LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN CENTER:
#DAILY #DEVOTIONAL
THE WORD FOR TODAY!
FRIDAY, 13/10/2017

#TOPIC: GROWING UP UNTO SPIRITUAL MATURITY

#TEXT:
Ephesians 4:13 (LITV) until we all may come to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NET) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.

Hebrews 5:12 (NET) For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

John 9:21, 23 (NET)
21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to .. Ask him, he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself.”
23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ask him.”)

#MESSAGE:
Just as we want our children to grow and mature into adulthood, so our heavenly Father wants us to move beyond childish things and mature spiritually into adult disciples.

# Beloved, do you know that every parent in the world is always excited/delighted when they see their children growing and maturing? God is also blessed when He sees His children making the transition from babyhood into adulthood in a spiritual sense.
God wants us to move from the spiritual nursery to the spiritual battlefield. He wants us to leave the realm of milk, bibs and diapers and He wants us to enter the realm of meat, battles and devotion. Read these scriptures and be enlightened ( 1 Cot. 3:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:18; 1 John 2:12-14. ) God's plan for every one of His children is to see them all reach spiritual maturity! He just wants us to grow up!

# Beloved, are you growing up? Are you embracing the channels of growth your local assembly organises? You have been saved for over 5 to 10 years and yet you still remain a baby in spiritual matters. Be challenged this morning and expose yourself to Bible school teachings, materials such as tapes and that can aid your growth into spiritual maturity. And of course, stop skipping service.

# Dear friends, there's more than one way to grow up. And sometimes when we grow, we don't grow due to some deficiency. There is a malfunction in our growth. In fact, there are some people who grow normally, and then for some unexplained reason they just stop growing.

# When a baby stop growing in the womb ( they call it IUGR), it gives everyone concern. The mother is worried and the health givers too are troubled. And of course, they begin to find their way around it just to manage the situation. The truth is that at this point, the baby could lack adequate oxygen supply and not feeding well, which could also cause decrease of water in amino sack. Such baby could be born pre-term.

# Friends, when you refuse to grow in the things of the Lord, that is a problem, and it comes with consequence! Growth is a personal responsibility. Make up your mind to grow.
One of the channels to spiritual maturity is your "Quiet time", how consistent are you?
Grow up!

#PRAYER
Heavenly Father, please give me grace to grow as expected of me, and help me to access the right materials unto spiritual maturity in Jesus mighty name. Amen!