Word of Life Korea SYME Discipleship Topics



Week 20: CHRISTIAN GROWTH

How to Grow as a Christian

Hebrews 5:12-14

PowerPoint Presentation
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OTHER DISCIPLESHIP TOPICS

01. Assurance of Salvation
02. Quiet Time
03. Prayer
04. The Church
05. Temptation
06. Evangelism
07. Scripture Memory
08. Godliness/Christlikeness
09. Old Testament Survey
10. Bible Study
11. Follow Up
12. The Tongue
13. Theology 1
14. Money
15. Christian Family
16. World Missions
17. Personal Testimony
18. Will of God
19. Self Image
20. Christian Growth
      How to Grow as a Christian
      You've Got Mail
      Info on the Road Ahead
      Secrets of the Vine
21. Spiritual Gifts
22. Theology 2
23. Baptism & Lord's Supper
24. Cults
25. New Testament Survey
26. Lordship of Christ
27. Forgiveness
28. Theology 3
29. Spiritual Warfare
30. Servanthood
31. Discipleship
32. Faithfulness

OTHER BIBLE MESSAGES
I once read of a young man who would dive and catch exotic fish for aquariums. He said that one of the most popular fish is the shark. If you catch a baby shark and put it in a small aquarium, as time passes, it will always stay the same size as that space. In this way it is actually possible to have an old shark that is only six inches long. But if you would have let that shark loose in the ocean when it was a baby it would have grown to its normal length of eight feet (?? cm).

In the same way, if you plant a little tree seedling in a small pot, its growth will be limited. For a tree will only grow as large as its root system grows. In this way it is possible to have an old tree that is only two feet tall. But if you transplant that seedling into a big pot or into the ground it will grow to a great height.

People who are adults but still have a small body or called dwarfs. Have you ever seen a dwarf? People who are adults but still act like a child are immature. Have you ever seen a teenager who was acting like a baby?

Hebrews 5:12-14 says that some Christians are like that. By the time they ought to be "grown-up" they are still acting like a baby. When they should be eating adult food they are still drinking from a baby bottle.

Some of you have recently become a new Christian. When you asked Jesus to come into your life and be your Savior, Jesus called this being "born again" (John 3:3-4). This is not like a human birth (with skin, bones or blood) but a spiritual birth. You are born "of God" and you become a "child of God" (John 1:12-13). You know what day your birthday is don't you? When you are born again that day is your spiritual birthday. You should remember that day. Write down that day on the front page of your Bible so you won't forget.

Now after you were born how did you grow? Well, you had to eat ... and sleep and get exercise and take care of your body. The same is true as a Christian. I would like to give you four steps on how to grow as a Christian.

1. EAT HEALTHY FOOD - BIBLE
It is natural for a newborn baby to want milk. It's also natural for new Christians to want the "milk of the Word" of God (1 Peter 2:2-3). The only people who do not eat are either sick or dead. The Bible is like food. It is like honey (Psalm 19:10), like bread (Matthew 4:4), like meat (1 Corinthians 3:2), like water (Ephesians 5:26), and like milk (1 Peter 2:2).

Jonathan Goforth was a missionary in China during the early 1900's. One day after speaking in chapel a man asked, "I have heard you speak three times and you always speak of Jesus Christ. Why?" The missionary replied, "Sir, before answering your question, let me ask, 'What did you have for dinner today?'" "Rice," replied the man." "What did you have yesterday?" "The same thing." "And what do you expect to eat tomorrow?" "Rice, of course. It gives me strength. I could not do without it. Sir it is --" The man hesitated as if looking for a strong word. Then he added, "Sir, it is my very life!" The missionary responded, "What rice is to your body, Jesus is to our soul! He is the 'rice' or the 'bread of life'" (John 6:35-36).

Be sure you have your own copy of God's Word (the Bible). Then take time every day to read the Bible, even if its only 10 or 15 minutes. I suggest you start in the Gospel of John. Read until you learn something fresh and new. Mark your place. Then write in a journal each day the new special things you learned and any questions that come to you.

2. GET PROPER REST - PRAYER
When we sleep the main thing we do is breathe. Sleeping helps our blood to get more oxygen. Prayer is like breathing. If you don't breathe you will get out of breath and will faint. Luke 18:1 says that we should always pray and not faint. When we breathe we exhale air from inside of us. When we pray we are exhaling the thoughts that are inside of us.

Some people think that praying is yelling loud enough and long enough until God has to give them what they want. But the purpose of prayer is not to make God do what we want but to accomplish what God wants.

I suggest that when you pray you (1) P-praise and thank God for who He is and what He has given you (salvation, health, family, and friends). Then (2) R-repent or confess your sins to Him. (3) A-ask God for things that you really need as well as for the needs of others. (4) Y-yield to God or tell Him that you only want what He knows is best for you. Keep a journal of your prayer requests and the dates you received answers.

3. EXERCISE REGULARLY - WITNESS
The strongest and most healthy people are those who exercise regularly. When those who do not exercise try to climb a mountain, go jogging or play some kind of sport they quickly begin huffing and puffing as they are out of breath. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 say to "exercise yourself unto godliness."

To become godly we need to not only read the Bible and pray but we need to witness or tell others about Jesus. Some people think witnessing is standing in the street with a sign and shouting "Believe in Jesus or you will go to hell." The Bible does not tell us to do that but it does tell us to tell others about Jesus. It would be very sad if one day you are looking down from heaven and see the face of a friend looking up at you saying, "Why did you never tell me?" You need to tell your friends and others how you became a Christian.

4. PROTECT YOUR BODY - CHURCH
The reason we wear clothes is to protect our bodies. Clothes protect us from cold, disease and injury. Spiritually the church protects Christians from becoming cold and indifferent to the things of God. And the church protects Christians from the disease of false teachings and cults.

A log in a campfire burns bright as long as it stays with the other logs in the fire. But if the log is removed from the other logs, it begins to burn out. In the same way we need to worship and meet together with other Christians to keep burning bright for God.

I suggest you go to a good church where godly people teach the Bible, worship God and help you grow as a Christian. Find a good church where you will want to go every week.

There once was a little boy who went with his family to visit his grandma and grandpa at their house in the country. While there he noticed that one of the doors in the house had some special markings on it. His grandpa told him that when his father was growing up, every year or so they would have him stand next to the door, would draw a line on the door to mark his height and would write his name and age next to the line. After the little boy heard this he went and stood up straight next to the door and asked his grandpa to mark his height.

A little while later grandma called everyone to come and eat supper. At this meal they noticed that their grandson was eating much more than he normally did. As soon as he had gobbled down his last bite he ran back to the door, stood straight and tall and asked in a loud voice, "How much have I growed?"

The truth is that you cannot see how much you have grown after one meal or even after a week of meals. But over time, as months and years go by, one can measure and see how much he has grown. Spiritual growth too is not noticeable after a big spiritual meal or even after a week of reading the Bible through. It is as we faithfully read and apply the Word of God to our lives each day throughout the year that real growth takes place.
by Steve Nicholes

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