1. TIME TO GROW UP Growth is a natural expectation. Every living thing is expected to grow. When it does not grow it is seen as abnormal. Babies / Trees / Animals etc The expected growth is usually the physical elements (Body). However as man is a tripartite being his growth should cover the body, soul and spirit.

2. TIME TO GROW UP Age is usually used to measure the development of a person. But from my personal observation the age we state on paper is the amount of time one has spent outside the womb. It does not reflect ones spiritual age, emotional age and intellectual age. Different people can be on different age levels. Your physical age cannot be controlled but your spiritual, emotional and intellectual ages can be influenced. It is time grow up! It is time to graduate and make a transition into matured life and attitudes. How many are in 2011?

3. TIME TO GROW UP 1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

4. Spiritual Growth develops in Three Stages. A. Little Children · (1 John 2:12) I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. …I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. B. Young Men · (1 John 2:13) I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one … I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. C. Fathers · (1 John 2:14 KJV) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. … I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.

5. CHILDISH SIGNS Heb 5:11-14 1111Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.12 1313For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 1414But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

6. CHILDISH SIGNS III. The writer is being very blunt with the Hebrew converts to Christianity! He calls them on their desire to remain “spiritual babies.” 1. “slow to learn” or as the KJ version puts it “dull of hearing” 2. by now they should be teachers but they still need someone to teach them. 3. Inability to digest Spiritual Food (1 Cor 3:1-3) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: … 4. Unexercised senses (Heb 5:14) 5.

7. ACHIEVING MATURITY 1.STUDY: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 puts it this way… Trained Followers Distinguish Good from Evil 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 It’s all connected. Teaching is when we show someone what they need to do. Rebuking happens when you show them what they shouldn’t do. Correcting happens when you show them how to fix that they have failed in and Training is all about the practice… practice… practice… of learning and suffering through obedience to the righteousness of God.

8. ACHIEVING MATURITY 2. Breathing = Prayer (1 Thess 5:17) · (1 Th 5:17 KJV) Pray without ceasing. 3.Another sign that you are now matured is that you no more play with your toys Toys, as small copies of larger objects An object children play with Something of little value (Do you know the value of your body?) Something that produces amusement (Church, prayer etc) When you find yourself still engaged with toys it means you are still far from the real thing.