Your Growth Toward Maturity
You’re born into God’s family the moment you place your faith in Jesus for eternal life. You start as a spiritual baby. But it’s never God’s intention for you to remain a baby. You are to grow and thrive as a maturing believer in Jesus. But you never grow passively. You grow by practices meant to nourish you and stretch your spiritual muscles. Growing in Jesus becomes a life-long adventure of learning and change for His glory.
Discussion Questions
How would you describe the difference between being born as a new believer in Jesus and growing as a believer in Jesus? What does that timeline look like in your life?
The Bible is filled with warning for believers to live faithfully. Read 2 Peter 3:14-17. How would you summarize Peter’s concerns for his readers?
It is normal for living things to grow if nourished properly. Peter gives us two broad categories of growth as a believer. What are they (2 Peter 3:18)?
In His prayer, just before His crucifixion, Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and all who will believe in Him. Notice John 17:3. Eternal life is equated with knowing God (compare 2 Pet. 3:18). What does it mean for you to know God?
The means by which we grow spiritually from a long list. Four popular practices are Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and sharing your faith with others. Describe each of these and how these practices are seen in your life.
The list of practices or spiritual disciplines also includes solitude, silence, sabbath, secrecy, worship, fasting. Which are your go-to disciplines for spiritual growth? What disciplines have been neglected in your life and need stirring up?
The most under-acknowledged means of spiritual growth might be trials and hardship. Read Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-5. How might hardship help you grow toward maturity? What present hardship or difficulty is God using in your life right now?
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