Grow (Part Two) Series

GROW

(The Habits of Prayer and Quiet Time)

Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

– Philippians 3:7-11

Prayer

OKAY – so we are this series called… “Becoming the church that HE intended.”

AND LISTEN – as we continue down the home stretch of this series we are unpacking the powerful and essential truth that the church Jesus intended is made of people… men and women, young and old…

THAT – are living their lives on MISSION.

PEOPLE – who like Jesus, have both built and are centering their lives around 3 things…

Seeking the lost, making disciples and showing compassion

AND – the way we summarize the path to living our lives on mission centers around 4 words...

BELONG - GROW - SERVE - ENGAGE

A life lived on mission begins with BELONG

- belonging to Christ

- belonging t His church

And a life lived in mission deepens with GROW

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 2:3

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. – Philippians 2:12,13

NOW – last Sunday we began looking a spiritual growth habits that will help us GROW UP in our salvation.

Habit – a continual often unconscious inclination to do a certain activity, acquired through frequent repetition. An established disposition of character.

Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. – 1 Timothy 4:7,8

So far have we have looked at...

1) The Habit Of Regular Church Attendance

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:25

2) The Habit Of Doing Life Together

We are in this struggle together… - Philippians 1:30

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22

3) The Habit Of Spending Time In God’s Word

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15

Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. – John 17:17

This morning we are going to look at two more spiritual growth habits..

I. The Habit Of Talking To God (prayer)

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our Lord is near us whenever we pray to him. - Dt 4:7

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome. – Ephesians 3:12

What Is Prayer

• Prayer is coming into the presence of God…it’s entering the throne room of the KING of kings and LORD of lords…

• Prayer is taking our concerns to the one who cares for us

• Prayer is communicating with the creator of the world…

• Prayer is bringing our hurts and our sorrows to the father of compassion and the God of all comfort…

• Prayer is reaching out to our never tired, confused, afraid or taken by surprise Redeemer…

• Prayer is crying out to the rock that is higher than we are

• Prayer is bringing our questions to the one who has the answers

• Prayer is the trigger that unleashes the supernatural power of God…Prayer is coming near to God…

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our Lord is near us whenever we pray to him. - Dt 4:7

What Can Prayer Do? Anything God can do.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. – James 5:16-18