Growing Up Spiritually

Notes provided below!

Mission/Vision Statement

The Mission of the No Substitute Ministries Bible study group is to bring clarity and understanding to God’s Word so that we can apply it to our lives in a practical and effective manner, enabling us to impact the lives of others and bring change to our world through our application of the Gospel.
Bible Study Agenda

• Open with Group Prayer
• Song
• Bible Study/Topic Discussion
• Sharing (5 minutes per person so everyone has a chance to share)
• Questions/Answers/open discussion
• Close with prayer

Study Focus for Saturday, May 26, 2012

Salvation – the cornerstone of building an intimate personal relationship with God. Practical steps to developing a powerful and effective prayer life.

Repentance – to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better.

Key Points of Discussion:

• Review
  • Salvation
  • Renewing the Mind/Soul
  • Chain of Destiny
• Growing up Spiritually

Review

•  What is salvation?
  • Believe with you heart, confess with your mouth – Jesus. (Romans 10:9-10)
  • There are two things we must make a priority when we become born again.
  • We must renew our minds with the Word of God.
  • We must release things from the spiritual realm into the natural realm.

• Prayer is not only how we receive from God, but also how we communicate with God, spend time with God, and therefore, develop intimacy with God. 
  • Spending time with God brings us closer to God (James 4:8)
  • Textbook relationship/intimacy building requires daily meaningful interaction (James 4:4-5):
• How should pray? Jesus gave we us the perfect outline.
  • Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. (John 16:23)
  • The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 4:4, John 6:32, 35)
  • What should we pray?
  • The Word of God (and be specific!)
  • Write down what you are praying for in specific terms – healing, deliverance, financial increase, debt cancellation, household salvation, etc (James 5:13-16).
  • Find the supporting scripture and pray the Word of God concerning that particular promise. You must have the Word of God on the subject before you can have faith to receive it. Faith begins where the will of God is known. The will of God is the Word of God (1 Timothy 2:1-2,8).
• Praying in Tongues
  • We don’t always know what to pray for – Praying in tongues is a powerful tool that is available to EVERY BELIEVER that allows us to pray using the spirit of God to pray for whatever is necessary. (Romans 8:26-27)

Growing Up Spiritually

Scripture References

• Hebrews 5:12
• 1 Corinthians 3:1 – 3, 21 – 23
• 1 Corinthians 1:5 – 7

Summary

There are three types of people: natural, carnal and spiritual. While the natural man is not born again, the carnal man is a Believer, but is still led by what he sees and feels. He is a baby Christian who has not progressed beyond being born again into the fullness of spiritual maturity. A carnal Christian must make a decision to grow up, and he or she must be taught how to come out of sin and stay out.

• Many Christians should be spiritually mature, but they are still spiritual babies.
  • The apostle Paul wasn’t talking to baby Christians, he was speaking to Believers who should have been more spiritually mature (Hebrews 5:12).
  • Paul also dealt with spiritually immature Christians at the Church of Corinth.
    • He had spiritually fed these Christians with the milk of God’s Word so they could grow, but they hadn’t – evidence they were carnal was, there was envy, strife and division among them. (1 Corinthians 3:1 – 3).
  • Even though the Corinthian church had manifestations of all the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1: 5 – 7, there was still overwhelming evidence that they were carnal, baby Christians. Note: Having spiritual gifts doesn’t make you a mature Christian.
• Your spiritual maturity is demonstrated by the decisions you make in life—whether you make decisions in line with the Word of God. 
  • When you refuse to get offended, you demonstrate that you are growing into spiritual maturity.
  • When you are unable to execute the Word of God that you know, it is evidence of spiritual underdevelopment. God wants to bless you, but you must grow up spiritually in order to receive His best for your life.
  • Don’t allow your senses to cause you to sin. Be moved only by God’s Word.
  • Make a quality decision to turn away from sin.
  • The goodness of the Lord will cause you to repent – To be “convicted” of sin is not to be condemned, but it is God’s way of reminding/convincing you that you re the righteousness of God.
• When you see Christians in sin, don’t beat them up, lift them up.
  • People who are judgmental are often the very ones who are doing the same thing. .
    • “Moral indignation in most cases is, 2% moral, 48% indignation, and 50% envy.”  – Vittorio De Sica
  • Recognize that all sin is based in selfishness.
  • Peter says that you have to desire the sincere milk of the Word to grow up – All things are available to the born again Christian, but some refuse to grow up so they can lay hold of what is rightfully theirs (1 Corinthians 3:21- 23).
  • The carnal Christian must be practically taught how to get out of sin.
  • You won’t inspire a carnal Christian to change by continuously telling him or her how bad they are. Be more concerned with depositing the Word in them rather than ridiculing them.
    • Build confidence in them.
    • Be patient with them – It won’t be long before they begin to grow up.