Growing in Jesus

The person who has committed his life to Jesus Christ has been born again! The have died to the person they used to be and have become an entirely new person.
If you have just received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, are recommitting your life to Him¸ or are in need of further assurance of your faith, it is important that you take these steps toward growing in your relationship with Jesus.

As in physical life, your spiritual life needs certain ingredients in order to grow and develop. As a newborn in Christ, let’s take the time to emphasize five ways to grow spiritually. 

1. Pray – Talk to God. Spend time each day in PRAYER talking and listening to God. Prayer is our direct communication line to God in heaven. The Lord loves to hear from us. You can pray anytime you want to: driving in your car, on your knees, wherever and whenever! “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 The Bible also says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7


2. Study the Bible. The Bible is like spiritual food! Just as you clothe and feed your physical body, you must clothes and feed your spiritual body! The Bible says: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” 1 Peter 2:2 It also says, “Thy (God’s) Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

God’s Word, the Bible, contains numerous promises. The way to discover these treasures is to read and study the Bible. Begin today by reading at least one chapter each day in the Gospel of John. Gospel means “Good News.” The chapters are short, so you might want to read more than one. Keep a pencil handy to underline any verses that are especially meaningful to you. Question marks can be placed in the margin for questions that you would like to discuss with another Christian. Remember, Satan will tempt you to disobey God’s Word, and the Scriptures are offensive weapons you can use against Satan. (Read Luke 4:1-14) about when Jesus was tempted by Satan. He replied with Scripture. It is good to memorize scripture! “And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17 - The Bible also tells us, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

3. Worship – WORSHIP is vital to spiritual growth. Worship is devoting everything we say and to do to Jesus. God the Father seeks people to worship Him. It is also important to worship in a church by gathering with other believers to sing, study and pray together. Make sure it is a that teaches you the Bible. Also, the Bible clearly teaches the benefits and blessing of worship. Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23 The Bible also says, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

Two important means of worship are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism - is an outward expression of an inward change. It is the sign that believers give to the world regarding our personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, “Do you not know that as many as were baptized into His Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4 Symbolically, we die to our old, sinful nature as we go into a watery grave, and come up fro the water showing we are raised to new life! It is making a public announcement that you are a follower of Jesus.  

The Lord’s Supper – Jesus gave instructions to the disciples that the Lord’s Supper was to be practiced in remembrance of me. It is a time of reflection upon the great sacrifice the Lord Jesus mad for us. The broken bread reminds us of His physical body that was wounded for us. The cup we drink is a reminder of His blood He shed for us. It is important that we honor Jesus in this act of remembering Him.

4. Fellowship – The Bible tells us that we need to fellowship with one another. The word fellowship means, “a joint participation of things held in common by both.” Fellowship with other Christians will help you grow in your faith. It is the activity where followers of Jesus Christ gather together to encourage one another in the areas of spiritual growth. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 The Bible also says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

5. Witness – As a result of praying, reading your Bible, worship, and fellowship, you will want to start sharing the joy of your salvation with others. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (good news) to every creature.” Mark 16:15 The Bible also teaches,“It is appointed for men to die once, and after this the (great white throne) judgment.” Hebrews 9:27

We must realize that people’s souls are on the very balance of eternity! We, as God’s representatives, must share the “Good News” that Jesus loves them and died on the cross so that their sins might be forgiven and that they might have abundant and eternal life too! Tell others of what Jesus has done for you!