BUT CONTINUE TO GROW… DEVELOPMENT!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
IS OUR GROWTH CONTINUING OR ARE WE DYING?
GROWTH: improve, increase, develop, mature, progressive development, MATURITY, AGE, SIZE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
HEALTHY GROWTH TAKES MANY FORMS: PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL WELL BEING. It involves your WEIGHT, LENGTH,
MOTOR SKILLS, LANGUAGE SKILLS, WORK ETHICS and many more issues.
Unhealthy growth is often TIRED, WEAK, too much sugar, illness, stress, panic attacks, slow development, shortness of breath, coughs, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, rash, etc.
We need a GOOD APPETITE, A BALANCED DIET ( 4 FOOD GROUPS) Whole grain fiber, vitamins, milk, fruits and vegetables, GOOD SLEEP, GOOD REST, ENERGY, A HEALTHY CURIOSITY
DO WE EVER DO A SELF EXAMINATION… WE TEND TO AVOID SEASONS OF TESTING. DO WE TEST OUR FAITH? ARE WE GROWING OR DO WE STAY HERE AND NEVER CHANGE?
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
PETER GIVES THE CHRISTIAN AN IMPERATIVE COMMAND… AN ORDER TO OBEY…
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Peter knew what failure was… 3 times he denied Jesus… but he delivered the first message after Pentecost… “WHAT MEANETH THIS…” As Peter is closing his book he stated BUT CONTINUE TO GROW AND INCREASE IN GOD…
REAL HEALTHY GROWTH IS RARELY BY ACCIDENT… GOOD GROWTH COMES FROM PREPAREDNESS…
I WAS CHAPLAIN AT A HOSPITAL… The doctors, nurses or social workers would recommend patients they thought might like or need a spiritual visit. I WAS ON DUTY ONE DAY AND A CARD WAS HANDED TO ME… a small child was diagnosed with FAILURE TO THRIVE… this girl was very small for her age… SHE ATE VERY LITTLE. She was lifeless and would just lay around all the time…
Will we exist in perpetual babyhood?
Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
LOVE MUST GROW OR IT WILL DIE… AND YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Hebrews 6:1 (ESV) 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,
GROWTH IS MATURITY… A CHILD NEEDS CORRECTION… AS WE GROW WE SHOULD NEED LESS AND LESS CORRECTION FROM OTHERS AND WE WILL SELF-DISCIPLINE.
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Do we have the mustard seed beginning… that is ok… we can change. Perhaps our beginnings are modest, but we can develop and grow… your final days will be full of prosperity if we grow.
Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
I WANT MORE? WHY NOT USE WHAT WE HAVE? SMALL IS OK… BUT WE NEED TO BE GROWING…
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
EVERY PERSON IS GIVEN A MEASURE OF FAITH? WHAT IS THE MEASURE--- ONE SIZE FITS ALL? LET ME TELL YOU MY OPINION… GOD GIVES EACH INDIVIDUAL THE MEASURE OF FAITH THAT THEY WILL NEED IN THEIR JOURNEY… IF YOU HAVE SMALL PROBLEMS, YOU WILL HAVE SMALL FAITH. IF YOU WILL FACE GIANTS, GOD WILL GIVE YOU GIANT FAITH.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
JOHN CHAPTER 15 RECORDS 4 KINDS OF TREES… SPIRITUALLY THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF TREES: FIRE WOOD OR FRUIT trees? THEN THERE ARE TREES WITH NO FRUIT? TREES WITH FRUIT? TREES WITH MORE FRUIT? TREES WITH MUCH FRUIT? WHICH ARE YOU?
CONCLUSION: Be honest do you have a GROWTH MINDSET or is your MINDSET FOREVER FIXED? Those with a FIXED MINDSET cannot ever change? PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! Incorrect or undeveloped mindsets hinder real growth. HAVE WE DEVELOPED A GROWTH MINDSET? The desire to improve and grow can teach us problems are opportunities and we must have new skills.
How insane is it to keep doing things the same old way and expect a different outcome? TO GROW WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND CHANGE. DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE ARE NEEDED.
GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL OR ONE WILL GET STAGNATE AND BEGIN A DECREASE. Growth is essential to long term survival. We must learn to take advantage of opportunities and take risk.
GROWTH: improve, increase, develop, mature, progressive development, MATURITY, AGE, SIZE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
NEVER GIVE UP ON ANYONE… IF YOU GIVE UP YOUR INTERCESSION THAT INDIVIUAL MIGHT GO TO HELL. Be patient, never give up. You cannot always see healthy growth. Ministry with people is not like being a carpenter. At the end of the day the carpenter can look on the 2x4’s, 4x4’s and see what he has accomplished. Working with people is not always visible.
There was a wonderful couple that always planted seeds and grew beautiful flowers. The old man died in the fall of the year. The old lady was so lonely. She was sitting in the swing and loved it as spring came around. She thought of her husband and the flowers. She thought I will start the old roto-tiller and work the soil along the concrete block wall between her property and the neighbor’s driveway. The wall was a block and a space, a block and a space. She went through her husband’s seed and found this beautiful vine that had bright red flowers on the vine. So she planed the seeds all along the wall. The seeds grew and made a huge beautiful green vine all up and down the wall. Week after week there was just a green vine. She went to the barn and got a hoe and walked to the road and was beginning to chop the green vines down. The neighbor pulled his car in the driveway and saw her beginning to cut down the vines. He jumped out of his car and asked what are you doing? She said, they are my vines. I planted them for the beautiful red flowers and as you can see there are not any red flowers. He took the lady to his side of the wall. There were thousands and thousands of big bright red flowers… none was visible on her side of the wall. My friend let me tell you, don’t count today by the harvest you reap… count today by the plowing and seeds you plant. JUST CONTINUE TO GROW IN GRACE AND UNDERSTANDING, some plant, some water, but GOD GIVES THE INCREASE.
I ASK YOU FOR AN HONEST EVALUATION ARE YOU GROWING? ARE YOU STAYING THE SAME? ARISE MY LOVE--- MAKE A PLAN OF GROWTH.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Look up Wade Hughes on YouTube?
