Skip to content The Growth Decision - Pastor Steve Robinson Aug 12 · 39 min ...more
The Growth Decision - Pastor Steve Robinson
August 12, 2025 · 39 min
Explore how to thrive in God's grace and grow in faith through intentional decisions.
Series Decide to Thrive August 12, 2025 · 39 min · Decide to Thrive
Explore how to thrive in God's grace and grow in faith through intentional decisions. ...more Show the full description Show less Explore how to thrive in God's grace and grow in faith through intentional decisions.
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The Growth Decision: Embracing Spiritual Maturity 0:00 This series is based upon 2 questions. Number 1, what does a thriving life look like? And number 2, how do you get it and how do you stay there? Doesn't matter what age you0:12 are. The truth is these 2 questions, they're relevant to all of our lives. And what we've said in this series is that there are 6 decisions that we can make on a daily basis that0:23 position our lives actually to thrive. Maybe those of you would who work out, maybe you've been on a treadmill before. Matter of fact, I like to work out a0:35 walk, but in the wintertime, I don't have the opportunity. It's cold. It's like, man, I don't wanna go out there. I'll go on a treadmill. And I'll tell you this. I call the treadmill the dreadmill. Because in0:47 a sense, you're just putting a lot of energy in, but you don't like you're not getting anywhere. I mean, you're not moving anywhere. Oh, I know there's little things right there, but come on, you're kind of stuck in the0:58 same1:12 my self-concept. I actually feel like I'm stuck. Maybe that's where you are. God never created any of us to remain1:24 stuck. You know, these last 2 years, there were 2 areas in my life, 2 areas of my life where I felt like I was stuck. And 11:36 was, and I'll close at the end of the message and kind of wrap it together, but 1 was I I didn't like how I would react in certain situations. And I had to get really1:48 intentional the last 2 years. And I've said this for many years at church again. I'm not where I wanna be, but I'm not where I used to be. So I want everybody all of our locations to look right here. This is so1:59 important. No 1 grows by accident. If you wanna grow in your walk with God, if you wanna grow in your walk with others, if you wanna grow,2:10 watch this, in your discipleship, it takes intentionality. Today I wanna talk to you, I wanna talk to you about our fourth decision. Watch this and that is the growth decision. Can everybody say that2:22 word? Say it. Growth decision. We're talking about 6 decisions next week. The influence, the last 1. The generosity decision. We're talking about what are the decisions that we can make on a2:34 daily basis that actually position us To draw. Second Peter chapter 3 verse 18 says this. I love it. It's all over the Bible, by the2:46 way. It's concept of growth. Growth. Here it is. Peter said, Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Don't ever2:58 forget that God's design for our lives is to grow. Maybe you're stuck right now in a mindset. By the way, maybe you're stuck in a negative habit, a hang up, or even watch as3:10 a hurt from the past. If I pass through, I feel like I get so far in my walk. I feel like I'm moving forward, and then all of a sudden I get pulled back. Why? That's a well, that's a hang up. In other words, a hang up is3:21 hanging you up. You feel stuck. Maybe it's a bad habit. Maybe it's an addiction and you feel like, man, I'm coming into 20 25. I wanna blast through this addiction, this3:33 proclivity or propensity towards this negative behavior that is suffocating me. Can I tell you? That has to break. And by God's power, it can break. But you and I are gonna have to cooperate3:45 with God's grace and God's power. Peter said grow. Everyone say grow. Grow. Grow. Grow. Grow. Grow in the grace and in the knowledge. In other words, we're to grow in our3:56 relationship with God. We're to grow watches in Christ like character. We're to grow with 1 another. Growth is part of the Christian life. God has called us to grow.4:09 This message, I wanna talk about 3 things. Why growth is essential, what holds us back from growth, and then what decisions we need to make to position ourselves for growth. Alright. Here's part of the challenge4:20 when you talk about growth is that we don't understand how we're designed. The part of the challenge for the Christian is they think, my gosh, I thought I came to Christ. I thought everything was changed. I mean, I4:32 thought I was changed. The answer is yes, you were, but no, not every part of you were. Let let me give an example. Paul said this in first Thessalonians. He wrote this to the church at Thessalonica. Here's what he said.4:43 Can you pull that scripture up? I'm gonna read it. Here's what he said. Now may the watch this. Now may the god of peace himself sanctify. Everybody say sanctify. The word sanctify4:55 means to set apart. May the God of peace set apart what part? 3 parts. Oh, man. This is important. The 3 part, the5:06 tripartite being called a human being. Here it is. He says, and you may be completely set apart and may your whole spirit Everyone say spirit. Spirit.5:18 Everybody say soul and everybody say body. