how do we grow?
As followers of Jesus, our goal isn’t just niceness – our goal is Christlikeness. For Jesus to increase in our lives though, it requires more than just trying to be a good person, we must make room for him to increase and for us to decrease. This goes beyond looking at our flaws and requires that we fix our eyes on Jesus. To spend time with Him daily. To prioritize him. To consider what He is like, and to do the things that He did, so that our affections for Him grow.
Practices that help us look to Jesus more like solitude, or scripture reading, or prayer, don’t cause Jesus to love us more – but they do help us love Him more. These practices have been observed by Christians for thousands of years, and we want to help you in your journey of growing in Christlikeness. If you’re new to practicing the ways of Jesus, we’ve put together some resources below that may help you become more like Him, to do what he did, and most importantly, to be with with Him.
Practices that help us look to Jesus more like solitude, or scripture reading, or prayer, don’t cause Jesus to love us more – but they do help us love Him more. These practices have been observed by Christians for thousands of years, and we want to help you in your journey of growing in Christlikeness. If you’re new to practicing the ways of Jesus, we’ve put together some resources below that may help you become more like Him, to do what he did, and most importantly, to be with with Him.
PRAYER
If you struggle to pray, you’re not alone. Here are some things we want you to know and remember: We are made for prayer and relationship with God. The scriptures are filled with people who cry out to God through all seasons of life and who experience God as they pray (Psalm 28:6-7). We have an invitation to pray throughout each day and in all circumstances.
SOLITUDE
Remember, the goal of solitude is not just to be alone or to be still. Rather, the goal is to quiet our souls so that they can encounter God and be refreshed and fed by Him. This can be at the beginning of the day, or at lunch. The goal though is to make time to get away from all that life demands of you so that you can be still before the Lord.
FASTING
Fasting can be a wonderful gift to the believer, but it can be hard to know where to start. Jesus fasted in order to deny himself and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit; what an awesome invitation for us to follow! However, this was after, not before, the Father spoke from Heaven declaring his love for the Son.
BIBLE READING
Reading or hearing the Bible and applying it provides one of the most vital parts of a Christian’s growth in following Jesus. The Bible equips the believer to hear God’s voice, to know His Son, Jesus, and His plans for all of creation, and to follow His ways. Jesus read and quoted the Old Testament throughout his life. As followers of Jesus we want to follow in His ways and do as he did.
GENEROSITY
If you struggle to be generous, you’re not alone. Here are some things we want you to know and remember:
We give because God is so good. He’s generous to us, so we are firstly to be generous for his sake. We give because the mission is so big, and the sake of others.
We give because God is so good. He’s generous to us, so we are firstly to be generous for his sake. We give because the mission is so big, and the sake of others.
ASSESMENT
We have developed a Spiritual Health Assessment tool to help you evaluate how you’re doing with these spiritual practices. The aim of the assessment is to help you gain clarity on which practices are real strengths in your walk with God, and which you can focus on growing in.
HE MUST INCREASE
Watch a recent sermon from our “He Must Increase” Series devoted to considering how we might grow to be more like Jesus.