What sets a small group apart from a membership club is the presence of spiritual growth. A small group is meant to be an avenue both to share life with each other and speak Christ into one another's life. When we leave out the gospel from the small group, our fellowship becomes nothing really more than, well, fellowship.

Jesus valued and practiced small group discussion and used them as avenues primarily to bring about spiritual growth upon the lives of His disciples. In Hebrews 10:25, we are told "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

When done right, small group discipleship will help you grow in your walk with Christ.

Here are three common small group problems that slow down our spiritual growth.

Problem #1 – Turning small groups into care groups

Small groups are not meant to become care groups. A care group is a regular meeting of people who express hurts and feelings and then everyone else starts to pity that person and cry with them. While there is a place to express hurt and struggle, the goal is always to empower that person with the Holy Spirit through encouragement, prayer and teaching to grow in Christ. Acting as a care group will stagnate us, but acting in faith and obedience will cause us to progress in God.

Problem #2 — Leaving out the Bible in discussions

2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." The Bible is our number one tool in building our faith in God and the faith of others. Without scriptures, we flimsily throw around ideas without being sure whether God really said certain things or not. The Word of God affirms and confirms what God says is true and right and we must teach it in small groups.

Problem #3 — Being too coercive with members

Commitment is important to small groups, and it's healthy to ask for commitment from members to come as regularly as they can and to come on time and prepared. But more often than not commitment is not coerced but encouraged. When we simply police our members and treat them like prisoners, they won't feel compelled to grow.

Our walk with God was meant to be a blessing, not a burden. We cannot force people into a relationship with God just so that they won't go to hell. God doesn't force people upon Him and neither does he want us to either.