What Real Spiritual Growth Looks Like
But again, it's not just about doing some good things, like make sure you give this much money to the poor, or make sure you contribute this much on Sunday.
Real Spiritual Growth
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
Begin with the truth
If you and I are learning how to become better people, not just do a few things better or build better habits, but truly be transformed in terms of who you are now into who you have the potential to be, every year will be the best year of your life because you continue to build upon that progress and maybe even become someone in your marriage, become someone in your life that you never imagined before. It's overly simplistic for me to say to you if you will just read your Bible five days a week, if you will attend Wednesday night Bible classes, or you will pray at least four times a day, then everything will be great.
Now look, those are great things, and they can help you become someone better, but only if you have a clear vision of what a better you looks like.
What this reveals about God
I'm not some baby who only nourishes himself on the milk of the word. I'm certain that it is a mistake in the church to teach that the difference between a babe in Christ and a mature Christian is that a babe in Christ can't name the twelve apostles and a mature Christian can quote like Leviticus or something.
In fact, as you are about to hear, there can be someone who is a preteen in Christ who can quote a lot of scripture, but there's something more to true development.
Let faith take root
In other words, you raise a family who hopefully will follow in your steps and be able to serve others when they reach adulthood. Maybe it's someone very young, maybe it's someone much older who just now is learning about Jesus and has obeyed the gospel.
Chances are someone else has to prepare the meals for them, prepare the sermons, prepare the points in the Bible classes, and slowly serve it to them and teach them how to learn it and teach them what it means in their lives.
Respond in daily life
Fully formed and functioning mature Christians, people like Jesus and the apostles, and first century elders, and first century preachers, and first century older men and women. They were all teachers who taught the word and who made teachers of the people around them.
I've got a sermon I preached at Lyndale a couple of weeks ago on spiritual growth where you can dig in on all of the Bible study, but elders were apt to teach and commended to the word and help the weak in Bible study.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “What Real Spiritual Growth Looks Like” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
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