Page 12 - Principles for Discipling Others-Student textbook

Study Section 3: Growing up and maturing in the spiritual life

1.1 Connect.

Have you ever seen a 10-year-old baby? Can you imagine meeting with someone who is
carrying their 10-year-old baby and nursing him? No! Babies grow up. They don’t stay little
for long as you might know. It is natural for a baby to grow and change and eventually
become a young man or woman. The same applies to new Christian babies --- the person
who has recently received Christ as Savior. He needs to grow up just as a baby does.

A baby needs food, rest, air, exercise, and shelter to grow properly. Without any of these key needs
being met, he will not grow properly. Just as a baby needs these essential things as a part of growing, so
also does a new-born Christian. God wants a new babe in Christ to grow and mature in his faith. Today
we are going to examine what are the necessary ingredients for a new believer to grow up in Christ.

1.2 Objectives:

1. We will learn the essential ingredients for a Christian to grow up in Christ spiritually.

2. We will look at Jesus and Paul as the best examples of how to disciple others in Christ.

3. We will review the seven marks of what it takes to be an effective disciple of Christ.

1.3 Growing up and maturing in the spiritual life

Upon receiving Christ as Personal Savior, the boy, the girl, the man, the woman, each one
becomes a child of God – a newborn spiritual baby in Christ. When a person receives Christ
as Savior, he/she becomes a spiritual baby in Christ….and needs to grow up in Christ. That
person needs the right SPIRITUAL food, water, air, rest, exercise, and shelter. “As newborn
babes, DESIRE the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby.” (I Pet 2:2)

Spiritual Food and Water relate to The Word of God
Spiritual Air relates to Prayer
Spiritual Rest relates to Obedience and Fellowship with other Christians
Spiritual Exercise relates to Witnessing
Spiritual Shelter relates to the Holy Spirit

Here is a chart that compares Physical Growth to Spiritual Growth:

PHYSICAL GROWTH SPIRITUAL GROWTH
1. Food…….at least once a day, but it is 1. The Word…needed once a day if possible.
possible to go about 40 days w/o food… The longer w/o it, the weaker we become.
I Pet. 2:2 and Mt. 4:4
2. Air…at least once every minute …Always! 2. Prayer…Spiritual air “Pray w/o ceasing”
I Thess. 5:17 and Rom 12:12
3. Rest…Can’t go more than about 2 days 3. Obedience…Spiritual Rest
w/o rest. Ps.119:165 and John 14

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