Spiritual growth is important :When? Now!

Spiritual growth is just as important now as it was yesterday, and all the days, nights, weeks, months, and years before this one!
So grow spiritually again this year, here in 2009!

Why is spiritual growth so important?

1. Because you love God!
   
2. To help one draw closer in his relationship to God as a believer.
3. To be able to be a good example to other believers.
4. To be able to be a good example to lost relatives, friends,neighbors, acquaintances, co workers,church visitors,and other lost people in general.
5. To be prepared to be on the look out for false teachings out there that Satan might try to use to lead you astray from the LORD.
6. To help you resist the devil (Satan) temptations to do wrong.
7. To help you warn others about Satan's lies.
8. To help you to encourage other believers to keep serving God.
9. To help you to teach the lost about God!
10. Because Satan and his demons (devils,the fallen angels) are still at large.
11. To help you to be a the kind of wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, neighbor,employer, boss,co worker, acquaintance, husband,father,brother,son,cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher,preacher,etc. that God wants you to be.
12. So you can be a light to a world that is in darkness.

God wants you to Spend Time with Him!

For those of you out there who say "I am a Christian" and do not serve God. Tell God you are sorry, and prove it. Spend time with God! Any true friend of God should spend time with him and want too.
What kind of person is a friend when they do not spend time with you? Either they are no friend at all, or a very bad friend. Real friends spend time with each other.
So, make sure to spend some time with God!
How?

1. Pray
2. Listen to God's answer to prayer (yes, no, or wait)
3. Read the Bible
4. Memorize Bible verses
5. Share Christ with others/evangelize
6. Apply the Bible to your life
7. Attend a Bible believing Church
8. Sing songs of praise, glory, and honor to him
9. Sing songs about God
10. Watch out/be on your guard for false teachings,beliefs, and ideas about God
11. Listen to Bible based radio programs -Adventures In Odyssey, Turning Point, A New Beginning,Walk in the Word,etc
12. Tithe-give 10% of your income to God
13. Give money to help support missionaries that tell others about Jesus and his death on the cross,burial and resurrection from the dead
14. Give money to the Birthday offering for Christ-a special offering around Christmas to help needy families in the community around Christmas time
15. Thank him for saving you! Thank him for everything else too!
    

More Spiritual Truth from the Bible

• There is only 1 God!
• He is Alive! Amen!
• There are many names for God mentioned in the Bible.
• Here are some of the names for God as portrayed in the Bible!
• God
• LORD
• Lord
• Spirit of the LORD
• Spirit of God
• Holy Spirit
• Holy Ghost
• Holy One
• LORD God
• Jesus Christ
• Jesus
• Immanuel ("God with us")
• Prince of Peace
• Master
• Son of man
• Son of God
• Christ Jesus
• Father
• Lord God
• I AM
• I am the bread of life.
• I am the living bread
• I am the light of the world
• ...Before Abraham was I am...
• ....I am the light of the world...
• ....I am the door...
• I am the good shepherd...
• ...I am the resurrection and the life...
• ....I am the way, the truth and the life...
• I am in the Father, and the Father in me...
• I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end...
• ...I am the first and the last.
• Creator
• Messiah
• Maker
• Lion of the Tribe of Judah
• the Lamb
• Lamb of God
• Lord Jesus Christ
• Christ
• Comforter (''Helper")
• Savior
• LORD of LORD's
• King of King's
  
• the angel of the LORD
• Wonderful Counselor
  

Trials: What Is the Reason ?

One of the reasons for Trials/Hard times or hard ship in the Christian Life is mentioned in James Chapter 1:1-12.

• "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers tempations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. " -James 1:1-3
• "divers temptations"- means "various trials"
• "trying of your faith"-testing
  
• "worketh patience" -produces,brings patience
• "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. "- James 1:4-7
• "perfect"-mature
• "entire"-complete
• "wanting nothing"-lacking nothing
• "upbraideth not"-without reproach
• "nothing wavering"-not doubting
• "wavereth"-doubts
• " A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. "-James 1:8
  
• "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted."-James 1:9
• "brother of low degree"-lowly brother
• "in that he is exalted"- in his exaltation
• "But the rich in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away."-James 1:10
  
• "that he is made low"-his humilation
• "For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass,and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth:so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. "-James 1:11
• "grace of the fashion of it perisheth"-beautiful appearance dies
• "ways"-pursuits
• "Blessed is the man that endureth tempation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crowm of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." -James 1:12
• "Blessed"-happy,joyful
• "is tried"-has been proved
  
• One Reason for a Christian to have trials in his/her life is to help draw them closer to God.
• Another Reason is to bring them back to him when they have gone astray.
• Two Responses that Christians give to Trials are... 1. Discouragement, disappointment,and/or bitterness, 2.Driven -continues to serve God and give him the glory
• Reward for enduring trials is... "the crown of life!"
  