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of the lord Jesus Christ. Pastor,5:30 I thought when I gave my heart to Christ, I was changed. You were changed, but not all of you was changed. Well, what was changed? Your spirit was changed.5:42 The deepest part of who you were. By by the way, in the Bible, the word spirit and heart are used in an analogous fashion. So what was changed was, watch this, is your spirit Pull5:54 that graph up if you could. I'm gonna show this. I want all of our locations to see that. So your spirit, everybody say spirit. So that's your heart. When you get born again, man, this is important to know. Before you6:06 come to Christ, your spirit, the Bible actually said is dead. Paul said in Ephesians 2, you are dead in your trespasses and sin. What part is dead? I'm alive physically. You are,6:18 but spiritually you're dead. What part is dead? Your spirit at your heart, it's dead. It's not connected to God. You're made in the image of God, but you're not connected. The Holy Spirit doesn't live in your heart prior6:28 to a community. So when you get to say the light switch comes on. There's a like a new fire. There's a passion. Why? Because the spirit of God comes to live in your heart. Your spirit which was dead comes6:40 alive. You are completely, watch this, 100 percent born again. The Bible talks about that. So you're changed in your heart, but guess6:52 what's not changed? Your thinking's not changed. Your feelings are not necessarily changed, And your will, that's called your soul. Everyone say soul. Oh, okay.7:03 Pastor, that makes sense. Okay. So that's so that's why I still struggle as a Christian. I mean, I'm changed by the grace of God. Jesus, save7:15 me. My heart is alive to God. I've been born again, but I still got these struggles. Yes. Because your mind, will, and emotions, the Bible calls the soul say it again, the what? The soul. That's7:27 where the battle is. Oh, and then we have a body. Our body connects with our environment through our 5 senses. What we taste, touch, feel, hear. So we take information. It goes into our7:39 soul. Our struggle for the Christian is in your soul. Because the problem is here it is. What you think determines what you feel, and7:51 what you feel determines what you decide, and what you decide determines your actions, and your actions determines your outcomes. Pastor, I don't like how my life is. I don't like where my life's8:03 going. I don't like what I have. I don't like what's going on. Okay. You don't like the outcomes? Go back and change your thinking. The problem's in the soul. Your heart's alive. Your heart's filled with the spirit of8:14 God, but the problem is your mind. When you got saved, your mind was not automatically renewed. Peter says in first Peter chapter 2 verse 2, like newborn babes8:27 crave pure spiritual milk. Why? So that by it you may Oh man, this is so good. So that you may what? Say it again. Say it. Grow up in8:39 your salvation. Wait. Okay. I'm getting this, Pastor Steve. So when I get saved, my heart comes alive. But I still need to grow. Well, what part needs to grow? Your soul needs to grow. You need to grow in the8:50 grace of God. Wait a minute. I thought I was saved by grace. Okay. Set you were saved by grace, but after you get saved, you've got to cooperate with the grace of God. Dallas Willard, the famous Christian author and9:02 writer, here here's what he said. Watch this. Grace is not opposed to effort, it's opposed to earning. In other words, I don't earn my salvation, but I've9:13 gotta commit some effort and cooperate with my salvation. That that's what the Bible says. We grow up. Everyone say grow up. So I grow up in my salvation. So was salvation free or not? It was the free9:25 gift of Christ that saves you, but then you gotta cooperate with the grace of God to grow you. Oh, wow. So my decisions are important. Oh, yeah. They're important. I just thought, you know, just all of Jesus.9:37 Well, he's the 1 that starts it. But you gotta respond. The Christian life is a response to the grace of God. I'm talking