Sunday, November 19, 2017

Progression (not Perfection)

“Being a Christian demands constant progression not perfection.” (2become/tumblr)

God has great things in store for you. Do not settle for where you are, but go to the next level (with Him). Many of us are stuck in the same place in our lives that we were five years ago, which doesn’t measure up to our full potential. We become comfortable with what worked yesterday. We don’t realize that our Heavenly Father is calling us to the logical step of growth that follows in our spiritual walk.

 
God is not inactive, but constantly on the move in our lives. He is a God without limits. Refrain from putting restrictions on your service to others. The Almighty does not want you to be comfortable with second-best. He does not want you to be content with yesterday’s blessings. God wants to do something ground-breaking in your life. The Heavenly Father wants to bless all aspect of your life.

Your present circumstances are not an indicator of where you are going, and what you are capable of. Your situation isn’t bigger than your Heavenly Father. You should not run back to your past as soon as you meet a roadblock. The Almighty’s plan for you is to progress further in your life spiritually.  How do you move beyond the level two (growing stage)?[i]

1.   Adopt personal spiritual activities like Bible reading and prayer.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17, MEV)

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” (George Herbert)

2.   Build up your beliefs.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV)

“Conviction: standing for what is right even when others don’t.” (www.rivertreechristian.com)

3.   Commit to connecting with other Christians.

“In the same way that iron sharpens iron,  a person sharpens the character of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17, VOICE)

“Having small group once a week gives me a lot of encouragement and accountability. Even though I go to church, I don't really know many people there [are], but my real community is my small group.” (Jeremy Lin)

4.   Demonstrate your faith in a place of service.

“You are Christ’s body and each of you is an individual part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27, GW)

“Church is who we are not where we go.” (Facebook.com/JarridWilson)

5.   Exit the building (your faith outside the church).

“Surely, no matter what you are doing (speaking, writing, or working); do it all in the name of Jesus our Master sending thanks through Him to God our Father.” (Colossians 3:17, VOICE)

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

“Spiritual growth is like learning to walk. We stand up, fall, stand up, fall, take a step, fall, take a couple of steps, fall, walk a little better, wobble a bit, fall, run, and finally, [and] eventually fly.”  (Geri Larkin)[ii]




·        [i] Exploring the Christian faith
·        Growing as you follow Jesus
·        Close to living a spirit-lead life
·        Jesus-Centered is the way all life decisions are made
 
[ii] Inspired by the sermon “Stepping Up: Beyond Growth” (installment two) Sunday, November12, 2017 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH. Adapted from: “Go to the Next Level” by Eston Swaby
 

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