Principles of Personal Growth
I Timothy 4:12-16
** The outline of this sermon was gleaned from a John Maxwell resource.
I.Identify your obstacles and hurdle them. (v. 12)
A. What was Timothy’s obstacle? His youth.
B.How did he overcome this obstacle?
1. He changed his lifestyle.
a.Speech
b. Conduct
2. He changed his heart. Inward developments
a. Faith
b. Purity
c. Love- an outward expression of the inward developments.
C. Obstacles
II. Identify your calling and pursue it.(v. 13)
A. Did you believe in fate? Calling?
B. Timothy’s calling was to be a pastor/teacher.
C. Paul was telling him not to lose sight of his purpose.
D. God has given each of us a purpose, a calling we all must find and follow.
III. Identify your gifts and develop them. (v. 14)
A. God doesn’t call us to do something that He has not given us the gifts to do.
B. “Tony, why didn’t you work with youth more?”
- God didn’t give me the gift of insanity.
IV. Identify the work and dedicate yourself to it. (v. 15)
A.“Take pains,” (NASB), “Meditate,” (NKJV),
“Be diligent,” (NIV), “Give your complete attention,”
1. Includes two things:
a. Strategy.
-Henry Ford, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the reason why so few {actually do it.}”
b. Commitment.
- You’ve got to do the work.
- My prayer that God would make me a better Christian. I sat back and waited for Him to do it.
-God- “Get up and do it yourself!”
B. Why is this important?
1. Butterfly illus. Helped out of the cocoon.
V. Identify your weaknesses and take control of them. (v. 16a)
A. “What is this verse talking about?”
1. One word . . . Discipline! Self accountability.
a. Pay attention to yourself.
b. Pay attention to your teaching.
c. Practice what you preach.
d.David and saying “please.”
B. Why is this important? (v. 16b)
1. Salvation for yours