to you today about the fourth decision, the growth decision. And9:49 your growth in God is based upon yes, he saves you. Yes, he empowers you. But your decision to cooperate with the grace of God. Your decision to renew your mind.10:00 Peter said grow, healthy things grow, healthy things change, healthy things grow up. The problem is, you know, it's interesting. Peter uses the language newborn babes. You wanna know why? Because in the10:12 Bible, the bible likens the spiritual life to the same physiological development. You're a baby when you're born, and then you become a teenager, and then you're like a mature person. And and and you know what happens10:23 with a baby? A baby finally when a baby is born, life is all about them, their needs. We teach our kids this, but part of maturing is when you become other centered. Right? You realize it's not all about life's not all10:35 about you. It's about others, how you interface. Same thing Christian. You get born again. When you're born again, you're not a mature Christian. You're a baby Christian. And as you feed on the word of God, as you renew10:45 your mind because when you think different, you feel different. When you feel different, you decide different. When you decide different, you behave different. When you behave different, you have different outcomes. And10:55 for a Christian, a Christian that stays a baby Christian is still governed by their soul, not their spirit. Before Adam and Eve11:07 fell in the garden, their spirit had complete communion with God and their spirit took preeminence and their soul and their body was in subjugation to their spirit. Don't miss this.11:19 After mankind fell, all of a sudden now their spirit, everyone say spirit, it died and it became subservient and now the soul and the body. Now mankind after the fall in11:31 Genesis 3 is governed by what they feel, what they think. They're governed by their flesh. But as a Christian, when you get saved, you now have the potential, watch this, to be led once11:43 again by your, say it, spirit. Those that are the sons and daughters of God are led by the what? Say it, the spirit of God. As a mature Christian, we're no longer led by our flesh, we're led by our what? Say it,11:55 spirit. It takes your decision to cooperate with the grace of God to grow. God wants you to grow. How many I wanna grow in 20 25? Come on. How many I wanna grow? I wanna grow.12:08 Paul says it this way, Romans chapter 12 verse 2, do not be conformed to the pattern of this world. How many Christians love God, go into heaven, name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, but they're still conformed12:18 to the patterns of this world? They're still talking the same way, still thinking the same way, still going to the same places, still doing the same thing. Paul said, don't do that. Don't be conformed. The word to be12:27 conformed is pressed into the mold. Don't be pressed into the mold of the world. Conversely, here's what Paul said, be transformed. Everybody say, be12:39 transformed. I thought I was transformed when I got saved. Your heart was, your spirit was, You're born again. But12:51 guess what? Your mind didn't change. Oh, okay. I'll never forget. I was at a young Christian. I mean, I'm on fire13:03 for God, love Jesus, pressing in. And I mean, I had really broken off some things in my past. I mean, God by his grace and power. I mean, I just surrender to13:15 Christ and bam bam. I never forget, first time really freaked me out. I was at Lakeside Shopping Center. This would have been 19 88, the beginning of 1913:27 88. Maybe March, April, May, and I'm walking and all of a sudden I smelled 5 senses of perfume that then reminded me image, mind13:39 of a relationship I had in the past. And all of a sudden I had this feeling, oh man, and the devil goes, You're not saved, you dirty little thing.13:53 I'm not gonna ask for a show of hands, but many of you felt that same feeling. But watch this, but watch this. The truth is I was saved. I was saved, but my mind needed to be what? Everybody say it.14:05 Renewed. Because what you think about determines what you feel about. What you feel about determines what you decide about. What you decide about determines what you behave about. What determines what you decide about,14:11 what you decide about determines what you behave about, what you behave about determines your outcomes. I know that's not proper English, but it made sense. So when you're saved, you're when you get give your heart to14:22 Christ, your heart comes alive, but your head is still. In other words, you still have stinking thinking. Christian14:34 growth, a term for Christian growth is discipleship. Another theological term for Christian growth would be sanctification. I'm gonna use the word discipleship. By the way, I wrote this down. Thoughts create feelings14:45 that drive decisions, which lead to actions, which determine outcomes. The battle for the Christian is in the soul. Be14:57 renewed. Be transformed. In your mind, because when your mind thinks, when you think differently, you'll feel that, pastor, I don't like what I'm feeling because you're thinking15:09 wrong thoughts. You have the power as a Christ follower to cast down the old and put on the new. Let me give you 1 of the challenges for the Christian. Here it is. You ready? 