Are You (Still) Growing, Spiritually?

So I just got back from MYC and basically, it was off the hook (off the hook, off the hook, off the hook!) While the conference is always a great time of revelation and spiritual feeding for me, this year was especially special. I thought I would share with you the experiences and lessons I got from it. My prayer is that it will bless your walk with God and spur you on in your own journey of Spiritual Growth.

I'll try to make this short(er than is characteristic of my writing). Basically, on one of the nights, God performed spiritual open heart surgery on me and His Spirit convicted me of neglecting my relationship with the Lord. I had been so busy doing things and crossing off lists and going through the motions that I actually forgot about spending time with the one I love. But God is ever merciful and His abundant grace overwhelms my brokenness, so I will rejoice in my salvation! But I want to move forward and put this lesson into action. Now that the problem has been diagnosed, let's get right onto the remedy.

Here are the lessons I learnt from John North's 5 MYC talks, in a nutshell:

Talk #1: The first step of Spiritual Growth is TOTAL COMMITMENT to the leadership of Jesus Christ in your life. - Luke 9:23
1. Deny yourself.
2. Take up your cross daily.
3. Follow Jesus.

Talk #2: Embrace kingdom values and you will naturally bear fruit.
1. Spiritual things are more important than material things.
2. God's desires are more important than your desires.
3. God's work is more important than your work (or fun).
4. Godly character is more important than personal comfort.
5. Love for God is more important than love for yourself (or others).

Talk #3: You are in Spiritual battle and must fight.
1. Identify the enemy: the devil, the world, your own sinful nature.
2. Understand the battleground: IT IS YOUR MIND! (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 10:3-5, Eph 4:22-24, Phil 4:8, Col 3:1-2).
3. Do battle: pray, have Quiet Times, read and mark your Bible, memorise Scripture, journal, fellowship. Intellect, personality, willpower and organisation are table knives that don't get the job done. Get out your swords! Put on the armour of God!

Talk #4: Everything about Spiritual Growth is about your relationship with God.
All of your Christianity must be relational:
1. Relational Faith: KNOW GOD, know WHOM you believe (not what you believe), have a personal trust.
2. Relational Commitment: Talk to the one you love. Spend time with the one you love.
3. Relational Prayer: Real, conversational, constant.
4. Relational Quiet Times: Interactive, not legalistic. Let Him speak to you! Don't have QTs because you feel like you should, have QTs because you need to feed yourself!
5. Relational View of Sin and Repentance: Sinning is not "I failed, I suck" - it is "I HURT THE ONE I LOVE." Repentance is making up with Him - reconciliation.
6. Relational Worship: "You need to know God in a deeper way. The more you know Him, the more you will love Him. The more you love Him, the more you will glorify Him. The more you know and love and glorify Him, the more you will thirst to know Him even more" (from John North's new book, GrowthWorks).

Talk #5: It's all about God. YOU EXIST FOR GOD.
1. Your first priority in life is Spiritual Growth: your relationship with God.
2. Your ultimate purpose in life is to do good works, to be sent out, to play a part in God's plan.
3. Filter everything that comes your way in the grid of your sent-ness, just as Jesus did. You have personally been sent out by God as an ambassador for Christ into your relationship circles. Say, "yes, Lord" and be available for God to use you in the incredible story He has penned!

♥

Spiritual Growth is "moving consistently into a deeper love relationship with God, bringing Him greater glory, and more naturally expressing Jesus' chracter and life, through the work of the Spirit" (from John North's GrowthWorks). It is a PROCESS that takes time. Start now! Be "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither" (Psalm 1:3)




Use this picture to help you lock in the principles. Again, it's from GrowthWorks. Seriously, just grab yourself a copy. It'll be the best $25 you ever spend at Koorong (after an ESV Bible).

Enjoy the journey of walking with our beautiful God!