Intentional Discipleship: Embracing Spiritual Growth Together

Devotional

Day 1: Removing Hindrances to Spiritual Growth

Discipleship requires a conscious effort to eliminate negative attitudes such as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These are not merely actions but deep-seated attitudes that can obstruct our spiritual development. The journey of discipleship is personal and demands self-examination, honesty, and humility before God. It is essential to focus on our own spiritual condition rather than projecting these issues onto others. By addressing these attitudes within ourselves, we create space for spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. [35:21]

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one negative attitude you struggle with. How can you begin to address it today with God's help?

Day 2: Craving Spiritual Nourishment

Just as a newborn craves milk for growth, we must long for the pure spiritual milk of God's Word. The quality of our spiritual intake directly affects our health and growth. It is crucial to be discerning about the teachings and influences we allow into our lives, ensuring they align with the truth of Scripture. This longing for God's Word is essential for our spiritual nourishment and maturity, enabling us to grow in our faith and understanding. [41:33]

"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to increase your desire for God's Word and ensure you are consuming spiritually nourishing content?

Day 3: Trusting in God's Goodness

We are called to taste and see that the Lord is good, trusting in His provision and promises even in times of trial. This trust strengthens our faith and is foundational to our discipleship journey. By leaning into God's goodness, we recognize that He is with us through every challenge, providing for our needs and guiding us according to His will. Trusting in God's goodness allows us to experience His presence and peace in our lives. [46:04]

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" (Psalm 34:8, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God's goodness more fully? How can you actively lean into His promises today?

Day 4: Receptivity and Understanding of God's Word

Being receptive to God's Word and seeking understanding are crucial aspects of discipleship. We must be willing to make space for God in our lives, allowing His Word to transform us. Understanding Scripture accurately helps us apply it effectively in our lives, shaping us into the people God desires us to be. This receptivity requires an open heart and a willingness to be changed by God's truth. [50:08]

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psalm 119:18, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create more space in your daily routine to be receptive to God's Word and seek deeper understanding?

Day 5: Living Out God's Truth

The intentional application of God's Word is vital in our discipleship journey. We must move beyond mere listening to actively living out the truths we learn. This application shapes us into the people God desires us to be, impacting our community and the world. By living out God's truth, we become a beacon of His love and grace, demonstrating His transformative power in our lives. [54:27]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific truth from God's Word that you can intentionally apply in your life today? How will this impact those around you?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound theme of the discipline of discipleship, drawing from 1 Peter 2:1-3. This passage challenges us to actively engage in our spiritual growth by making intentional changes in our lives. Discipleship is not a passive journey; it requires us to put away sinful attitudes and behaviors, long for the pure spiritual milk of God's Word, and taste and see that the Lord is good. These steps are essential for our spiritual maturity and alignment with God's will.

We began by discussing the necessity of putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These are not just actions but attitudes that can hinder our spiritual growth. It's crucial to recognize and address these within ourselves rather than pointing them out in others. This self-examination is a personal journey, one that requires honesty and humility before God.

Next, we delved into the importance of longing for the pure milk of God's Word. Just as a newborn craves milk for growth, we must crave the Word for spiritual nourishment. The quality of what we consume spiritually affects our health and growth. We must be discerning about the teachings and influences we allow into our lives, ensuring they align with the truth of Scripture.

Finally, we reflected on the call to taste and see that the Lord is good. This involves trusting in God's provision and promises, even in times of trial. Our faith is strengthened when we lean into God's goodness, recognizing that He is with us through every challenge.

As we continue in our discipleship journey, let us be intentional about these steps, allowing God's Word to transform us and guide us in becoming more like Christ. The world needs the church to be a beacon of truth and love, and it begins with each of us embracing the discipline of discipleship.

