HOW IT WORKS...An honest beginning
Our growth and development is measured by an honest assessment of where we are compared to where we hope to be. If I want to lose 10 pounds I need to climb on the scales today and take an honest look at my weight and make note of it so that next week at this time when I weigh in, I will know if I am up or down a few pounds.
It is impossible to know if you are growing spiritually if you have not taken accurate measurements of where you are right now. There are three questions that can help you better understand where you are on your spiritual journey.
1. What percentage of my daily life purposefully seeks to involve Jesus? (daily decision making, do I practice a devotional time, do i believe and practice that Jesus is the only way to God)
Are you engaging, connecting with God regularly? How often? What percentage of your day? Are there days you do not engage at all?
2. Am I actively and intentionally studying God's Word in an organized, developmental method so that I can know God and make Him known? (Classes, regular attendance to Sunday gatherings, leadership training, reading, small group studies)
Is this a priority in your life? Some take a formal route by enrolling for online classes in a Bible College or academic arena. Today we can all do this so easily and I really encourage it. We connect our MiT team (Ministers in Training) with this formal side of education. Our church is an approved training center for Global University under the heading of BEREAN SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE. Classes are around 100.00 per class. If you attend the Grace Place we encourage you to join Grace Place University. GPU offers a variety of short FREE classes to help you grow as a Christian. GPU classes are on Monday Nights at 7p. Check our website to see which ones are coming up.
3. Am I active in the community of faith? (Connected to a local church body, actively involved in serving, faithful attendance to services, building strong friendships with other believers to support them and to receive support from them in your faith walk).
You can attend church but not be connected. This is not God's plan for your life. He wants us to come together in unity and grow in community. Don't just attend get connected? How? To start with: Arrive early and stay late to at least one Sunday service a month. Why? It will give you an opportunity to meet people and get to know the staff. At the Grace Place we offer a class called "Discover Grace Place" The next scheduled Discover Grace Place class is April 24th at 7p. You can sign up online and we provide food. The class is FREE and informative and FUN!
Take time this week to go through each of these questions at they relate to you. If you need more than a week take as much time as you need. Remember you will not be able to access your growth going forward if you fail to access where you are right now. You will probably be surprised in two ways: 1. How much you have grown to this point. 2. How unintentional your growth has been. When I say unintentional I mean, that you are growing as you attend services, special classes, small groups but as you evaluate it you realize you are not being purposeful or intentional in planning it you are just kind of falling into it as you drift along in the spiritual current.
Just think how much faster you will grow once you put a plan in place for your spiritual development. You will be able to see and prove measurable growth not just yearly but monthly and weekly. So let's get started with an Honest Beginning...Take a long hard honest look at the 3 questions above and answer them. Take your time. Do a good assessment so you can see where you need to grow and also how fast you are growing in that area.
Find more information on the Grace Place at gp.church If you would like prayer, encouragement or want to speak with someone about your spiritual journey contact us at: info@gp.church
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