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Growing Up Into Christ

February 15, 2011 by Jane VanOsdol 1 Comment

Who doesn’t love that sweet little baby face? It’s hard to resist chubby cheeks, sparkling eyes and toothless grins! But what if we stayed as babies for our whole lives? Would it be quite so attractive?

We are smack dab in the middle of a series at church called Colossians: Living a Life Worthy of the Lord. It’s been a challenging series, not a feel good one necessarily. But one that is sorely needed. It’s all about moving beyond baby steps with Christ and growing and maturing in our faith.

A few Sundays ago, the scripture we were in was Colossians 1:24-29 and Colossians 2:1-5. Pastor David Bell was talking about how our maturity matters greatly to God, and how it is an expected privilege of all who follow Jesus. It got me thinking about the whys of it all. Why is maturity important in our faith? What would the world look like if we just happily accepted our salvation and never moved on from there?

Well, one way to look at this is to use the analogy of a baby. Babies are immature of course. They need to be fed, changed, cared for, loved and protected. They can’t stand on their own. They can’t do much for others yet. They are pretty much in the “taking” mode. Imagine how we would feel if our babies never grew up. We would forever be immersed in diapers, baby food, car seats, play pens and strollers. Now I know we all are nostalgic about the days when our kids were little, but there is something very satisfying about watching children grow up, reaching new milestones and independence, making mistakes along the way, yes, but ultimately becoming productive members of society—and God’s kingdom.

Now let’s imagine that this is similar to how God sees us. When we take our very first step of faith by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we are born into God’s kingdom. And for too many of us, that’s where we wallow. It’s a comforting, easy place to be. We’re loved, we’re fed—all our needs are taken care of. But, I can imagine God looking down and saying “Come on, it’s time to take those next steps. We need to get rid of the baby food and get some meat into us. I’ve got work waiting for you to do!”

It takes time and work to grow in Christ. Sometimes we have to give up other things to attend that Bible study or take that class. We need to devote time to prayer. We need to spend time with mature Christians who can encourage us. Often times, it’s far easier NOT to do those things. But where would our world be if we all took that attitude?

What if Martin Luther, George Müller, Amy Carmichael, Billy Graham, your pastor, the person who introduced you to Christ, what if they all had made different decisions, different choices in their lives? What if they had never grown up in Christ?

God doesn’t see each of us any differently. He’s got things that He prepared in advance, waiting for us to do (see Ephesians 2:10). What if we never get there?

This isn’t meant to be a guilt trip. If you are already growing in God, then don’t pile on anything else that He hasn’t given you to do or hasn’t called you to. But, if your Christian life hasn’t changed much since you started following Jesus, and you feel God is nudging you to grow up, here’s a few questions David left us with at the end of service that Sunday morning that may help you too.

  1. Am I content where I am in my maturity in Christ?
  2. Is God content with where I am?
  3. Is there room to grow?
  4. What areas do I need to grow in?
  5. Am I willing to pursue what it takes?

What do you think about maturity? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Pray on!

Filed Under: Blog, Grow Your Faith, Living Truth Tagged With: Bible study, Colossians, David Bell, God's kingdom, grow up, growing up, Jesus, maturing in our faith, maturity, prayer, salvation

The Outcasts: Jesus Calls the Outcasts by Mary Kane

December 22, 2010 by MaryK Leave a Comment

” It wasn’t a coincidence that Jesus walked by the tax office that day; He went there on purpose. Jesus didn’t just happen to call a random stranger to follow Him. Jesus knew all about Matthew; his failings, his flaws…and his heart.” Jesus is calling you to follow Him as well! To do the study “Jesus Calls the Outcasts” just click on the link!

Filed Under: Bible Studies, Daily Bible Studies Tagged With: apostles, Bible study, calling, disciples, Jesus, Jesus calls the disciples, matthew, Outcasts, purpose, restoration, unpopular

The Blind Shall See!

December 9, 2010 by MaryK Leave a Comment

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:3-5

I used to think that this verse was written only for those who suffered from physical blindness, deafness, sickness or death. But while I was reading afresh this passage of scripture during this Advent season, I realized that this verse applied to me as well. At times my ears have been deaf to the whisper of God’s voice because of the clamor of the world. I also have often failed to see the Presence of God because my eyes were focused on my circumstances. Moreover, due to the weight of my sin that I have labored to carry, I’ve been unable to walk with Jesus. As I considered this verse and how it applied to my life, God brought this prayer to my mind:

Dear Lord,

Please heal my blindness, that I may see You this day and the needs of others.

