Who Are You? - 2

Mature your faith every day, your life should model what Jesus did. Trials make your faith grow your faith.

Stages:

1.     Babies:

a.     New to faith (born again)

b.     Beginning to understand and trust God

c.     Develops a relationship with God

d.     Needs spiritual guidance

2.     Toddlers:

a.     Understanding of God’s love by reading the Bible

b.     Talking about Jesus

c.     Model God’s character by looking at the congregation where they are at

d.     Poses a pure and simple love towards God

e.     Depends on their spiritual parents for some things (prayer, questions, spiritual food

f.       Innocent and pure hearted

g.     The spiritual parents model how to be dependent on God

3.     Pre-Schoolers:

a.     Establishes a strong and moral spiritual foundation

b.     Connects to their faith through experimental learning

c.     Model faith behavior

d.     Knowledge that God is their Father

e.     Know they are forgiven through Jesus Christ

f.       Quick to forgive

g.     Learn the difference from right and wrong

4.     Grade Schoolers:

a.     Develop a deeper connection to God and faith

b.     Learning core beliefs

c.     Go through different grades of faith with the Holy Spirit acting as a teacher through reading the Bible

d.     Move through basic understanding to mature spiritual awareness in action

e.     Struggles with consistency and understanding

f.       Teachable and open to instruction

5.     Teens:

a.     Continue to struggle with their sinful human nature

b.      Focus on personal faith

c.     Focus on own salvation and spiritual life

d.     Build a personal relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, living a life of gratitude and service

e.     Navigating and identifying independence in moral development

f.       Development of spiritual disciplines

g.     Fostering connections with a community of faith

h.     Finding identity within a church and a purpose within God’s truth

i.       Show strong unquestioned faith

6.     Adults:

a.     Ongoing process of deepening one’s understanding and connection to their faith

b.     Increase compassion, purpose, self-awareness and can be cultivated through consistent spiritual practices

c.     Engage with the Bible, prayers and community involvement in their church

d.     Embrace life’s changes as an opportunity for growth and transformation

e.     Take opportunities to help others with their growth and application of Biblical concepts

f.       Take on roles within the church teachers, ushers, greeters, elders, members, ambassadors all through the faith of Jesus Christ

g.     Some even become warriors and soldiers of Christ

The reason we do not grow is because of fear. We get closer to God through discipline. Discipline conquers fear.

How to mature as children of God:

1.     Prayer and Humbleness:

a.     Prayer - power tool for connecting with God by expressing gratitude, seeking guidance in solitude. It is good to pray with other people but you need to pray by yourself. Prayer is a personal conversation with God; it is a time to reflect and ask.

b.     Humbleness – more than a personality trait it is a virtue that reflects a personal relationship with God. It involves a lack of pride, acknowledgement of one’s dependence of God and a willingness to serve and submit to God’s will. Not self-condemnation but rather a realistic assessment of oneself, recognizing that one’s gifts and talents come from God not from yourself.

2.     Read and Study:

a.     Read – reading and reflecting on the Bible and its teaching can deepen ones understanding of faith and provide guidance for daily life.

b.     Study – look up words that you don’t know what they mean dig deep to understand what you are reading.

3.     Mindfulness and Like-Minded Believers:

a.     Mindfulness – characterized by focusing on God, renewing the mind to Christ-like thoughts, practicing gratitude, meditating on Scripture, living with a constant awareness of God’s presence. Practicing mindfulness helps quiet the mind, helps capture your thoughts, increases your awareness of the vertical focus on the one Who lovingly created you and know Him intimately.  

b.     Like-Minded Believers – characterized by sharing love, unity of purpose, extending humility, mutual care and focus on others interest rather than their own. They all center on Christ’s examples.

4.     Service to Others:

a.     Caring and serving others is what Jesus did. Engaging in acts of service and compassion towards others can foster empathy, deepening one’s connection with humility and creating a sense of purpose. Offering kindness to those in need.

5.     Community and Fellowship:

a.     Community – connecting with others and sharing the same spiritual beliefs and practices can provide support, encouragement and a sense of belonging. This can involve joining the church community, participating in events, joining a Life Group and engaging in meaningful conversations about faith and spirituality.

b.     Fellowship – use the gift God gave you to grow others in their faith. We are many parts of one body (Christ Body-the church). Romans 12:4-9