• Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About
Sunny Slope Church of Christ
  • Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About

Are You Listening - Do You Want To Grow Spiritually?

1/1/2007

 
What does a preacher at a local congregation preach following a dynamic Gospel Meeting at that congregation?  The simple answer is, he preaches the gospel!  But how does he follow up on the preaching done during that Gospel Meeting?  How does he complement it, reinforce it in the preaching that he does over the next few weeks?  This is always a challenging situation.
In anticipation of strong, fundamental preaching by Brother Brinkley during our Gospel Meeting a few weeks ago, I planned to present a series of lessons asking the question, "Are You Listening?"  I intended this series to be something of a natural follow up to the theme of the Gospel Meeting, which was, simply, "The Gospel Of Christ."  The series is based on the text of Proverbs 1:28-33.  God warned that some would call on Him, but He would not answer; they would seek Him diligently, but they would not find Him.  The reason for God's negative response to them was their failure to listen to His teachings.  Conversely, He stated, "But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."

Is your spiritual life where you want it to be?  Would you like to grow spiritually?  Are you listening to God as to what you need to do to see that you do grow spiritually?

 Obviously, faith is at the basis of spiritual strength.  Where does faith come from, how does it develop within a person and grow stronger?  "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).  If you want to be a person of strong faith, you need to diligently study God's word.  Paul exhorts, "Be diligent ("study" KJV) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).  How much time do you spend reading God's word?

How's your church attendance?  That aspect of your Christian life is also basic to your spiritual well being.  In a familiar text (Hebrews 10:23-25), the writer addresses spiritual strength from two perspectives.  First, he admonishes, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering..."  That's a descriptive way of saying, let's stay strong in our faith.  The address of the second perspective is, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."  In other words, we are to consider how we can help our brothers and sisters in Christ be strong in their faith.  Of course, it's reciprocal; as we contribute to their spiritual strength, they also contribute to ours.

 The avenue offered in the text for meeting our personal need for spiritual growth, and that in our fellow Christians, is being at church services together.  We gain personally from the worship and study engaged in during the assemblies of the church.  And, being together at those assemblies affords us the opportunity to be in a setting wherein we can encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in their spiritual growth, and they in ours.

Do you want to grow spiritually?  Are you listening to what God's word teaches you as to how you ensure your spiritual growth?  These are easy to understand, fundamental steps to take.  Are you taking them???

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Gary L. Hutchens

    Categories

    All
    Dennis Stackhouse
    Gary Hutchens

    Archive

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    January 2007

Member Login
SUBMIT PRAYER REQUEST
© 2019 Sunny Slope Church of Christ | All Rights Reserved
3606 N. 108th St., Omaha, NE 68164 | (402) 498-8397 | Contact Us
  • Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About