1 of the biggest challenges15:21 for the Christian and their growth in Christ is the enemy of comfort. Yeah. We get comfortable. We find a nice little cozy comfort zone and we set15:33 up camp there. Yet comfort zones, they feel safe, watch this, but they're growth killers. You know, in South Louisiana, South Mississippi, there's so many boats and water and so you walk by these, you15:45 know, harbors or in these beautiful little, you know, places, and it's really nice. And it's pretty. You see boats. It's like whether it's sailboats or powerboat. You know, it's it's really cool. Matter of fact, people15:55 some people go on dates. Just, well, let's go down there to the harbor. Well, they little you know, we'll just walk around. It's so awesome. Matter of fact, I have a picture of 1. And if you can pull that up, ain't that16:04 nice? That's 1 of y'all's boats. But anyway, right there. So ain't that nice? So people go there and just leave that up. And so people go there and they look at that and it's just so nice. And so people do that and they16:15 look at that. Can can I help everybody? As pretty as that is, those boats were not designed to stay there. They were designed to refuel there.16:28 They were designed to be refreshed there, but they're actually watch this. They're actually they're designed to actually go out onto the seas. They they're they're they're they're only supposed to be temporarily.16:41 They're not designed to stay in the harbor. And by the way, neither are you. My my dad had a big 40 something foot sailboat. They had a big big boat and and and he'd always say, Steve, you wanna, you16:53 know, let's go you know, wanna go see the boat? I said, okay. I'll go see the boat. You know, we'll go see the boat. We saw the boat a lot. We never went on it much, but we'd go see it. You wanna go see it? So we'd go17:03 see the boat. Dad, you wanna go out on I don't know. Here it is. Don't miss this. So dad, you wanna go out well, you know, I I I would, but it's a lot of come on, everybody say it. Work.17:16 All boat owners, come on, raise your hand. How many know what I'm talking about? It's like, man, it's a lot of work. If I actually get that boat going and go out there, it's work. So in other words, I'd rather17:28 stay comfortable in the harbor than commit the work to actually function according to how God designed me. In other17:39 words, I'd rather stay stuck where it's comfortable than commit the energy to grow. How often we stay in a17:51 safe, we think it's safe, a safe harbor, but we're not functioning the way God designed us. God designed you for an adventure. But you18:03 gotta be willing, watch this, to be intentional to deal with those habits. A habit is stuck. It's it's a it's a mindset where your soul's stuck. Habit,18:16 hang up, watch this, or hurt from the past. Pastor, what are some of the enemies of my growth? Let me just give you a couple. Just a couple. Some of the enemies that we have to overcome. And18:28 by the way, before I do that, I I I people, you know, I go teach like this like, well, pastor Steve, I I just don't know why at times I just I'm waiting for God. I wanna help everybody. I'm gonna give some theological18:40 balance. Everything in the Christian life starts by the grace of God. Everything. God's the initiator. But once he initiates, we do have to respond. Does18:52 that make sense? Well, pastor, I still struggle with this problem. Well, you've gotta yield your will and God empowers you as you yield the will. You're not a robot, you're a human being. Let me give you a quick example19:03 then I'm gonna give you some some some points here. Ephesians chapter 4. You may have not read this before, but Paul talks about cooperating with this renewal process. Remember, the problems in the soul, we get hung up19:15 in the soul, we get hurts in the soul, we get habits in the soul that restrict our growth. Paul said it this way. