Spiritual Growth

And Maturity
 Mark 16:1- 4
1Saturdayevening,whenthe
Sabbathended,MaryMagdalene,
MarythemotherofJames,and
Salomewentoutandpurchased
burialspicessotheycouldanoint
Jesusbody.
 Mark 16:2

VeryearlyonSunday
2

morning, justat

sunrise,theywentto
thetomb.
 MARK 16:3-4
Onthewaytheywereaskingeach
3

other,Whowillrollawaythestonefor
usfromtheentrancetothe
tomb? Butastheyarrived,they
4

lookedupandsawthatthestone,
whichwasverylarge,hadalreadybeen
rolledaside.
 2 PETER 3:13-18 (NIV)
13
Butinkeepingwithhis
promisewearelooking
forwardtoanewheavenand
anewearth,where
righteousnessdwells.
 2 PETER 3:14 (NIV)

Sothen,dearfriends,since
14

youarelookingforwardto
this,makeeveryefforttobe
foundspotless,
blamelessandatpeacewith
 2 PETER 3:15 (NIV)

BearinmindthatourLords
15

patiencemeanssalvation,just
asourdearbrotherPaulalso
wroteyouwiththewisdom
thatGodgavehim.
 2 PETER 3:16 (NIV)
Hewritesthesamewayinallhis
16

letters,speakinginthemofthese
matters.Hisletterscontainsome
thingsthatarehardtounderstand,
whichignorantandunstablepeople
distort,astheydotheother
Scriptures,totheirowndestruction.
 2 PETER 3:17 (NIV)
Therefore,dearfriends,since
17

youhavebeenforewarned,be
onyourguardsothatyoumay
notbecarriedawaybythe
errorofthelawlessandfall
fromyoursecureposition.
 2 PETER 3:18 (NIV)
Butgrowinthegraceand
18

knowledgeofourLordand
SaviorJesusChrist.Tohim
beglorybothnowand
forever!Amen.
 PHILIPPIANS 1:20-26
ForIfullyexpectandhopethatI
20

willneverbeashamed,butthatI
willcontinuetobeboldforChrist,
asIhavebeeninthepast.AndI
trustthatmylifewillbringhonorto
Christ,whetherIliveordie.
 PHILIPPIANS 1:21-22
Fortome,livingmeansliving
21

forChrist,anddyingiseven
better. ButifIlive,Icando
22

morefruitfulworkforChrist.So
Ireallydontknowwhichis
better.
 PHILIPPIANS 1:23-24
23
Imtornbetweentwodesires:
IlongtogoandbewithChrist,
whichwouldbefarbetterfor
me. Butforyoursakes,itis
24

betterthatIcontinuetolive.
 PHILIPPIANS 1:25
25
Knowingthis,Iam
convincedthatIwillremain
alivesoIcancontinuetohelp
allofyougrowandexperience
thejoyofyourfaith.
 PHILIPPIANS 1:26
AndwhenIcometoyou
26

again,youwillhaveeven
morereasontotakepridein
ChristJesusbecauseofwhat
heisdoingthroughme.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:5-14
5
Examineyourselvestoseeif
yourfaithisgenuine.Test
yourselves.Surelyyouknow
thatJesusChristisamongyou;
ifnot,youhavefailedthetestof
genuinefaith.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:5-14

Asyoutestyourselves,I
6

hopeyouwillrecognize
thatwehavenotfailedthe
testofapostolicauthority.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:7
7
WepraytoGodthatyouwillnotdo
whatiswrongbyrefusingourcorrection.
Ihopewewontneedtodemonstrateour
authoritywhenwearrive.Dotheright
thingbeforewecomeevenifthat
makesitlooklikewehavefailedto
demonstrateourauthority.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:8-9
Forwecannotopposethe
8

truth,butmustalwaysstandfor
thetruth. Wearegladtoseem
9

weakifithelpsshowthatyou
areactuallystrong.Wepray
thatyouwillbecomemature.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:10
IamwritingthistoyoubeforeI
10

come,hopingthatIwontneedto
dealseverelywithyouwhenIdo
come.ForIwanttousetheauthority
theLordhasgivenmetostrengthen
you,nottotearyoudown.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:11
Dearbrothersandsisters,Iclose
11

myletterwiththeselastwords:Be
joyful.Growtomaturity.Encourage
eachother.Liveinharmonyand
peace.ThentheGodofloveand
peacewillbewithyou.
 2 CORINTHIANS 13:12-14
Greeteachotherwithasacred
12

kiss. AllofGodspeoplehere
13

sendyoutheirgreetings. Maythe
14

graceoftheLordJesusChrist,the
loveofGod,andthefellowshipof
theHolySpiritbewithyouall.
 EPHESIANS 3:14-21
WhenIthinkofallthis,I
14

falltomykneesandpray
totheFather, theCreator
15

ofeverythinginheaven
andonearth.
 EPHESIANS 3:16-17
Ipraythatfromhisglorious,unlimited
16

resourceshewillempoweryouwith
innerstrengththroughhisSpirit. Then
17

Christwillmakehishomeinyourhearts
asyoutrustinhim.Yourrootswillgrow
downintoGodsloveandkeepyou
strong.
 EPHESIANS 3:18

