Growing More & More Like Him
Spiritual Growth: Social Dimension
1 Peter 4:7-11 The fifth and final part of this series on spiritual formation is our social development. God Himself in His being is three persons in one God. When He created man in His image, He included social relationships. If our marriages, family relationships, and interactions at church are Christ-centered, we will be growing socially in a God-honoring way. 1 John 3:2-3 speaks about the ultimate face-to-face encounter when we see Jesus face-to-face. Our social growth now should be…
God Empowers Our Will
Colossians 3:12-17 Our will allows us to not be controlled by the things we think are out of our control. And that includes our character traits. We have a tendency to say, “I’m not a patient person.” Or “I can’t have compassion for them. It’s not in my nature.” But Paul is saying we can put on these character traits! And he gives us a great reason why: God’s will is working in tandem with our will. Just knowing that…
The Body and Spiritual Formation
1 Corinthians 6:9-20 Our bodies are the means God has designed for us to interact with the world and express our full humanity in it. Their ultimate purpose is to display the glory of God. God wants us to see our bodies as allies as we grow in Christlikeness. Our motivation is the saving work of Jesus. We are called to offer them as a “living sacrifice” for the glory of God.
Feeling Like Jesus
Galatians 5:16-25 Part 2 of a series on being transformed, putting on the character of Christ, in our emotions, feelings, and desires. Our feelings often seem like enemies to our spiritual growth. Modern life idolizes feelings, and gives them a place of ultimate authority over our lives. Many people think that their feelings must be obeyed. But the Bible calls this slavery. Feelings are good servants, but terrible masters. Instead, God can replace our sinful feelings and desires with emotions and affections that are…
Thought Life: the Frontline of Spiritual Growth
Philippians 4:8 Our mind is the frontline of our spiritual development. If we fail here, we will fail everywhere. If we want to grow in the depth of our relationship with God and live the life that He saved us for, we must train our minds to think about the right stuff. Each of us has a decision to make. Every day, we are given an opportunity. Will we choose to fill our minds with God and grow closer to…