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22, that you do that you put off.19:26 Everybody say put off. That's your will. In other words, you gotta activate your will. You gotta engage in the process. Paul said, you gotta put off concerning your19:38 former conduct. The old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust, there's nothing good and attractive about that sentence. Corruption, deceitfulness,19:50 lust. Guess what? I'm waiting for Jesus to do it. Jesus said you've got to put it off. Now he empowers you to do it. He convicts you to do it, but he20:02 strengthens you. You've got to make the the choice to do it. You you gotta do it. Everybody say put off. I just got this pornography problem. Well, shut your computer. I'm waiting for Jesus to take20:14 away the desire. Shut the computer, then pray. You gotta cooperate with the grace of God. Well, I just I got a drinking problem, or I got this problem, I got this right. In other words in other words, don't go to that20:23 place. I'm struggling with all these illicit relationships. Don't go to those places that present an opportunity. In other words, make some decisions to put off. Everybody say put off.20:44 Sometimes we're waiting for magic. It doesn't happen. Miracles happen when you step out and obey God, then God meets you with his power, then God strengthens you with his power.20:56 We don't believe in magic as Christians, we believe in miracle power. But Jesus multiplied the little boy's fish and bread, but he had to put it in the hands of Jesus. You gotta put your inordinate desire in the hand of21:06 Jesus and then make the choice. And as you make the choice to walk away, he empowers that choice. He empowers that choice. Everybody say put off. Put off. Am I being nice21:18 enough to y'all today? Just say, we love you, pastor Steve. Come on. Say it. We love you, pastor Steve. Alright. Alright. Some of y'all said that.21:31 I'm trying to help you in your walk with God. Some of you are waiting for God to do what God's empowered you to do. Put it off. But wait, it doesn't stop there. And be21:43 renewed in the spirit of your mind. The problem's in your thinking. That's That's where the word of God, it changes your thinking. Your heart's alive, you're going to heaven. Let me tell you, it's not this is not a21:52 heaven issue, this is called living in hell on earth issue. Man, I'm going to heaven. I'm saved by the blood of Christ. My name is written down in the land's book of life. I22:04 can't wait to read it. Yes. You're going to heaven because you've trusted in Christ. It's not your work, it's the work of Christ. But can I tell you, he doesn't want you living in hell on earth? You gotta learn to put22:15 off. Everybody say put off. Put off. As you learn to put off, your mind's renewed by the word of God and the spirit of God. Your thinking changes because when you think different, you'll feel different. When you feel22:24 different, you'll decide different. When you decide different, you'll behave different. When you behave different, outcomes will change. Outcomes will change. Well, pastor, I just I I don't know why. I just feel like22:35 this. Go back. Check your thoughts. Check your thoughts. Check your thoughts. Check your thoughts. What are you thinking? What are you thinking? Because your feelings are a byproduct of your thoughts. You gotta put off.22:44 Everybody say put off. And what I found is the more you do this, the stronger you get. But God gives you the grace. He he empowers this whole process. Here it is. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and now you gotta22:55 put on. So I gotta put off, but now I gotta put on. I gotta lay aside, now I gotta pick up. I gotta reject the old, now I gotta put on the new. I gotta23:07 reject the old. Well, I don't feel like forgiving that person that hurt me. Since when are your feelings have anything to do with the Word of God?23:19 I'm not suggesting you don't have boundaries. I'm not suggesting that you don't have clarity in relation. I'm not suggest I am suggesting you don't have the right to hold on to unforgiveness. When somebody says I won't23:30 forgive, what they're what they're saying is I'm gonna allow my body and my feelings to control and govern my spirit. God wants this, where your spirit those that are led by the spirit. Everybody say the23:42 spirit. That's your born again you. That's the true you. That's what's going to heaven. The spirit of God inside of you, that's who you are. We're governed by the spirit of God. We're not governed by our flesh. We're not23:51 governed by our feelings. We're not governed by our thoughts. We're not governed by our impulses of our bodies, our appetites, and intake. We're governed by the spirit of God. So I'm gonna make my feelings submit to