Russellville Christian Center

Where Do I Need To GROW UP? 1/7/24 susan allen   We can measure our spiritual maturity in different areas of our lives by our response   KNOWLEDGE without APPLICATION is FOOLISH (James 1) RRenner “Knowledge without application becomes boring and unfulfilling --every time The mature TAKE knowledge and PUT it to work in their lives… 1 Peter 2:1 NIV Therefore, (chpt 1 calls us to a life of holiness) rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (see Romans 12:1-)   Heb 5:11-NIV We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.   What is the difference between Milk and solid food? WHAT IS THE BENEFIT of solid food over an all milk diet? There is a healthy transition from milk to meat   1 Cor 3:1 NIV Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? AMP: 1 HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], 3 For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?   Titus 2 calls out the aged to be mature example setters, a pattern to live by and teachers of beautiful/good things   Maturity: Maturity can be defined as the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. This includes the ability to control emotions, act responsibly, and consider the well-being of oneself and others. The ability to make well informed decisions.   We can measure our spiritual maturity in different areas of our lives by our response. Where do I need to grow up?