Key Takeaways

1. Put Away Sinful Attitudes: Discipleship requires us to actively remove malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander from our lives. These attitudes hinder our spiritual growth and must be addressed personally, not projected onto others. Self-examination and humility are key in this process. [35:21]
2. Long for God's Word: Just as a newborn craves milk, we must crave the pure spiritual milk of God's Word. The quality of our spiritual intake affects our growth, so we must be discerning about the teachings we embrace. This longing is essential for our spiritual nourishment and maturity. [41:33]
3. Taste and See God's Goodness: Trusting in God's goodness, even in trials, strengthens our faith. We are called to taste and see that the Lord is good, relying on His provision and promises. This trust is foundational to our discipleship journey. [46:04]
4. Receptivity and Understanding: Being receptive to God's Word and seeking understanding are crucial. We must be willing to make space for God in our lives, allowing His Word to transform us. Understanding Scripture accurately helps us apply it effectively in our lives. [50:08]
5. Application of God's Word: Intentional application of God's Word is vital. We must move beyond mere listening to actively living out the truths we learn. This application shapes us into the people God desires us to be, impacting our community and the world. [54:27]
** [54:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:49] - Announcements and Events
[04:27] - Worship and Greetings
[26:27] - Introduction to Discipleship
[28:14] - Making Life Adjustments
[29:42] - Growth in Christ
[31:53] - Reading 1 Peter 2:1-3
[33:16] - Context of the Passage
[35:21] - Putting Away Sinful Attitudes
[41:33] - Longing for God's Word
[46:04] - Tasting God's Goodness
[47:12] - Keys to Receiving Spiritual Milk
[50:08] - Receptivity and Understanding
[54:27] - Application of God's Word
[56:11] - Call to Discipleship and Prayer

Sermon Clips

1) "When you make a decision to improve your life in some way, to change some sort of behavior or to add something to your life, to change the way that you do things, there's always going to be adjustments along the way. Several months ago, I was gifted a... Someone told me that they had a stationary bicycle. That they... They don't need it anymore. Did I know anybody that could use it? And I said, what kind of seats it got on it? Because, you know, some of those seats, they're a little too invasive. And so I said, no, it's got a big tractor type seat. I said, I think I might be interested in that. So they brought it to my house and I'm very thankful for that. And so when they bring it to your house and you tell them you could use it, you better use that thing, right? And I have been. I don't look forward to it. I look forward to getting off of it every morning. But I can see the results of what has transpired from me making that change." [26:27] (79 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "The truth is, when you add something to your life, you've got to make adjustments because there is no substitute for discipline and time. Some things just take time and they take discipline to get into your life. In today's passage, Peter deals with that aspect of our lives, specifically the discipline part of the discipleship process. You see, when we come to know Christ, when we say yes to Jesus, that is a beginning of a brand new road. It is certainly our pathway towards eternity, but it is also the time for us to make those adjustments to continue to grow and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us." [28:14] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "I think all of us would probably say that we want to continue to grow in Christ as long as we have breath in this life. We want to continue to be more like Him. So if we do that, we have to see what He wants to do. So we have to take that step in making whatever changes or adjustments or continue in the processes that we're already in." [29:42] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "But we also have to be mindful that when we want to add something into our life, we've got to take out the junk that keeps us from focusing on that in order to have God's best for us. So 1 Peter chapter 2 deals with that. And if you're physically able, I invite you to stand together with me and honor the reading of God's word. And let's read those first three verses together." [31:53] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "The word so is sort of like the word therefore that we talked about in a previous passage. In fact, many commentators, biblical commentators, will kind of put verses 1 through 3 in conjunction with the end of chapter 1 as one continuous thought. But I see it as a continuing of the thought, but a separate thought nonetheless. So the word so there, it's like saying, in understanding that with all these things that have built up before this, since you've been born again, since your sanctification is continuing, since you want to continue in brotherly love, as we talked about last week, if you want to do that, then these are some things that you need to continue to be in pursuit of." [33:16] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "The Christian, we can't grow sufficiently unless our sins are dealt with. When those things are brought to our hearts and minds. Now, understand this, that we're things that we do particularly early on in our Christian life that we don't even realize are sinful. But when that conviction comes, when that understanding comes, when that truth is revealed, that is our call to deal with those things." [39:52] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "The second step Peter gives us here is to long for the pure milk of God's Word. Long for the pure milk of God's Word. The Word of God is totally true, totally trustworthy, and it's also transformative in our lives. The Word does the work if we will allow it in." [41:33] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8) "If I'm putting a steady diet of junk into my life, I don't really have the desire or the room for the good stuff in my life. Peter says the purpose of this pure spiritual milk is to grow up in respect to salvation. Now, again, this is not talking about a works -based faith. He's talking to believers. He's talking about growing within our walk." [45:06] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9) "Taste and see that the Lord is good. And he specifically says it this way, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good, if you are a believer, then this is where you should be. And it reminds us of Psalm 34, 8, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." [46:04] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10) "We are seeing as big a need as ever, maybe more than ever before, for God's people to be God's people in our world. To be the church. The world doesn't know it, but they need the church. And so let this discipline of discipleship shape us and mold us into what he wants us to be." [56:11] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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