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Friday, October 28, 2005
Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes
Yet still more from Pastor Tim Stevenson:
"Spiritual maturity does not occur through the mere passage of time. It will not happen for those who are passive or wait for some 'lightning bolt from heaven' to hit them and make them spiritual. We are called to follow Christ and put truth into practice: 'But solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14). In an old joke, a tourist asks a New Yorker, 'How can I get to Broadway?' The local's answer: 'Practice, practice, practice!' How do you grow in Christ? Persistent practice of the truth! There's no other way.
That means if you wnat to grow as a Christian, you must make some fundamental lifestyle decisions that are conducive to growth. As basic things are necessary for physical growth and health (eating good food and exercising, avoiding what is harmful), so there are two common-sense ingredients necessary to grow spiritually:
Regular intake of God's Word. God's Word is food for our souls, to strengthen and nourish us, and also our standard to evaluate truth and error.
Regular participation in a body of believers. We aren't made to live the Christian life alone, but in a family, where we exercise our faith. We each have something unique to contribute to the body, and we need to receive, in turn, the unique contributions of others (see Ephesians 4: 11--16)."
So, for today, do we really treat God's Word as "food for our souls," literally developing pangs when we don't have it? Do we use it as our standard to evaluate truth/error? Do we tend to have our "church friends" and our "school friends?" What are the drawbacks to these things? What are the dangers if we don't have balance?
Brent 3:02 AM
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