Keep on keep on serving Christ 24/7!

• We are to keep on serving Christ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
  
• We are to keep serving him, day and night!
  
• Spiritual growth is important for all of us Christians!
  
• It is important for those saved for 1 day, 1 week, month and year!
  
• It is important for those saved for months, and years!
  
• It is important for those saved for a short time, and those saved a long time alike!
• It is important for those baby Christians!
  
• It is important for those Christian children, and teens!
• It is important for all Christians!
• How do we keep serving him?
• By obeying his will!
• By worshiping him!
• By prayer!
• By Bible study!
  By Scripture memorization!
• By discipling others in the Lord!
• By sharing Christ with others!
• By attending Church!
• By applying the Word to our lives!
  

More passages Christians should memorize

Christians should memorize more of the Bible than the lost.
These are more passages that Christians should definitely memorize.

• Colossians 3:18 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord."
• Colossians 3:19 "Husbands,love your wives, and be not bitter against them."
• Colossians 3:20 "Children obey your parents in all things:for this is well pleasing unto the Lord."
• Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."
• Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"
• Colossians 3:24 " Knowing that that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:for ye serve the Lord Christ."
• Colossians 3:25 "But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."
• Colossians 4:2 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"
• Colossians 4:3 "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speal the mystery of Christ..."
• Colossians 4:5 "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time."
• Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
• C0lossians 3:8 "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy commnication out of your mouth."
• Colossians 3:9 " Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"
• Colossians 3:10 "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:"
• Colossians 3:11 "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."
• Colossians 1:10 "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
• Colossians 1:11 "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"
• Philippians 4:20 "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
• Philippians 1:2 "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
• Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
• Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
• "wiles"-schemes,tricks
• Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
• Ephesians 6:13 "Where take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
• Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"
• Ephesians 6:15 "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"
• Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shal be able to quench the firey darts of the wicked."
• "wicked"-wicked one, the devil
• Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God:"
• Ephesians 1:2 "Grace be to you,and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
• Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,"
• Galatians 5:23 "Meekness,temperance:against such there is no law."
• Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
• Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangeled again with the yoke of bondage."
• Galatians 1:5 "To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
• II Corinthians 1:3 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;"
• I Corinthians 16:14 "Let all your things be done with charity."
• "charity"-love
• I Corinthians 15:33 "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
• I Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in order."
• I Corinthians 10:14 "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."
• I Corinthians 7:4 "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband:and likewise the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
• I Corinthians 7:2 "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
• I Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
• I Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
• I Corinthians 6:18 "Flee fornication. Every sin that man doeth is without the body;but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."
• I Corinthians 6:17 "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."
• I Corinthians 6:16 "What? know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? for Two, saith he, SHALL BE ONE FLESH."
• I Corinthians 6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,"
• "abusers of themselves with mankind"-sodomites, homosexuals
• I Corinthians 6:10 "Nor thieves, nor covetou,nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
• I Corinthians 6:11 "And such were some of you:but ye are washed,but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
• I Corinthians 6:3 "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertainto this life?"
• I Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
• "by"-through,loss of reward
• I Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."
• Romans 12:21 "Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
• Romans 12:14 "Bless them with persecute you: bless, and curse not."
• Romans 12:13 "Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."
• "necessity"-needs
• Romans 12:12 "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"
• "continuing"-giving preference to prayer
• "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;"
• "slothful"-lagging in diligence
• Romans 12:10 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honoe preferring one another;"
• "affectioned"-affectionate
• "preferring"-giving preference to
• Romans 10:9 "Let love be without dismulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."
• "dismulation"-hypocrisy
• "cleave"-cling
• "Abhor"-depart, stay away from
• John 14:6 "Jesus said, unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

CHURCH ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT TOO

Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as the manner of some is, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."

• Church attendance is another thing that is important for spiritual growth.
• As believers fellowship together in the Lord they draw closer to him.
• They should make sure to attend church as often as they can.
• Hearing the preaching from God's Word is one way they can grow at church.
• Praise & Worship is also a part of this.
• Along with prayer and the sharing of answered prayer.