Tag: Maturity

Next Steps to Maturity in Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, January 2, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Kyle, Texas when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:1-3

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: This devotional may be more directed to those who have already accepted Jesus as Lord and now wondering ‘so, what’s my next step’? For each of us, the answer will be different for this dilemma, and God, through the Holy Spirit, is the only One who can drive us to the point of decision regarding spiritual maturity. The writer of Hebrews, and many pastors today, still do a wonderful job of trying to help Christians grow in their relationship with Christ. For failure to grow, could very easily allow one to drift into stagnancy, or perhaps fail to see value in the decision they made when accepting Christ. After all, in becoming a Christian, one decides to leave their life of sin and self-destruction, and make a 180 degree turn to live life like God teaches us in His Word. Notice the Word says nothing about us just depending on what our pastor spoon-feeds us with each time we go to church. Entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ is very similar to other relationships you try to build on. You want to know them, especially their likes and dislikes, and you endeavor to live in a way that will please them. Often in relationship building, you may have to relieve yourself of other relationships in order to do a better job and be most committed to your new relationship. The more you commit to pleasing Jesus, the more you mature in your relationship with Him. I believe that most of us will go through a process something like this: A). We find ourselves in church, either by a nudging of the Holy Spirit, or feeling compelled to do so because of family or peer pressure. B). We hear the Word of God proclaimed and God speaks to us through His Word, convicting us of our sin and our need of a Savior. C). We are led to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Usually, a momentous occasion in our lives! D). Many may struggle with a huge question: Now what? While some will be drawn to spending more time with God’s people in hopes that they show them the way to being God’s best representative here on earth. E). Some will choose to simply just attend a church service once weekly. F): Some endeavor to develop a deeper understanding of God, by studying His Word – especially with other believers, so that they could understand what this new Master requires of them. This will often lead to personal time with the Lord, in His Word and in prayer. God, through His author of Hebrews, seems to be challenging us to evaluate what stage we are at in our relationship with our Father. While I would suggest that each one do this privately, your time may be better spent in asking God to help you decide. For it seems like too often we think we are much better than God may think. Remember, God not only sees our actions, hears the words we speak, and acknowledges the path we walk, but He also knows our very thoughts. Generally in life we can make the best decisions when we have all the facts, when we know everything about the individual and also some experience with their actions over the years. God is one step ahead of us, so plead with Him to guide you in the right path so that He could use you for His glory right where He places you. I believe that when we all reach this stage in our lives, we are ready to submit ourselves to God’s perfect will and way. Perhaps at this point we are reaching the maturity spoken of in our Scripture today. In life, we tend to help our kids advance from infancy, where they are totally dependent on their mother for milk; to toddler, where they could stomach a few soft foods while learning to talk; to childhood where they learn more discipline and parental direction while advancing to normal household meals, etc, etc. It would be very simple to look at our relationship with Jesus in much the same way, for we begin as an infant – not knowing right from wrong, or what’s required of us, or how God will speak to us, etc, but as we grow in our relationship, we bond with Him, understand His love for us, and depend on Him for our every step in life. What’s your next step towards maturity? Perhaps we should each set that as our goal for 2024.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, some who may read this devotional will identify themselves as just an infant in their relationship with You. Perhaps because they have committed as much of themselves to You as they feel is possible at this time. But I believe that many want to grow in You, understand You better, and reach for the next step towards maturity in You. Please help us to never settle for less than what we feel You want for us. Please provoke us to a deeper understanding of Your Word and a desire to become more like our Master every day. You didn’t just settle for being born, come to earth to heal and perform amazing miracles, but You went on to sacrifice Your life so that we may find forgiveness of our sin and reach the portals of Heaven one day with You and the Father. Please give us that same lasting desire to fully mature into all that You want to accomplish in us. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Mature, Yet Willing To Learn

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Maturity, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-01-4
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Luke 2:46-47
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

OBSERVATION: Is it painstaking for you to sit and listen to someone less educated than yourself try to explain something that comes very natural and simple to you? Could you ever learn anything new from them? Would you have enough patience and ingenuity to try and simplify your message enough so that even they would understand? Do you suppose that Jesus had any of these issues when He sat down with the teachers and leaders in the temple? Let’s just stop and ponder over these things for a few moments as we start, or continue our day.