Andmayyouhavethe
18

powertounderstand,asall
Godspeopleshould,how
wide,howlong,howhigh,
andhowdeephisloveis.
 EPHESIANS 3:19
Mayyouexperiencetheloveof
19

Christ,thoughitistoogreatto
understandfully.Thenyouwill
bemadecompletewithallthe
fullnessoflifeandpowerthat
comesfromGod.
 EPHESIANS 3:20
20
NowallglorytoGod,whois
able,throughhismighty
poweratworkwithinus,to
accomplishinfinitelymore
thanwemightaskorthink.
 EPHESIANS 3:21

Glorytohiminthe
21

churchandinChrist
Jesusthroughall
generationsforeverand
ever!Amen.
 EPHESIANS 4:11-12
11
Nowthesearethegifts
Christgavetothechurch:
theapostles,theprophets,
theevangelists,andthe
pastorsandteachers.
 EPHESIANS 4:12

Theirresponsibilityisto
12

equipGodspeopletodo
hisworkandbuildupthe
church,thebodyof
Christ.
 EPHESIANS 4:13
Thiswillcontinueuntilweall
13

cometosuchunityinourfaith
andknowledgeofGodsSonthat
wewillbematureintheLord,
measuringuptothefulland
completestandardofChrist.
 EPHESIANS 4:14
14
Thenwewillnolongerbe
immaturelikechildren.Wewont
betossedandblownaboutby
everywindofnewteaching.Wewill
notbeinfluencedwhenpeopletry
totrickuswithliessocleverthey
soundlikethetruth.
 EPHESIANS 4:15-16
15
Instead,wewillspeakthe
truthinlove,growingin
everywaymoreandmore
likeChrist,whoisthehead
ofhisbody,thechurch.
 EPHESIANS 4:16
16
Hemakesthewholebodyfit
togetherperfectly.Aseachpart
doesitsownspecialwork,ithelps
theotherpartsgrow,sothatthe
wholebodyishealthyandgrowing
andfulloflove.
 ACTS 1:8
Butyouwillreceivepowerwhenthe
HolySpiritcomesuponyou.And
youwillbemywitnesses,telling
peopleaboutmeeverywherein
Jerusalem,throughoutJudea,in
Samaria,andtotheendsofthe
earth.
 ACTS 2:17
Inthelastdays,Godsays,
IwillpouroutmySpirituponall
people.Yoursonsanddaughters
willprophesy.Youryoungmenwill
seevisions,andyouroldmenwill
dreamdreams.
 ACTS 2:18
InthosedaysIwillpourout
mySpiritevenonmy
servantsmenandwomen
alikeandtheywill
prophesy.
 To GROW means:
1.Tospringup&developtomaturity.
2. Toincreaseorexpandthrougha
processofprogressive
development.
3. Tohaveanincreasinginfluence.
 To MATURE means:

-Toreachaconditionoffull
development
 I. OUR LIFE GOAL MUST BE TO GROW IN THE
GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST (2 Pet. 3:17-18) (Phil. 1:20-26)

A. OurlifemustbringhonortoChristwhether
weliveordie.
B. LivetodomorefruitfulworkforChrist.
C. Continuetolivetohelpothersgrowand
experiencethejoyoftheirfaith.
I. OUR LIFE GOAL MUST BE TO GROW IN THE GRACE
AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
(2Pet 3:17-18) (Phil 1:20-26)

D. Westillhavesomeroomsforgrowth.
Dailywemustfindroomtogetnearer
toGod.
E. Godspurposeforpeopleisnot
destructionbutre-creation.
II. EXAMINE & TEST YOURSELVES
ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH
& MATURITY IN CHRIST
(Eph. 4:11-16) (2 Cor. 13:5-14)

A.BelievethatChristisinyou.He
willempoweryouwithinner
strengththroughHisspirit.
II. EXAMINE & TEST YOURSELVES ABOUT
YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH & MATURITY
IN CHRIST (Eph. 4:11-16) (2 Cor. 13:5-14)

B.Areyoudoingtheright
things?
-Dontopposethetruth,
alwaysstandforthetruth.
 II. EXAMINE & TEST YOURSELVES ABOUT
YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH & MATURITY IN
CHRIST (Eph. 4:11-16) (2 Cor. 13:5-14)

C. Yourprayermustbeyouwillbecome
mature.
D. Bejoyful,GROWtoMATURITY.
Encourageeachother.Livein
harmony&peace.
 III. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EQUIP GODS
PEOPLE TO DO HIS WORK AND BUILD UP THE
CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST. (Eph. 3:14-21)

1. Ourgoalisthatwewillmatureinthe
Lord,measuringuptothefull&
completestandardofChrist.
2. Wewillspeakthetruthinlove,
growingineverywaymore&morelike
Christ.
 III. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EQUIP GODS
PEOPLE TO DO HIS WORK AND BUILD UP THE
CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST. (Eph 3:14-21)

3. Christmakesusfittogetherperfectly
. Eachofusdoourownspecialwork
. Wehelpothersgrowsothatthewhole
bodyishealthyandgrowingandfullof
love.
IV. THIS IS OUR POSITION
TODAY WE ARE GODS
WITNESSES TO THE ENDS
OF THE EARTH,
EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY
SPIRIT.