Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Simple Christian Growth

I was talking to a good friend tonight it brought to mind something very important. How do we maintain our relationship with God?

The great commission says to make disciples. That is more than the number of baptisms in a given time. The number of people who walk the isle and say a prayer, maybe even get baptized, is far greater than those who truly become active participants in advancing the Kingdom of God. We work hard to get people to the profession of faith, but we don’t worry too much if they grow. At least we don’t emphasize it enough in my opinion.

So, what can you do to maintain that relationship with God and grow in your faith?

Three things plus one:

#1. Read your Bible 15 min per day. God talks to you. Be smart; don’t just pick random passages, read book by book.

#2. Pray for 15 min per day. You talk to God. Pray according to the pattern in the Lords prayer. Praise, submission, needs, forgiveness, guidance, and praise again.

#3. Share your Faith for 15 min per day. You and the Holy Spirit talk to another person. This doesn’t mean you have to run down a stranger and hold onto them while you tell them everything you ever learned about God. What it means is talk with your friends about your faith, about why you believe or about what blessings God has sent your way. Maybe even what you learned while reading the Bible.

Plus 1. Get a friend that shares the faith and wants to share with you. This can be an accountability partner, a trusted person whom you can share your weaknesses with. It can also be a mentor, someone who can guide you in understanding the faith. Either way, you need a friend to talk to about your faith. Find one. They can be found at most bible believing churches.