APPLICATION: At 12 years old, Jesus decided to stay at the temple and learn from the elders and teachers. Unfortunately this was at the expense of worrying His earthly parents half to death when the discovered that He simply was not with them as they returned home to Nazareth from Bethlehem, where they had gone as part of a mandatory census. Although interesting that this 12 year old would feel at home sitting with these scholarly elders, yet when His parents finally caught up with Him, He sounded surprised that they didn’t realize that He would naturally be in His Father’s house learning, teaching and sharing the love of His Father. From a humanly standpoint, there are a few things that should catch our attention here:
1. That Jesus would be respectful in learning from some of the same men that would probably take part in having Him crucified later in His life. It takes a very mature person to sit and listen to people that have tried to get you in trouble, to report you to the authorities, to distract from your ministry, etc. Yet Jesus did!
2. Jesus joined in and answered questions just like any other student might do. The Bible says that the group of teachers were amazed by His answers. After all Jesus, being God, knew all that had transpired and all that will transpire in the future. Don’t you know that some of His answers reflected things that the teachers themselves were unaware of? Yet Jesus did!
3. Imagine after a few answers the teachers may have asked this young 12 year old, where He was from and from whom had He received His learning? Imagine how shocked they were in hearing His responses to personal questions, should they have inquired about that? After all, Jesus was born of an earthly mother, so He was human. But He was born of the Holy Ghost as part of the triune God, so He was also God. But this is who Jesus was!
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could truly be more mature in 2021, like Jesus was? As a student of the Word, I have sometimes taught Bible Study. It always made me nervous to look over my audience and see a Pastor or church leader listening in, because I was well aware that I was never well learned, or smart enough to share the Word of God with the unction and power that it deserves. Yet Jesus astonished His teachers with His knowledge and abilities. Imagine if I was teaching and saw someone in the audience who had betrayed me in the past, or might be trying to belittle me before the Pastor, or my employer. Could I have taught the class without making jabs at them? But Jesus succeeded in this! As we seek to grow in maturity in 2021, may it be mirrored after the One who is our primary mentor – Jesus Christ, and may God be glorified because of our efforts.

PRAYER: I wonder if we could ever become truly mature in the eyes of Jesus, our King? But Lord, You know our heart and you therefore know whether our intentions are pure. Thank You for protecting us and bringing us into another year that could be just as challenging as 2020, or even worse. However, as Your child who longs to serve You with all my heart, may I ask that You please help mature me to respond to life’s challenges with the same love and good heart as You did. Fill my lips with words that will share Your love for mankind. Help Your children to draw closer to You in spite of earth’s trials and temptations. May we be ready for Your return or Your calling on our life, so that You may be glorified even through us. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Difference – Babies vs Adults

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Intimate with God, Mature, Maturity, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2020-09-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Hebrews 5:11-14
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[c] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

OBSERVATION: I hope that you won’t skip over meditating with me on this devotional, based on the subject that I chose! But Paul used this analogy to help explain the difference between Christ-Followers Right inside the churches that he started, and helped to grow. In fact, I believe that there is a lot we could meditate on regarding our own maturity as we study these verses today, so hang in there with me!

APPLICATION: It’s easy for us to look at other church members and evaluate how they are doing in their Christian walk, but in reading God’s Word, I believe He intended for us to look inward and evaluate our own weaknesses. When we do this, we could establish goals and timelines on when we hope to see a better realignment with God’s expectations for us. You see, we are very much aware of what God expects from us, for He left that for us on the pages of His Book – the Bible. The greatest challenge is to acknowledge that we have not attained, for I don’t believe that there are adults that will walk through your church doors with a pacifier in their mouth, because they want you to identify them still as an infant in their faith. However, I believe that one of the hardest things for an adult to do, is to acknowledge:
1. That they are ignorant about, or at least lacking in, their knowledge of the Word of God. Having worked in the business world, where my employer was under the close scrutiny of three or four government regulating bodies, I quickly found that it was not acceptable to tell an examiner/auditor that we just didn’t know about that law being referenced by them. Ignorance was no excuse for the law! But what will you say to God after years of knowing Him? Did you have a Bible? Can you read? Did you ask a Bible teacher or pastor to help you understand? Did you make it a priority to read the Bible regularly, and seek God constantly for wisdom to understand the Word?
2. That they are related to excellent Bible teachers, so they didn’t see the need for them to also be an expert in the Bible? Friends, if you know God, then you should personally desire to know Him more intimately. The Bible is a full account of God, and His Son Jesus. Study the Book and you will grow to know the God of the Book.
I am convinced that the more we know of God, the more excited we become about wanting to obey His commands, and follow His instructions like an obedient child. As you do this, the pastor and Sunday School teacher will pass over the basics (milk) and teach you more deeply about the Master. As His truth begins to bubble over in your life, others will want to know about your God, and it is then that you will begin to teach others. If you are to grow and mature in the Word of God, it will be up to you to commit and desire it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for saving my soul and thank You for providing Your Word that is filled with all Truth and knowledge for the child of God. Please Lord, speak to Your church again today through this devotional, and again today as church doors open for regular worship services. Help Your children become serious about their relationship with You – serious enough that they will want to know everything You provided in Your precious Word for their good. Oh that we all may be reminded from this Scripture today, that saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus, begins a life of growing to be more like You. We mature in this as we learn more about You, and more about what You desire of us. This is all covered in the Bible, so may we commit afresh to dig into the Word daily and become more aware of what You left for us to learn. As we mature, fill us with a new joy to share our faithful Lord with everyone we know. Thine be the glory, for ever and forever. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!