Returning to the Fundamentals of Spiritual Maturity

Just as Vince Lombardi would begin every season by holding up a football and reminding his championship team of the basics, we too must return to the fundamentals of our faith. No matter how long we’ve walked with Christ or how much we know, spiritual maturity is not measured by intellect or experience, but by our willingness to continually practice the elementary truths of God’s Word. The author of Hebrews warns us against spiritual sluggishness—a condition where we become content with minimum effort, passive in our faith, and resistant to discipline. This isn’t an intellectual problem, but a spiritual one. We must not mistake professional or educational advancement for spiritual growth. True maturity comes from mastering the basics: prayer, scripture, community, and service.

The call is to move beyond spiritual infancy, where we subsist on “milk,” and to grow into maturity, able to digest the “solid food” of deeper truths. This requires constant use and practice, not just head knowledge. The mature Christian is distinguished by the ability to discern good from evil, rooted in the grand story of scripture—creation, fall, redemption, and renewal. In a culture that idolizes progress and innovation, we are tempted to see the foundational truths as outdated. But real progress is built on the unchanging foundation of Christ, not the shifting sands of culture or our own desires.

One of the most essential fundamentals is repentance from dead works. Repentance is not merely an emotional response, but a decisive turning away from the values and pursuits of the world, and a turning toward Christ. Without true repentance, there can be no true faith. The gospel always begins with this call: “Repent and believe.” Dead works are anything we do to try to earn God’s favor apart from Christ—good deeds, religious rituals, or even ministry done for our own glory. These works, no matter how impressive, are powerless to save. Only by grace, through faith in Jesus, are we made right with God.

God’s desire is not for our performance, but for our hearts. The only thing we can truly offer Him is our worship, our gratitude, and our surrender. The invitation is open today: to repent from self-reliance and dead works, and to build our lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ. This is the starting point for all spiritual growth and the only way to move forward into maturity.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Spiritual maturity is rooted in practicing the fundamentals, not just acquiring knowledge. Even those who are intellectually or professionally advanced must humble themselves and return to the basics—prayer, scripture, community, and service—because spiritual growth is measured by obedience and transformation, not information. [06:15]
• 2. Sluggish Christianity is a spiritual condition marked by passivity, distraction, and resistance to discipline. The danger is not ignorance, but a lack of spiritual effort and intentionality, which leads to stagnation and an inability to discern good from evil in a confusing world. [03:45]
• 3. Repentance is the first and foundational step in the Christian life. It is not just feeling sorry or emotional, but a decisive turning away from the world’s values and a turning toward Christ. Without genuine repentance, faith is shallow and powerless, and we remain spiritually blind to the kingdom of God. [19:38]
• 4. Dead works are any actions, even good or religious ones, that are not initiated and empowered by God. When we rely on our own efforts to earn God’s favor, we rob Him of the worship and dependence He desires, and our works become empty, lacking the life and power that come from grace. [29:52]
• 5. Assurance of salvation comes from the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, not from outward conformity or cultural Christianity. True Christians are marked by a desire to obey God’s Word, not perfection, and their lives are distinguished by repentance, faith, and a growing resemblance to Jesus. [22:52]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:33] - Vince Lombardi and the Power of Fundamentals
• [01:46] - The Elementary Truths in Hebrews
• [03:06] - The Danger of Spiritual Sluggishness
• [04:20] - Traits of Sluggish Christianity
• [06:15] - Intellectual vs. Spiritual Maturity
• [07:31] - The Path to Spiritual Maturity
• [08:47] - Distinguishing Good from Evil
• [10:04] - The Temptation to Outgrow the Basics
• [11:55] - Childlike Faith and First Love
• [13:16] - The Mission: Making Disciples
• [15:47] - Repentance from Dead Works
• [17:42] - Repent and Believe: Jesus’ First Command
• [19:38] - Repentance Precedes True Faith
• [22:52] - Assurance and the Mark of a True Christian
• [27:22] - What Are Dead Works?
• [29:52] - The Danger of Attractive but Powerless Works
• [31:42] - Only Christ Bridges the Gap
• [34:54] - The Open Door of Repentance
• [35:32] - Closing and Invitation

Bible Reading

Hebrews 5:11–6:3 (ESV) — > 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
>
> 1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

Mark 1:14–15 (ESV) — > 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV) — > 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Observation Questions

1. In Hebrews 5:12–14, what does the author say is the difference between “milk” and “solid food”? What does he say is required to move from one to the other?
2. According to Mark 1:15, what are the first two things Jesus calls people to do as he begins his ministry?
3. In Ephesians 2:8–9, what is the basis of our salvation, and what is specifically ruled out as the basis?
4. The sermon describes “dead works” as actions we do to try to earn God’s favor apart from Christ. What are some examples of these “dead works” mentioned in the sermon? [27:58]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does the author of Hebrews warn against being “sluggish” or “dull of hearing”? What are the dangers of staying in spiritual infancy according to the sermon? [03:45]
2. The sermon says that spiritual maturity is not about how much you know, but about practicing the basics. Why might it be tempting to think that knowledge or professional advancement equals spiritual maturity? [06:15]
3. The sermon emphasizes that repentance is not just an emotional response but a decisive turning away from the world’s values. Why is this distinction important for understanding true repentance? [16:25]
4. According to the sermon, what is the relationship between repentance and faith? Why can’t one exist without the other? [19:38]

Application Questions

1. The sermon warns about “sluggish Christianity” marked by passivity, distraction, and resistance to discipline. Which of these traits do you most relate to, and what is one step you could take this week to address it? [03:45]
2. The basics of faith—prayer, scripture, community, and service—are described as the foundation for spiritual growth. Which of these fundamentals do you find easiest to practice? Which one do you tend to neglect, and why? [06:15]
3. The sermon says that in a culture obsessed with progress and innovation, we can be tempted to see foundational truths as outdated. Have you ever felt pressure to “move on” from the basics of faith? How do you respond to that pressure? [10:04]
4. Repentance is described as a decisive turning away from self-reliance and dead works. Is there an area of your life where you are still relying on your own efforts to earn God’s favor? What would it look like to surrender that area to Christ? [16:25]
5. The sermon says that assurance of salvation comes from the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, not outward conformity. How do you personally experience assurance of your faith? Are there times when you struggle with doubt, and what helps you in those moments? [22:52]
6. The author of Hebrews says, “by this time you ought to be teachers.” Do you see yourself as someone who can help others grow in faith? What is one way you could intentionally invest in someone else’s spiritual growth this month? [13:52]
7. The invitation is open to repent and build your life on the foundation of Jesus. Is there a specific “dead work” or self-reliant habit you sense God inviting you to turn from today? What is one practical step you can take in response? [34:54]