GROWING SPIRITUALLY
Lesson 13: Are You Growing?
Last Week: Developing Self-control
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Many of our problems are caused by a lack of self-control.
The result may be that you feel: overwhelmed; defenseless;
vulnerable; scared or uncertain.
Self-control is essential to leading effective and productive
lives.
In order to develop self control, try the following:
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Identify your problem and admit to it.
Put your past behind you.
Challenge your feelings.
Believe you can change.
Avoid temptation.
Trust in God’s power.
Growing Spiritually Lesson 13 - Are You Growing?
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This Week: Are You Growing?
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This week’s lesson is a “conclusion” to our study on
Growing Spiritually.
It contains something old and something new.
Most important for each of us, is the answer to the
question:
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Are you growing spiritually?
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Are you Productive?
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These days we are very conditioned to be productive.
We work hard to become more productive.
Too often though, we are working to be productive at the
wrong things.
Suppose you received your own personal “productivity report”
every day, week, month, quarter, year…How would you
measure up?
What is God’s definition of a productive life?
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A Fruitful Christian
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The word “fruit” occurs 56-67 times in the New Testament
(depending on which version used).
The use of the word “fruit” varies from meaning food to
spiritual fruit.
We embarked on a study about Growing Spiritually, and
learned that in part, growing means bearing fruit (fruit of the
Spirit).
God wants to see this kind of fruit in our lives.
This is His definition of a productive life.
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God uses 3 tools to cause us to grow:
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His Word (2 Tim 3:16-17)
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His Spirit
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Through scripture, God teaches us how to live
If you are going to grow spiritually, you have got to get into the Bible
(Rom 10:17)
When we become a Christian, God gives us His Spirit as a free gift (Acts
2:38-39)
His Spirit lives in us and will become as much a part of your life as you
allow
The circumstances of our life
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Circumstances happen; our lives are filled with events
Some are good, some are not so good, and some are very hard
God allows these circumstances to occur in our lives
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John 15
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vs 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much
fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV
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The proof that you are His disciple is that you bear fruit.
vs 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will
last. NIV
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God wants us to bear fruit, much fruit.
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Cultivate Roots
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Jer 17:7-8 – 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by
the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not
fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no
worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” NIV
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If we want to be fruitful, we need to cultivate roots.
One reason we need roots: to make it through tough times (a drought).
How do you handle the “dry spells” in life?
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Col 2:6-7 – 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to
live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. NIV
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The righteous cannot be uprooted
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Prov 12:3 – A man cannot be established through
wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
NIV
Righteous people can stand the heat of a drought because
they have “roots”.
 In a drought, resources become limited and sometimes in life
you have to do without things on which you normally
depend.
 How do you cultivate roots?
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How do you cultivate roots?
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Ps 1:2-3 – 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is
like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields
its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. NIV
Roots are developed by reading and meditating on God’s
Word.
 It is if we are a tree planted by a stream of water that
never runs dry.
 As a consequence, you are able to bear fruit and never
wither.
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Luke 8:11-15
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11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12
Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil
comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they
should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are
those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and
these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of
temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns
are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked
with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to
maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are
those who, having heard the word with a noble and good
heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. NKJV
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Eliminate the weeds
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If you want to bear fruit, cultivate roots and eliminate the
weeds.
What are the weeds in your life?
Busyness?
Jesus mentions 3 in Luke 8:14:
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“Cares” (worries) are a preoccupation with everyday concerns.
“Riches” (materialism) refers to the fixation on making money to buy
more things.
“Pleasures” (entertainment) are the things apart from God that we
pursue to bring joy in our lives.
These things distract you from Christ.
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They take our time, energy, money and ultimately they can interfere with
us producing fruit.
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Cooperate with God
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John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every
branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even
more fruitful. NIV
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We will get “whacked” on whether we produce fruit or not.
Do not be confused by this and cooperate with God.
He “cuts off” the branches that bear no fruit.
He “prunes” the branches that do bear fruit so that they will bear more
fruit.
We are to cooperate with God as He tends his garden.
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2 Peter 1:10-13
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10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make
your calling and election sure. For if you do these things,
you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome
into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. 12 So I will always remind you of these things,
even though you know them and are firmly established in
the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your
memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, NIV
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Do these things
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What are the “things” Peter is referring to?
These are the qualities listed in vs 5-7. (fruit of the Spirit)
 If we do them, we will never fall. (vs 10)
 If we do them, we will receive a rich welcome into Heaven.
(vs 11)
 We are to be reminded of them continuously, even if we
already do them. (vs 12)
 It is “right” to remind each other of them (vs 13)
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Summary:
I am the vine;
you are the
branches. If
a man
remains in
me and I in
him, he will
bear much
fruit; apart
from me you
can do
nothing.
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If you are growing, then you should be
producing spiritual fruit.
In order to sustain our growth:
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Cultivate roots
Eliminate the weeds
Cooperate with God
Remember that we are to remind one another
about these “things” (Spiritual fruit).
If we have these qualities:
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We will never fall.
We will receive a rich welcome in Heaven.
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Memory verse: Luke 8:15
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who,
having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep
it and bear fruit with patience.