the24:02 word of God. Why? Because feelings change. The word never changes. How many are grateful God's word never changes? By the way, that's what's the problem with our culture. The culture is everybody's they're they're led by24:14 the It's those that are led by the feelings are human being. No. No. I'm not led by We're led by the spirit. It's a higher power. It's a stronger it's the spirit and the word of God. So24:25 everybody say take off. Everybody say put on. So the renewal process is a lifelong process. It's called the Christian growth. This is called sanctification. This is called discipleship. I'm giving as many terms I24:37 can to give the same concept. Christian renewing the mind is discipleship. It's sanctification. It's growing in Christ.24:49 You're saved by grace, but then you cooperate with the grace of God. That's how you grow. How how do you practically grow in discipleship? Through renewing your mind. Let me give you a couple of25:01 decides. Number 1, decide to saturate your mind with the word of God. It is impossible to grow in Christ without the saturation of God's word. There's lots of words coming into your mind. Lots of25:13 words. But we want the word, watch this, to overshadow all those words. Martin Luther said it this way, he said, it's not the birds that fly over your head that create a problem, it's those that you allow to take a nest25:26 and make a nest. Decide. Everybody say decide. Decide to saturate your mind with God's word. Number 2, decide to declare and speak God's truth over your life.25:37 Number 3, decide to be aware of your thoughts. 1 of the things I did as a young Christian is I remember writing the sign down and I wrote the sign25:49 down. Think about what you're thinking about at 2 o'clock. And I wrote the sign down. And I'm like, at at 2 o'clock, and it would come up.26:03 What am I thinking about? You'd be shocked what we're thinking about. We wonder why we're depressed. What are you thinking about? By the way, there's no little innocent thought that just goes26:15 by. Just just challenge that thought. Boom. That's not true. That's not true. It's like when I was at Lakeside Shops, you're an old dirty No. That's who I used to be. I'm the righteousness of26:26 God in Christ now. I'm a man of God. I'm the new creation in Christ. Don't allow an ungodly thought to penetrate and permeate your thought process without you challenging it by26:38 activating your will and speaking God's truth. Activate your will. Speak the truth. Saturate. It's all decisions. Decide to be aware of your thoughts.26:50 I become very aware of my thoughts, aware of my emotions. Where is this feeling? Why am I having this feeling? Ah, it's a byproduct of thinking both conscious or subconscious. That's why the renewing of the mind goes to27:02 the subconscious level as well. I'll talk about that. Decide to challenge thoughts that don't align with God's word. Decide, 5, to replace negative thoughts, that's taking off, with positive biblical ones, that's putting27:14 on. Everybody say take off. Everybody say put on. Number 6, decide to surround your people yourself with people who encourage your growth. Remember growth is a process, it takes time.27:26 You were saved instantly. You were justified instantly. You were made right by the blood of Christ when you trusted Christ as your savior. Instant salvation. Your heart came alive. You're born again. But from that27:37 moment until you stay until you breathe your last breath, it's a process of renewing your mind, growing as a disciple, follower of Jesus, growing in the grace of God, sanctification. It's a process.27:50 You can get stronger though. What does it mean to get stronger? Where you're governed more by the word in the spirit than by your flesh and your soul. That's Christian growth. So in conclusion,28:02 let me do this. Let me give you a couple common obstacles to growth. Let me just give you a couple of these. Write these down. Here it is. Are you guys learning? Is this helping anybody? Hope so. I'm working a lot harder28:14 than you're clapping. But anyway, so I'll just share that. Alright. Obstacles to growth, trying to grow alone. I learned this big time.28:26 I, I played I worked I played sports in high school, played football in high school, and I worked out a lot, went to John Curtis, and, of course, you you know, best school28:38 for that in the world. Don't be jealous. But anyway, so so I worked out a lot in high school and so in the college a little bit and then just kinda, you know, just kind of bounced around a28:50 little bit for about 30 years. 