Please heal my deafness, that I may hear You and the cries of the lost.

Please heal my lameness, that I may walk with You and help my brother to follow you as well.

Dear Lord, please bring new life to the dead areas of my life that they may bring You glory. Amen.

Please take some time to get quiet before the Lord so you’ll be able to hear what He wants to speak into your life today. Also, ask God to open the eyes of your heart so you’ll be able to see His presence in the hardships, blessings, wants and comforts of this day. Finally, walk with Jesus this day by reading and heeding His Word and spending time in prayer. Be blessed!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Advent, blessings, blind, blindness, deaf, God, Jesus, lame, prayer, see, sin

A Mixture of Grace and Truth

November 10, 2010 by Brittany Jean Leave a Comment

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Sometimes being a Christian can appear complicated and confusing, especially when it seems as though Christians have always been battling between showing unconditional love and grace and speaking the truth boldly and without apology. Most Christians tend to take either one side or the other, but if we look at the life of Jesus, He had a balance of both.

He showed grace to those who needed an extra measure, yet to people such as the Pharisees He wasn’t afraid to have a stern hand and rebuke them. For Jesus, it was more about the heart of the people He was reaching and what method would bring them closer to Him and the truth. What really matters to Christ is our heart behind our actions, and I think if we were to focus on reaching people’s hearts, it would be easier to find that balance between truth and grace. If we have a bitter or angry heart, we are more likely to complain or argue with others. Once we get our hearts in line with Christ’s Word, we will start to become more like Him in all areas of our life, including in how we talk to and witness to others.

What different Biblical types of love are there?

In the Greek, phileo represented a friendship or brotherly love, and agape represented a God-like love. The type of love talked about in this passage is agape, reminding us that when we speak the truth, the love that needs to be shown is a love that says what others need to hear in kindness, instead of just saying what others think they want to hear.

Is there an example of Jesus being a witness by speaking the truth?

In the New Testament Jesus found Himself speaking the truth to the Pharisees on many occasions. One such confrontation that occurred took place in Luke 11:37-44. Christ doesn’t keep anything back, He calls the Pharisees greedy and wicked and compares them to unmarked tombs that others don’t even notice. The reason that Christ found it important to confront the Pharisees instead of just showing grace was because they knew the law and were twisting it to make themselves look good. The Pharisees needed to be confronted so that they would stop using the law to make others feel inferior and unworthy of the love of Christ.

Is there an example of Jesus being a witness by showing love?

One of the most beautiful examples of Christ showing grace in the New Testament took place in John 8:3-11 when Christ showed grace to the adulterous woman. The woman knew what she had done was wrong and didn’t need Christ to tell her how to change her life.  At that point she needed to know that Christ loved her despite her past, but that He loved her too much to allow her to stay that way.  So what Jesus gave her was hope and a second chance, which most others wouldn’t have given her.

What situations have you found yourself in where you had to choose between showing grace and truth?

When has someone had to be truthful with you when you would have rather just had grace, but later you were glad they were honest with you?

How have you grown from others’ loving honesty toward you?

How can you apply how they treated you into witnessing and talking to others?

Brittany Jean is a nineteen-year-old college student living in the Midwest with her parents and younger brother. She is currently majoring in pre-law and is planning on using that degree for ministry.

Filed Under: Blog, Devotions, Insights, Living Truth Tagged With: agape, Christians, Grace, heart, Jesus, love, Pharisees, phileo, speaking the truth, unconditional love

The Outcasts: A Line in the Sand by Mary Kane

October 11, 2010 by MaryK Leave a Comment

Have you ever been judged by a friend or acquaintance? Worse yet, have you ever harshly judged a friend or neighbor? One woman in the Bible had been harshly judged and labeled an Outcast by her townsmen. If you can relate to this woman’s experience, Jesus wants you to know that He loves the Outcasts! To do the study, please click on the link , “A Line in the Sand.”

Filed Under: Bible Studies, Daily Bible Studies Tagged With: forgiveness, Grace, Jesus, judge not, judgement, sin

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