How We Grow pt.2

Potential Adolescent Pitfalls

Puberty is the second fastest time of growth for humans after birth.

1 Corinthians 8:1b - Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

Those teenage years can be tough if we haven’t learned to value authority wisdom and experience. We begin to believe that we know everything & our parents just can’t understand this new generation!!!

Knowledge ≠ wisdom

Romans 1:22 NKJV

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Knowledge is not superior to wisdom

Teens can often lead more with their emotions than with logic & wisdom

High emotion = Low Intelligence

Hebrews 5:12–14 NKJV

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

age≠maturity

One of the greatest things we can do is grow in love because it builds up

Luke 7:47 NKJV

47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Growing into maturity is a choice and a process we won’t always get right

When we get it wrong, it’s so important that we repent

Matthew 24:12 NKJV

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

If we allow lawlessness - separation from the law- to remain, repentance welcomes the law back in and keeps our love from growing cold!

Because some don’t want to grow up, they stagnate and stay forever in their own way of doing things and don’t grow in every area they are meant to.

Like the forever bachelor, the person that dresses & parties like they are still in college but they are middle-aged, the one who is forever living from paycheck to paycheck - not because they don’t make good money, but because they haven’t learned to say “No” to themself and their desires.

Maturity:

Ephesians 4:11–13 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Being mature in Christ doesn’t mean that you have to be boring.

Being mature in Christ should not mean you are stuck in the mud

Being mature in Christ doesn’t mean that we are full of religiosity or that we know it all and have nothing more to learn.

Mature means Complete

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Maturity is a result of equipping and training that helps us to walk in unity with God and one another and in the knowledge of Jesus

If anything, mature means we have the fruit of the Spirit we need to press through seemingly slower growth because we have hit a point of diminishing return

That spot where it takes a whole lot of effort to make just a little bit of progress.

John 4:32–35 NKJV

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Maturity is marked by a lot of doing rather than listening only

Doing is what sustains maturity.

Maturity is marked by less selfishness and more vision.

We get past WIIFM Christianity

Growth is still possible, but it can be harder to make gains

If anything, mature means we have the mature fruit of the Spirit we need to press through seemingly slower growth because we have hit a point of diminishing return

That spot where it takes a whole lot of effort to make just a little bit of progress.

If we are not careful, and VERY active, we start getting fat really easily because our metabolism (fire) can slow if not carefully tended.