2 years ago my wife goes, let's work out together. We need to get a trainer. I said, a trainer? I could be a trainer. I played football with29:02 John Curtis. What are you talking about? Of course that meant I could deadlift, squat, bench. I mean, those are the things we did. Right? I didn't even understand core. Core, I didn't even sit29:14 ups. So I went to this trainer and so my wife and I, we get committed. We buy this package like I don't know what it would cost, but it's just caught. You gotta so so we're I'm I'm in. I'm29:25 committed. Well, she then backs out, goes to somebody else. Now I'm stuck. And he's a great guy. And so now and and so now I've been doing it for almost 2 years. And so here's here's the thing about it. So because I pay,29:37 it costs me. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes like, I don't wanna go. Well, there's 24 hour rule. If I don't go, I gotta pay for it. So I'll show up sometimes,29:49 and I'll go there. And the first thing I say is, hi. I hate you. But anyway so I'm joking. I don't say it. But I'm thinking I don't wanna do this, but I gotta show up because I'm accountable.30:03 It's hard to grow in any area of your life when you're not accountable. That's why it's so important to be in a small group. It's so important to be in a small group. It's so important to have30:14 Christian brothers and ladies that have sisters around you that grow and they they strengthen you. It's hard to grow alone. Very hard. 2 complacency. We talked about that. Being comfortable. Fear.30:27 This holds you back. We battle the fear of failure, the fear of the unknown. Well, what if I try it again and it doesn't work? Well, we'll try it again. Pastor, what if I try to read the Bible this year? I mean, I'll be30:37 in Genesis in, like, July. That's the first book of the Bible. It's like I tried the Bible thing. I didn't understand it. This 1 begot this 1, and they begot that, and I begot and I forgot.30:51 I begot and I forgot and it's over. Try again. Everybody say try again. Well, I tried to pray and, you know, I remember I was at bible school and this guy goes, if you wanna be a man of God, gotta wake up early in the31:02 morning and pray. This literally happened. I thought, well, you know, this guy woke up, you know, early in the morning. It's like 4 o'clock in the morning. Yeah. Set the alarm. And I just kinda get there, and it's 431:14 o'clock in the morning. I was like, I wanna be a man of God. So I just kinda prayed, got my hands like this. And literally, the next thing I I woke up, it was 6 30. I was like this.31:27 Like, that didn't work. You know, so do I walk away and go, prayer doesn't work? Everybody say try again. Try again. Try a small group again. Try reading your Bible31:39 again. Try showing up to church again. Try showing up in prayer again. You gotta try again. Don't let the failure of your past define your present and your future. Everybody say try again.31:53 Here's another obstacle to growth, past hurts. Part of my reactions in life, when I realized I'd move into what's called the protective self, I'd get adrenalized and32:04 protect myself and I'd overreact in situations when I hit adversity. And I've been really intentional the last 2 years. I've been accountable to people, my spouse, my wife, to be accountable.32:16 And what I realized is part of past hurts, I had been conditioned in my subconscious to react and respond to thing out of trying to protect myself. I don't wanna stay like that.32:29 Is it there some areas in your life it's like, I don't want to be like Well, you're 56. I mean, you're kind of like you're kind of By the way, that's what some people get sometimes, you know? I had this couple years ago32:40 in marriage counseling, you know? And I used to do, you know, this is pastor, be like, all right, what do you? Well, you know, you know, I'm just like, we're in our seventies. It's just like, we're almost going to heaven32:49 anyway. She goes, speak for yourself. Sometimes people get to my age, it's like, you know what? It's like, I've always been like that. I've got an33:01 attitude. I'm angry. I'm Italian. Well, take that little Italy flag down and put up the Christian flag and serve God. And I'm not against Italians.33:13 We had an Italian couple in the church last night. I don't know if they're ever coming back. But anyway, literally Italian citizens, literally. And I said, you know, explain it to them. You know? Of course, I don't speak33:24 their language. I don't even know where I am. But anyway so these are obstacles. Don't stay stuck.33:36 How many I wanna grow in 20 25? Come on. How many I wanna grow? Man, I wanna grow. Okay. Alright. I got 1 more concept and then I'm done.33:48 Remember when I said Christian growth? An analogous term