jesus (and/or the gospel) is most compelling/beautiful to you today? Hardest to believe?
- What lies about Jesus have been loudest in your life this week?
- What have you been reading in the Bible? How is it encouraging and challenging you?
- What current sin struggle are you facing and why do you think you are facing it? What sins lie behind the sin? What disbeliefs?
- How are you using the gospel to kill your sin and not just willpower?
- Is there anything you need to say “no” to in order to give yourself more time to encounter God through the Bible, prayer, and time with other Christians?
- How are you seeing Christ in your church family? How are they showing you God’s love? How is the Spirit gifting them to remind you of the gospel, whether by word or deed? Are you intentionally making the connection that when the church/Christians love you, that Jesus himself is loving you?
- How can you use your gifts to resemble and reflect Christ in some way to them?
- How is fear or apathy or anxiety keeping you from demonstrating and declaring the gospel to unbelievers in your life? What truths combat these fears, apathy, and lies that are keeping you from missional living?
- How are you being tempted to value independence over community? What’s keeping you from moving towards your spiritual family and away from self-reliance, isolation, and pride?
