Christian Maturity

TODAY’S VERSE
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
God has a vested interest in our maturity. He has saved us from the penalty of our sins and has set us apart for His service. He in involved in our life, protecting, encouraging, teaching and guiding us. He has given us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare us for His service with the ultimate goal of becoming “mature, attaining the fullness of Christ”. But will we follow? Will we listen? Will we do what it takes to mature in Christ? In his book, “Living From The Heart Jesus Gave You”, Dr. James Wilder suggests that we have a role to play in our maturity in Christ. He writes, “Now the job of maturity is quite another matter. While God is certainly instrumental in guiding and blessing our maturation, it is our job, bestowed upon us way back in the garden, to mature. Maturity is not a spiritual gift nor is it a by-product of salvation. It is something we as Christians must work on our entire lives.” So what are you doing to mature in Christ? Are you feeding your soul on the word of God? Are you learning from teachers and preachers? Are you in fellowship with other Christians who hold you accountable for your growth in Christ? Are you spending time with God in prayer and meditation? Today, take some steps to mature in your spiritual life with Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me mature in You. Help me seek You more, know You more and love You more. Help me today, and everyday, to do something that will help me mature in You.
AMEN

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Power Through Weakness

TODAY’S VERSE
“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
II Corinthians 12:8-10 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We all have different skills and abilities. Some are natural, some are learned but many are honed through experiences. Good experiences and bad help us mature and add to our personal development. From our experiences we can reach out and help others. Paul was going through a bad experience and God told him that He would provide all the grace Paul would need. Paul could then testify to others how God’s grace was all he needed. Thornton Wilder, in “The Angel That Troubled the Waters” writes about a Physician who wanted to be healed but God did not heal him. Instead an Angel came and said this to the Doctor, “Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and women. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve.” Henri Nouwen expanded this concept in his book, “The Wounded Healer”.  He writes, “For a deep understanding of his own pain makes it possible for him to convert his weakness into strength and to offer his own experience as a source of healing to those who are often lost in the darkness of their own misunderstood sufferings.”  Christ wants to allow His power to be used through your weakness. Bring your weakness and troubles to Him today and begin helping others in the way Christ helps you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my struggles, my weaknesses and my human frailty. I come to You and ask for Your grace to give me all I need to be a wounded healer. Help me relate how Your grace has been sufficient for me. May your power be manifested in my weaknesses today.
AMEN

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Fellowship

TODAY’S VERSE
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Isolation can really get you down. It is easy to lose our focus and succumb to negative emotions when we try to live all by ourselves. Loneliness can eat away at us and undermine our spiritual growth. The good news is that we don’t have to be alone. We don’t have to isolate. We have everything we need in Christ and in the fellowship of other believers to live a fulfilling Spiritual life. Paul encourages us to let the scriptures dwell in us and penetrate deep into our heart and soul. Dwell is used to indicate something living in a residence. Christ indwells us, and through the Holy Spirit and His word, desires to have a deep relationship with us. This relationship can be as real as any relationship we have ever had. Paul also encourages us to fellowship with others in the faith, the kind of fellowship that cares through teaching and admonishing us. Fellowship that nurtures our faith through singing and worship. God established the church so we could have fellowship helping us to grow spiritually, rather than withering away by ourselves. Today make it a point to stop isolating yourself spiritually. Establish a deeper relationship with God. Reach out and find other believers that you can share and fellowship with. As you do, God will enrich your life.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father I desire to have a deeper relationship with You. I desire to enrich my life through fellowship with other Christians. Help me make this a priority in my life today. Please show me where to begin. In Jesus name.
AMEN

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Come

TODAY’S VERSE
“Come, follow me,’ Jesus said”
Matthew 4:19

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
Matthew 25:34

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
John 7:37

“Come, for everything is now ready.”
Luke 14:17

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Come is one of the most beautiful words in the Bible. It is an offer to participate in something. An invitation to move in a certain direction. It is only as good as the person requesting you to come and the object which you are moving toward. Today God offers so much for you to partake of. He offers you the ultimate relationship with Himself and all that goes with it. What is it your soul desires? Come. What is it that you find missing in your life? Come. Are you weary? Come and find rest. Are you poor in Spirit? Come, take your inheritance. Is your heart thirsty? Come. Do you desire peace, joy, forgiveness, strength, hope and love? Come. Today, hear the voice of the Lord. He is calling out to you. All you need to do is come.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my needs. You know my desires. You love me, and today I hear Your voice say, “Come”. So I come to You dear Lord with open arms and heart. I come to You in humility and anticipation to receive all that You have for me. In Jesus name.
AMEN

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Protect My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily.”
Hebrews 3:12-13

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy for our heart to wander. Temptation, disappointment, deferred hope, loss, heartache, lust, greed, anger, jealousy, Spiritual apathy and isolation are just some of the ways that our hearts can become sinful and unbelieving. We must do all we can in order not to be deceived and lose heart. Paul shares one way to stay close to God in verse one of this same passage. He writes, “Fix your thoughts on Jesus”. He says this in another way in his letter to the Philippians. He writes, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” The protection of our heart starts in our head. We need to fix our thoughts on Jesus and those things that build us up. Paul gives another way to protect our heart. He writes, “encourage one another daily.” Isolation can be a “kiss of death” to our heart. We get alone in our pity party and soon we find our self feeling hopeless, alone and unbelieving. Instead, we need to fellowship with others. Find a friend and share your thoughts. Let them encourage you, pray for you and help you with your burden. You can then do the same for someone else. Whatever else you do today, protect your heart!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for the times I allow my heart to become sinful and unbelieving. Help me to fix my thoughts on Jesus and those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Help me to seek the fellowship of others that can in turn help me and encourage me. Lord, restore my heart to You, I pray. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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