5/17/26 Growth Choices. Part 3

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,

So often many Christians will get saved and then sit but this isn’t God’s plan for us. We need to grow in God and be established in Him.

Over the last 2 weeks we’ve learned that we must stop laying the foundation repeatedly and never build anything on it, We must stop just attending church and start becoming disciples, that the steps of growth so far are Obedience, Devotion, Love, and Servanthood. Today we are going to cover steps 5-7.

#1: The 5th step of growth is Priorities.

Luke 14:26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

• God must be #1 if we are going to grow.

• So often our priorities are carnal, and flesh driven.

• Ask yourself, “What are my spiritual priorities?”

#2: The 6th step of growth is Sacrifice.

Matthew 16:25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

• We can’t gain growth in certain areas without sacrificing some things.

• We must learn to let go in order to grow.

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

• So many people never grow in their relationship with God because they are unwilling to sacrifice self.

#3: The 7th step of growth is Production.

John 15:7-9 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.

• Production is a sign of growth.

• If we are not being productive branches in His kingdom then we have become “sucker branches” that drain life from the tree.

• Produce spiritual fruit 1st then physical fruit 2nd.

Spiritual fruit:

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Physical fruit:

James 3:13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.