The Bravery to Grow
God does not want us to stay childish, immature, susceptible to lies, easily manipulated
it’s easy to stay put, comfortable, familiar, easy, unchallenged
****how do you know that you are maturing - where do we measure?
1 Cor 13:12 now is the time to put childish things away
Hebrew 5:11-6:12
Salvation and now what? better things! (6:9)
fear (lack of bravery) causes us to shrink back rather than stand out - Hebrews 10:39
to grow in 3 specific areas
1 Prayer
1 Thes 5:17
what is the content of our prayer
what are we thinking about whilst praying
what is the purpose of prayer?
how do you pray the Word?
we start with personal prayer
we grow into Kingdom prayer
a. Pray for one another and with one another
• we believe in prayer, that access is a gift from God
• prayer brings us together (it’s a whole lot harder to be mad at someone if you spent your morning praying for them)
• pray reminds us of the spiritual nature of our lives (how sad is it if we only stop to pray when we need something as if every moment isn’t a moment that is God ordained and full of His provision)
2 Understanding
Colossians 1:9
there is a basic knowledge of God
(nothing wrong with this)
there is an expanding knowledge God
(moving beyond the typical, can you enjoy _______ because you see God there too)
there is a connected knowledge of God
(the pieces fit together)
from the heart to the mouth
Proverbs 4:23
Luke 6:43-45
3 Speaking
encouragement
Psalm 19:14
Speak Life
protect others
sharing what the Lord is doing
teaching/leading others
we must do our best to be ready to have a meaningful conversation with people about spiritual things
Colossians 2:6-7
easily tossed by the waves vs grounded and rooted
deep roots leads to a confident stance
we are not easily persuaded away from what we have become convinced of
Growing in Faith - we become less dependent on the opinions of others as we draw near to Christ; He has provided a new community of believers for you and a launching point for fruitful ministry
Are we brave enough to stand out?
When might you have to take a stand for something?
What is God's plan for you to not be alone? The church)
He thinks we are good enough
We need people to believe in us / it empowers us
Small Group Questions: Session 5
1 What are some childish things you do that still frustrate you?
2 What are some of the “better things” we have access to in Christ?
(healthy relationships, freedom from sin and it’s consequences, high self-esteem, well-placed worship instead of worshipping inferior things)
3 Can you share with us a passage of Scripture God has taught you something from recently?
4 What are you convinced of? Like enough to talk about it? (“I am convinced that...”
- there is freedom in Christ
- that I am loved
- the Word is true
5 What are you confused by? Like what topic would you be uncomfortable talking about? (maybe Judgment, or Sacrifice, or the Resurrection)
6 Are there any spiritual habits you’ve seen in others that have encouraged you or inspired you to follow their example...or convicted you that you need?