Resurgence Community - Week 2
“Clarifying who you surround yourself with.”
“Knowing what we are called to do will always be incomplete if we do not know who we are called to do it with.”
Crowd → Assembly → Group → Few
Ahead and Behind: 2 Timothy 2:1–2
1. Receive (v1): Strength comes from grace.
Godly people don’t replace grace; they help you remember where to find grace under pressure.
2. Remember (v2a): This faith is public and accountable.
3. Entrust (v2b): Choose faithful people, not impressive people.
4. Multiply (v2c): Reproduction is the expectation.
Barnabas: “One Beside”
Acts 9:26–28 — Barnabas bridges Saul into community
Acts 11:22–26 — Barnabas builds partnership
Acts 15:36–41 — Barnabas refuses to discard Mark
A PAUL (one ahead) - Gives: direction, correction, perspective
A BARNABAS (one beside) - Gives: presence, encouragement, accountability
A TIMOTHY (one behind) - Gives: responsibility, legacy, purpose
You grow when people ahead pour into you, people beside share the load, and people behind are strengthened by the road you’re paving.
Bullpen: Wisdom by Category (Proverbs)
Proverbs 15:22 — Without counsel plans fail; with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 11:14 — In an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 12:15 — A wise person listens to advice.
Proverbs 18:1 — Isolation breaks out against sound judgment.
5 Small Group Questions
1. Community clarity + calling clarity
Where have you felt the gap between knowing what you’re called to do and knowing who you’re called to do it with? What’s the cost of trying to carry calling alone?
2. Community capacity + season discernment
When do you notice yourself becoming “peopled out”? What does that reveal about your current season, limits, or the kind of community you actually need right now?
3. 2 Timothy 2:1–2 — the four movements
Which movement do you need most right now: Receive grace, Remember public faith, Entrust to faithful people, Multiply? Why that one?
4. Paul / Barnabas / Timothy inventory (roles, not titles)
Who is a “Paul” (ahead) in your life right now? Who is a “Barnabas” (beside)? Who is a “Timothy” (behind)? If one is missing, what might God be inviting you to pursue?
5. Bullpen wisdom
What category do you most need wisdom in right now (relationships, emotional health, money/work, leadership/conflict, etc.)? Who is one “bullpen” person you could reach out to this week—and what will you ask them?
3-Day Devotion: Resurgence Community Week 2
Day 1 — Strength comes from grace, not pressure
Read: 2 Timothy 2:1
Reflect: Paul doesn’t start Timothy with a strategy; he starts him with a source: grace in Christ. Many of us try to carry calling with willpower, comparison, or fear of letting people down. Grace isn’t a boost for strong people—it’s strength for pressured people.
Ask: Where have I been trying harder instead of being strengthened? What pressure has been shaping my decisions lately?
Practice: Write one sentence: “Right now I feel pressure to ______.” Then pray: “Jesus, strengthen me by Your grace in this.”
Prayer: Lord, reconnect my calling to Your grace. I receive strength from You, not from performance.
Day 2 — Entrust to faithful people, not impressive people
Read: 2 Timothy 2:2
Reflect: Paul’s standard isn’t charisma—it’s faithfulness. We often choose relationships based on proximity, popularity, or how someone makes us feel. Paul says: look for people who are reliable, teachable, and steady. That’s how a church—and a life—gets built.
Ask: Who in my world is “impressive” but not necessarily “faithful”? Who is faithful but easy to overlook?
Practice: Identify one “faithful person” you should strengthen your relationship with. Send a simple message: “Could we connect soon? I value your steadiness and would love your input/prayer.”
Prayer: God, give me discernment. Help me choose community that forms me, not just community that flatters me.
Day 3 — Don’t isolate: build your Paul, Barnabas, Timothy… and your bullpen
Read: Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 18:1
Reflect: Wisdom doesn’t usually arrive as lightning—it often arrives as counsel. Isolation isn’t neutral; it’s a spiritual risk factor. You weren’t meant to only receive, only give, or only run with peers. You grow when people ahead pour into you, people beside share the load, and people behind are strengthened by the road you’re paving. And when you hit a specific “inning,” you call the bullpen.
Ask: Which role is most missing right now—Paul, Barnabas, or Timothy? What bullpen category do I need counsel in most?
Practice: Fill this out today (even if some are blank):
Paul (ahead): ______
Barnabas (beside): ______
Timothy (behind): ______
Bullpen category I need most: ______
One person to call: ______
- Then take one step: schedule coffee / make the call / send the text.
Prayer: Father, deliver me from isolation and pride. Lead me to the right people for this season, and make my life a road that strengthens others.