Christ on demand

Small groups and purpose

On Tuesdays, from 8 to 8:30 p.m., a group called Christ on Demand meets at Student Success to discuss their thoughts on passages from Revelation. After prayer, a summary was provided of the previous meeting of the group where Revelation 3:18 was studied. Some aspects that were gone over then were how metals such as gold are refined and the theological meanings of being without clothes. 

With that, the group went into Revelation 3:19-22. In the first verse of the passage, the discussion revolved around how showing love can look like discipline. It was pointed out that letting someone continue in their misguidance could be a form of hate, and correction is a necessary pain when you face someone in their oblivion. The topic transitioned into the contrast between secular love and biblical love. Love, as many people understand it, can look promising, but it can easily fall into an excessive expression of self-love, which is prevalent in the American mindset. The biblical form of love is less selfish and more thoughtful of the well-being of others. 

Focusing on the second verse of the passage, some clarification was asked for by an attendee for any context on the verse. Base-level knowledge, such as the relationship between Samaritans and Jews, was brought up. An attendee mentioned a famous painting of Jesus knocking. He noted that the door was without a handle, which he took as it is up to a person to accept Jesus in their hearts. Another attendee also noted that Jesus will always want to have a relationship with us, even when we kick him out. 

Going into the third verse, an attendee recalled a scene where the so-called Sons of Thunder (James and John) were bold enough to ask Jesus for seats at his sides. Another way this could be interpreted is that God is encouraging us to stay strong as he stood while being on this planet. 

If you are ever looking for a group to join during the week, this is a great group to join. Who knows where yapping about things from the Bible might take you?

By Jared Lorenzo