Christian Life II

What are the major areas to grow in the Christian life?

Study

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

(v.36) What does greatest commandment imply? (v.37) What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind? (v.39) What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? (v.40) What does it mean for the whole law and the prophets to depend on these two commandments?

The major areas to grow in the Christian life are...

1. To love God by growing in your relationship with Him and obeying Him. (v.37)
2. To love people by growing in your relationship with others and serving them. (v.39)
3. Worship—To glorify God by loving God and people

• Love God: To know God and obey Him
  • Faith—To trust God for who He is and what He will do
  • Obedience—To respond correctly to the Bible in thoughts, motives, attitudes, words, and actions
  • Pray—To praise God, confess sin, give thanks, and ask according to His will
  • Fast—To temporarily forsake what is not forbidden for the purpose of worship
  • Read—To grow in knowledge of the Bible
  • Study—To grow in understanding of the Bible
  • Meditate—To grow in application of the Bible
  • Hear—To reinforce knowledge, understanding, and application of the Bible
  • Memorize—To store scripture in your mind to increase in faith and obedience
• Love People: To know people and serve them
  • Loving—To spend time with people and treat them with compassion, kindness, and humility
  • Serving—To meet the needs of people for the sake of the Gospel
  • Stewardship—To give back to people what God has given you
  • Fellowship—To encourage, motivate, and serve fellow believers
  • Evangelism—To share the Gospel with non-believers through words and actions
  • Discipleship—To teach fellow believers to obey God

Discussion

1. What did you learn from the chart above?
2. What areas have you seen yourself already grow in?
3. What area would you like to grow in most this semester?
4. How can you use this chart in the future to see if you growing in your Christian walk?

Resources

For an article on what it means to redeem the time: https://www.gotquestions.org/redeeming-the-time.html

Final Thoughts

Redeem the time! Everyday is a gift and an opportunity to serve the Lord. We cannot say we will serve Him tomorrow for tomorrow is not guaranteed. Grow in faithfulness now and continue to grow until you see God face to face and He says to you 'Well done, good and faithful servant'.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.