Spiritual Growth Requires

Goals and Habits

Windhoek
Church of
Christ
Sun 26 Oct 2008

Stefan Wolmarans
Goals
 Roads Have Destinations
 Sani Pass
 Destination?
 Character Goals
 An essential element of spiritual growth is to become more Christ-like,
changing our behaviour to conform to the example of Jesus Christ
 Our Ultimate Goal Is To Be Like Christ
 Luke 6:40 - A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be
like his teacher
 Rom 8:29 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son
 2 Cor 3:18 - And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being
transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord,
who is the Spirit.
 Growing In The Knowledge Of Christ
 2 Pet 3:18 - But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
 Leads to Growing in Our Character
 2 Pet 1:5-8 - For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and
to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,
they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s All About Character
 Functional or Role Goals
 The Lord's church grows only as each member does
his or her part in the body of Christ
 Rom 12:4-5 - Just as each of us has one body with many
members, and these members do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we who are many form one body ...
 Eph 4:16 - From him the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds
itself up in love, as each part does its work.
 We need to grow in our role and function in the church.
From just being a member to serving or leading
 Rom 2:6-8 - We have different gifts, according to the
grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use
it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if
it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him
encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let
him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern
diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
 Habits
 Habits are stepping stones which ensure
that we eventually meet our goals
 Habits are things done on a frequent basis
(daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.) that slowly
produce a certain effect
 Unless we establish good habits, bad habits
will set in that hinder our spiritual growth!
 Stepping Stones
 Sometimes you go slow and careful
 Sometimes you may fall off
 Sometimes you run ahead
 Habits that Build Character
 1 Pet 2:2 - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it
you may grow up in your salvation
 Bible
 Study – Heb 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active ... it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
 Memorizing – Deut 6:6 - These commandments that I give you today are to be
upon your hearts.
 Prayer
 Luk 5:16 - But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
 God can help us to change the things we cannot change ourselves
 Heb 4:16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
 Confession
 Prov 28:13 - He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever
confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
 Fasting
 Mat 6:16-18 - When you fast, ... your Father, who sees what is done in secret,
will reward you.
 Discipling & Accountability
 1 Tim 4:7 - ... train yourself to be godly.
 Habits to Fulfil our Role
 Heb 10:25 - Let us not give up meeting together
 We cannot grow in our role in the church if we are not
committed to it
 2 Tim 2:2 - ... entrust to reliable men who will also
be qualified ...
 Dependability
 Reliability
 Jam 2:17 - In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.
 Get involved in serving
Goals & Obstacles
 Growth Requires Perseverance
 Perseverance - The Greek word for
perseverance is hupomone
 Steadfastness, constancy, endurance
 The characteristic of a man who is not swerved
from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith
and righteousness by even the greatest trials and
sufferings
 Growth Requires Perseverance
 The Road Will Not Always be Clear !!
 Growth Requires Perseverance
 Spiritual Growth Takes Time
 It takes time to learn
 To learn the Word of God
 To learn what is expected of us
 To learn what areas of service may be open to us
 It takes time to develop
 To develop a Christ-like character
 To develop our function(s) in the body of Christ
 Growth Requires Perseverance
 Spiritual Growth Requires Repetition
 It takes repetition to overcome mistakes
 Mistakes are common when one is starting
 We are spiritually starting off as "babies”
 We can expect to stumble frequently as we learn
to walk
 Repeated efforts help to determine whether
one is suited for a particular task
 Are my mistakes due simply to inexperience?
 Or might I be better suited to serve in a different
capacity?
 It takes repetition to hone skills
 Sharpening our knowledge and use of the sword
of the Spirit
 Sharpening our abilities and functions in the body
of Christ
 Growth Requires Perseverance
 Spiritual Growth Requires an Eye on the Goal
 Heb 10:36 - You need to persevere so that when
you have done the will of God, you will receive
what he has promised.
 Jam 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres
under trial, because when he has stood the test,
he will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him.
 Rom 5:3-4 - ... we know that ... perseverance
produces character ...
 Jam 1:4 - Perseverance must finish its work so
that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.
 Summary
 To grow, we need to set goals for our
character and our service
 To achieve the goals we need to develop
spiritual habits
 Time + Repetition + Focus on Goal
=> Perseverance
=> Growth
 Heart Check
 Have I set goals to grow in my character and
my service?
 How am I doing in developing spiritual habits?