Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 2 Pet 3:14-18 Session 1 [Friday Evening] All-Church Retreat 2012 2

“GROWING IN GRACE” 2 Peter 3:18 Session 1 Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition Session 2 Growing in the Word: More than Wikipedia Information Session 3 Growing in Prayer: More than 911 Calls Session 4: Growing in Fellowship: More than Facebook Friendships

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 1. Life Stages of Growth   2. Major Obstacles to Growth 3. Pseudo Markers of Growth What “Brand Name Recognition” Is What External Boundary Markers Are

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 4. Helpful Indicators of Growth Am I becoming more spiritually “authentic”? Am I becoming more grace-giving, flexible and humble? Am I becoming more approachable? Am I generally energized in pursuing spiritual growth? Am I measuring my spiritual life in important ways? Am I developing an expanding heart for God and for people?

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 5. Basic Understanding of Grace God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense   God’s unmerited favor, goodness, kindness Mercy and Grace “Grace, we must learn, is opposed to earning, not to effort.” - Dallas Willard 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 5. Basic Understanding of Grace God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense   God’s unmerited favor, goodness, kindness Mercy” and “Grace “Grace, we must learn, is opposed to earning, not to effort.” - Dallas Willard Ephesians 2:8-10. Growing in the experience of God’s unmerited favor, growing in a deepening love relationship with Christ, growing in greater transformation, full maturity, growing to become more like Jesus.

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 5. Basic Understanding of Grace God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense   God’s unmerited favor, goodness, kindness Mercy and Grace “Grace, we must learn, is opposed to earning, not to effort.” - Dallas Willard Growing in the experience of God’s unmerited favor, growing in a deepening love relationship with Christ, growing in greater transformation, full maturity, growing to become more like Jesus. Hence, “Growing in grace” is growing in a deepening love relationship with God, becoming more like Jesus, and being increasingly transformed by the Spirit.

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 6. Growth Priority in Life 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. - Mark 12:28-34

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 6. Growth Priority in Life Love God Totally Love Others Fully

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 6. Growth Priority in Life Love God Totally Love Others Fully Growth Gleanings from 2 Pet 3:14-18 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 6. Growth Priority in Life Love God Totally Love Others Fully Growth Gleanings from 2 Pet 3:14-18 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition Growth Gleanings from 2 Pet 3:14-18 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Growing in Christ: More than Brand-Name Recognition 2 Pet 1:3-11 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE What has significantly helped or hindered your growth in grace? How and why? On a scale of 1-10, where are you on your growth journey, comparing yourself with yourself, and not with others? How content or discontent are you? