Discipleship
Are you apprehensive at the prospect of going out to witness? Have you done evangelism with all of your heart and passion with little to no results? Well, so did Paul! Although he had no fear, he did have little results with his own people at times, yet continued to obey God anyway.
What does the work and empowerment of the Spirit mean to you? The Fruit of the Spirit is described as a fruit, because it is made up of more than one substance; it has juice, pulp, peal, core, segments, and seeds, all held together by a skin or rind, and attached to the tree by a stem where its nutrients flow in. If you just eat of the pulp or juice and throw out the rest, how can you use the seeds to grow more? If you take the fruit off the vine, it will wither and rot; if the vine is not cared for, the tree will die. So it is with the Fruit of the Spirit. God makes it and it requires our growth of faith that necessitates our tending, and it is more than just one substance; all of its substances combined are greater than the sum of its parts.
The key to the success of finding and developing faith is simple; it is obedience. We must be ready to serve God rather than our needs, even before we know what the call may be, and take this mindset into life and to others.
How can I develop quality time with our Lord so I can become a deeper and more mature Christian? Here are nine thoughts to get you pointed in the right direction.
A call is extended to you and a response is required! You have been given a precious and wondrous call without irresistible pressure, yet with passion and conviction. "Follow me."
A Disciple is one who grows in Christ and in so doing models and teaches Christians the precepts of the Bible, prayer, doctrine, relationship, Christian living, service, and worship, to name the main ones.
My proposal is basic on how to grow closer to Christ and deeper in our walk with Him, and in drawing near to the heart of God! This is for a new Christian, with no idea of what to do, to the experienced pastor who has walked with God intimately for decades. It is for me, and it is for you, regardless of personal experience, spiritual growth experience, developmental level, disabilities, or age.
Faith…Hope…Love, are central and crucial gifts of God, such aspects of the resulting new life we have in Christ. These gifts turn into virtues by our application of them. If these are not being produced, then there is a real critical problem. These three essentials help us bringing forth fruit; the central feature of our faith development is whether the work of the Spirit and God's love is being exhibited in us.
Being a true disciple means having a willingness to trust Him completely in all aspects of life from the highest highs to the lowest lows. It means we are not only willing to trust Him to provide for our salvation, but also for the future.
It all comes down to a decision. Will we make our faith real and impacting, relinquishing our pride to allow us to learn and grow, and in turn teach others, or will we plant our rears in the pew, so that our only impact is our butt print in that pew!
