Up, In & Out Triangle
A healthy rhythm for our life.
We need to give those in our group a picture of a healthy spiritually-balanced life. This begins with three types of relationships. The Up, In & Out triangle looks at Luke 6:12-19, where Jesus shows us what this looks like.
Purpose: The triangle brings together three directions – UP, IN, and OUT – as a short hand for three types of relationships. A disciple strives for a balanced life, giving attention in all three directions and seeking continual growth.
Scriptures:
Primary: Luke 6:12-19 - Jesus’ example of a healthy balance
v. 12 - Jesus spent time with the Father first and made it a priority before he made the big decision of choosing His apostles. (Up)
v. 17 - Jesus comes down the mountain and spends time with His apostles and disciples. (In)
v. 18-19 - He works with those in the crowd that needing healing and had unclean spirits. (Out)
John 15:1-8 - The Up
Hebrews 10:25 - The In
Matthew 28:19-20 - The Out
Teach:
Applying the Up, In, & Out rhythms to our lives allows us to find a healthy spiritual balance. It all begins with the Up, our relationship with Jesus. From there, the In and Out are built upon our deep, abiding love for Him. When this is healthy, we desire community with other believers (The In). In addition, we desire to share the truth of Jesus with others (The Out).
Ultimately, these three can not exist without the other.
UP | John 15 | Learning to remain with the Father (abiding—our relationship with the Father)
IN | Hebrews 10:25 | Deep community with others who are following God (our relationship with other believers)
OUT | Matthew 28:19-20 | A time of mission where we take God’s Kingdom to our world (our relationship with the world)
Group Action Steps:
Ask your group to evaluate themselves and draw what their current “triangle” between the three relationships looks like.
Questions to ask:
Do you feel you have a healthy balance in all three areas of your life?
When we look at your calendar, do you have intentional time set aside for each of these relationships?
Where do you feel you need to improve? With God, with others, or with the world? (This may be an opportunity to walk individuals through a learning circle moment and create a plan.)
This is also a great opportunity to introduce the group benchmark of “The Out”. Explain that you will be making this a priority and begin talking about the OUT your group will do. Be clear that personal outs are just as important as the group out.