to Christian growth is discipleship. Everybody say discipleship. Discipleship. So the root word of discipleship is disciple. Please don't miss what I'm saying.33:59 Please hang with me for 3 minutes. This is important. Those of you that do sales, presentations, some matter of fact, those of you that are in any leadership positions in any34:11 type of industry, I don't care what it is, you do a thing called a 3 step OJT. And on the job training means at some point the person34:23 you're training, they have to do the thing. What thing? Whatever thing it is. In other words, the greatest way ultimately to learn something is actually to do it.34:36 Those of you that have children, I have 4. At the end of the day, you can explain it, mom, dad. You can explain it over and over. But until they what? Do it, they ultimately won't what? Learn it. Because when you do34:48 it neurologically, your brain neurologically creates new pathways of success and accomplishment. So let me help you with the word disciple.35:00 It's 1 of the few words. There's others. The word disciple is both a noun and a verb. You are a disciple I'm not talking about the original35:12 12, like they're done. You're not getting in the Bible. You don't wanna be in the Bible. Trust me. That's done. So everybody say disciple. Remember what a noun is,35:24 person, place, or thing? A disciple, person, a disciple. But you also disciple is also to disciple someone. It's a verb. You disciple. Jesus said it this way. Watch this. Matthew35:36 chapter 28. Watch this. Go into all the world, preach the gospel, and make everyone say make. Make. Make disciples. He told the disciples to go make disciples. I thought35:48 Jesus makes disciples. He actually makes them through us. He converts people. Jesus makes converts. We make disciples. Oh, man. Don't miss that. Jesus converts36:00 people. Boom. Grace of God. Transformation. Heart and alive. But then we make disciples. How do we make disciples? By walking with people and pouring into people. But, ah, here's what I realized. The more you do the36:10 verb, the stronger you become the noun. Did y'all see it? So I'm a Christian 1 year. I'm almost finished. I'm a Christian 1 year, and Brother36:22 Doug, Pastor Doug Arman, who was Brother Doug, we used to call everybody brother. Brother Doug goes, I want you to lead a small group. I'm like, lead a group? The only thing I was leading was people astray.36:35 No way. He goes, no, you can do it. I'm like, pow. I don't know if I can do it. Remember, remember, if you wanna grow as a noun, at some point you gotta do the verb. You'll never fully become the36:47 noun until you grow in the verb. Christians that don't do the verb become lousy nouns. Oh. 0, that was rough. But it's36:59 true because your son or your daughter will never learn to drive as long as you're telling them to drive. At some point in time, you you gotta get in the passenger seat and they gotta drive. Now I know Now you can even37:10 do this while they're driving, but they gotta drive. The reason why some of you are struggling as the noun is because you're unwilling to do the verb.37:24 I said, okay, I'll do the bible study. I'm scared to death. And by the way, you don't have to be a theologian. I wasn't a theologian. I remember Doug says, all you need to know is a little bit more than the other person.37:35 That's it. And I remember I would get a little lesson. I'd be like, 0, 0, 0, the little lesson. I got the little lesson. And I would okay. And guess what?37:47 Every time I was reading the lesson because I was about to do the verb, I realized that it was getting deeper in me. I was becoming a better now. How many I wanna grow as a Christian in 20 25? Come on. I wanna grow.38:02 And I'm not talking about just leading a small group, I'm just talking about giving out to people. 20 25, you're gonna be38:14 in a different place in the positive at the end of 20 25 than you are now because of your decisions to submit to God's truth, to cooperate with the grace of God,38:26 to have an open heart to grow, to overcome some obstacles. Oh, by the way, I have grown. I have grown. I'm not where I wanna be. But internally, my internal mechanisms38:38 have shifted Because adversity is not impacting me like it once was because but I had to be intentional. I was accountable. I had people helping me. My wife38:50 and people around me helping me. I I don't wanna stay the same. Growth is possible when you make the decision to grow and then God helps you. How many y'all wanna grow? Come on.39:02 How many y'all wanna grow?In this video 0:00 The Growth Decision: Embracing Spiritual Maturity
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