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April 2017 Spiritual Development

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Spiritual development is hard work!  The process of daily denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus (Mark 8:34) requires us to lay down those things that we naturally want to hold on to.  This process is also described in Ephesians 4:19-22 as “putting off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires” and “putting on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

I have recently begun the process of becoming certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, which has required me to attend a few weekend seminars.  During one of the sessions we were taught about spiritual growth and how to encourage people to pursue Jesus more faithfully in their walk of faith.  One of the main points that was made is that sanctification, the process of growing spiritually, is a life-long commitment.  We should be continually developing as Christians.  We should be able to look back each year and see the ways that God has grown us as we participate through the power of the Spirit.  God instructs us at many points throughout the Bible of how we can develop     spiritually.  I wanted to share a few that I learned from attending these seminars.

  1. Spiritual growth equips you to overcome joyfully the trials of this present life. (James 1:2-4) 
  2. Spiritual growth is a process that enables you to "grow up" in Christ. (Eph. 4:15)
  3. You must constantly examine yourself in accordance with God's Word. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) 
  4. You must consistently examine yourself in light of God's Word instead of comparing yourself with the lives or expectations of others. (2 Cor. 10:12; Gal. 6:3-6)
  5. Spiritual growth entails learning to accurately handle the Word of God. (2 Tim. 2:15) 
  6. Spiritual growth requires continual hearing of God's Word and practicing it. (James 1:19-27)
  7. You must deny yourself by putting off your natural self-centeredness to follow Christ. (Matt 10:38-39; Luke 9:23-24) 
  8. You must seek to please God in all things. (2 Cor. 5:9; Eph. 6:6-7; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:l; Heb. 13:21) 
  9. Spiritual growth requires continual prayer with thanksgiving. (Phil 4:6-7; I Thess. 5:17-18)
  10. Spiritual growth entails placing the welfare of others ahead of your own, following the example of Christ. (Phil 2:3-8) 
  11. You must love others in biblical ways. (l Cor. 13:4-8a) 
  12. You must faithfully use your spiritual gift(s) for God's glory and for the benefit of others. (Rom. 12:3-8; Eph. 4:1-16; 1 Pet. 4:10-11) 
  13. You are to regularly worship the Lord, remaining in fellowship and in ministry with other believers. (Ps. 29:1-2, 122:1; John 4:23-24; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 John 1:7)

 

Posted by Nick Scott with

April 2017 Worship

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Church Family,

It’s hard to believe that the spring time is already here and Easter is right around the corner! I for one, am thankful that the cold weather is making it’s way out, and the warm weather is making it’s way in. With that in mind, as we move further into the Easter Season, I want you to be aware of a worship event that we have coming up, which is our Good Friday Night of Worship. On Friday night, April 14th, at 6:30pm, our entire church family will be coming together for a night of worship, centered around the Cross. Together, we will reflect on the Cross on which Jesus died, and we will worship in response to it. Our team is already preparing for this night and we want you to be a part of it. Childcare will be available, so we strongly encourage you and your family to make plans to be part of this night. It will be a powerful time, and you do not want to miss out!

That very same weekend, we will gather on Sunday morning, April 16th to celebrate our Risen Savior! Jesus went to the Cross and died for our sins. However, the good news that we believe and know to be true, is that Jesus was resurrected three days later! He did not stay in the grave, but he rose again, and that truth is worth celebrating! So make plans to join us on Easter Sunday, and invite your friends. The gospel is for everyone to hear, and we want as many people to hear it as possible. I pray that we invite our friends and family. I pray that we invite the lost people around us to hear the good news of the Gospel. Our theme for the Easter Season is this:
Jesus is worthy. He is worthy for so many reasons. He died on the cross, in our place, for our sins, so that we would no longer be subject to death, but we can now have eternal life in Christ as we put our faith and trust in Him. He is our Savior. He is our Maker. He is our Helper. He is our God and we are His people. He is worthy of our worship and He is worthy of our lives. I pray that this truth would rest in our hearts, starting today, as we reflect on Christ this Easter season. I love you all, and I love worshiping with you!
See you Sunday!
In Christ,

Jared

 

Posted by Jared Mitchell with

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