During this week's devotions, I will be sharing with you the Five Phases of Spiritual Growth as described in Jim Putman's
Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual. This book has been foundational for our home church, Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, TX. I am currently leading my third group through this manual on how to obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ in
Matthew 28:19-20 to go and make disciples.
Putman says there are three key principles at play when true discipleship takes place: 1. an intentional leader, 2. a genuine relationship, and 3. a reproducible process. God has blessed us and given us favor as a church as we have sought to multiply this ministry of disciple-making throughout our church. Many have been discipled, and we are now seeing those who have been discipled helping others grow in their walk with God. When a church sees disciples making disciples, it is truly a wonderful thing!
The Devil tolerates so much of what we do in churches today. I will go a step further that the Devil actually inspires a lot of what happens in churches today. For example, who do you think tempts church members to gossip, complain, judge, and become highly offendable? Does that sound like the work of the Holy Spirit or the unholy Devil himself? But there are a few things Satan truly despises and will assemble the forces of Hell to fight hard against. He hates it when a local church focuses on prayer, the Word of God, and making disciples.
In order for someone to grow in the Lord, he or she must first come to know Him. Jesus called this being born again. When He witnessed to Nicodemus in
John 3, He explained to this religious leader that unless he was born a second time, he would not go to heaven. Nicodemus was perplexed by Jesus' statement. Later, Jesus removed all questions in this man's mind about what it means to be born again. The most popular verse in the Bible was spoken within the context of Jesus evangelizing this devoutly religious leader.
John 3:16 says,
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
In order for one to move from being spiritually dead (
Ephesians 2:1) to life, one has to respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction in simple belief and repentance. When this happens, a person is born again, the Holy Spirit comes in and makes all things new. The Bible refers to this experience of new birth with terms like salvation, justification, regeneration, made alive, and saved.
Have you been born again? If not, today is a wonderful day to receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Call out to Him in faith and ask Him to save you. Do it now. If we can help you, please reach out and let us know here at DFEA.
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