Follow Along with the Message

Cross Training

Pastor Tom Lundeen

Where there's no growth happening, it's at best disappointing, at worst, .

Today we're beginning a new series that's for everyone, no matter where you are at in your spiritual journey, because God wants us to experience new life, and He wants to help us grow and  in this gift of new life He freely offers. 

1. Let's Understand What Spiritual Maturity  

God designed a world where growth is the . 

And God wants us to  in our relationship with Him (note Hebrews 6:1). 

But there's a lot of  about what genuine spiritual maturity looks like. 

Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with: 

A. How  we have been a Jesus follower (note John 3:1-10)

B.   

C.  

D. Background/ (note Philippians 3:4b-7)

E.  (note John 5:39-40)

F.  yourself to others (note 2 Corinthians 10:12)

You and I grow in maturity when we  ourselves to Jesus and His Word. 

So what does James identify as a genuine evidence of spiritual maturity? 

2. How We Respond   (note James 1:2-4)

...saying 'YES!' to Jesus as Lord is not some kind of  against problems and struggles. 

Note John 15:18-20a; 16:33b; Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; 14:22; 1 Peter 4:14

So the question isn't whether you'll  problems...

...it's how do you , respond, and navigate those problems?

It doesn't take a great deal of emotional and spiritual maturity to be positive and joyful when life is going well and there are no  to have to deal with. 

But it's a whole different thing when life is tough, circumstances go , relationships are bumpy, finances are tight, and prayers seem unheard. 

When problems invade our lives, do we get uptight, anxious, nervous, angry, or negative?

Do we grumble, complain, get lost in ?

The reality is, we can be well-versed in the Scriptures and familiar with  terms, but still be  and grumpy when life isn't going the way we hoped/desired/planned. 

So let's GET Growing:

• An accurate measurement of our  spiritual maturity is when we're under stress and the pressure is on, are we still able to experience joy? 
• Are we recognizing this as an  to grow our faith, our trust, our ability to endure/to persevere, and to become a more patient person? 
• So when the  in our lives, what does it reveal about our spiritual development, spiritual growth, and spiritual maturity?

Tell someone about the next step you took today in your spiritual journey! Let us know, too, and fill out our digital connect card.