Growing In Christian Discipleship
Rick Ferguson
Ephesians 3:13-21
Most of us gathered here this evening have come because we desire to be better disciples of Christ. We want to grow and mature spiritually. None of us are at a point where we can say we have reached full spiritual maturity - we have arrived. We all need to be in a continual state of growth. In spite of our age or education or position in the church, we all need to be growing.
Let me ask you, are you growing as a Christian? Are you, day by day, experiencing new dimensions in Christian living? Do you feel like you're l0 moment by moment becoming a little more like Christ? Can you honestly say that you are regularly gaining new spiritual insights?
Even though all of us wish to grow, we may, in fact, not be growing like we ought. Christian growth does not happen by accident. Developing as a disciple of Jesus requires several things:
(1) Decision - we must decide we are going to grow.
(2) Determination - we must be relentless in our pursuit of spiritual maturity.
(3) Discipline - we must be very disciplined in obeying that which we already understand to be God's will.
(4) Dependence - we must depend upon God absolutely to develop our spiritual character. Tonight we will learn something from the imprisoned apostle Paul about becoming a mature Christian disciple.
TEXT - Ephesians 3:13-21
Copyright © 1995 by Dr. Rick E. Ferguson. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be used in any form without the written permission of the author. Bible quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
Pg. 2
There are many factors involved in spiritual growth. I believe we see five important factors that were a part of the apostle Paul's life which facilitated his own spiritual development and which facilitated the development of others around him.
The five influencing factors are as follows:
I. THE PRICE OF MATURING DISCIPLES (v. 13).
...
Rick Ferguson
Ephesians 3:13-21
Most of us gathered here this evening have come because we desire to be better disciples of Christ. We want to grow and mature spiritually. None of us are at a point where we can say we have reached full spiritual maturity - we have arrived. We all need to be in a continual state of growth. In spite of our age or education or position in the church, we all need to be growing.
Let me ask you, are you growing as a Christian? Are you, day by day, experiencing new dimensions in Christian living? Do you feel like you're l0 moment by moment becoming a little more like Christ? Can you honestly say that you are regularly gaining new spiritual insights?
Even though all of us wish to grow, we may, in fact, not be growing like we ought. Christian growth does not happen by accident. Developing as a disciple of Jesus requires several things:
(1) Decision - we must decide we are going to grow.
(2) Determination - we must be relentless in our pursuit of spiritual maturity.
(3) Discipline - we must be very disciplined in obeying that which we already understand to be God's will.
(4) Dependence - we must depend upon God absolutely to develop our spiritual character. Tonight we will learn something from the imprisoned apostle Paul about becoming a mature Christian disciple.
TEXT - Ephesians 3:13-21
Copyright © 1995 by Dr. Rick E. Ferguson. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be used in any form without the written permission of the author. Bible quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
Pg. 2
There are many factors involved in spiritual growth. I believe we see five important factors that were a part of the apostle Paul's life which facilitated his own spiritual development and which facilitated the development of others around him.
The five influencing factors are as follows:
I. THE PRICE OF MATURING DISCIPLES (v. 13).
...
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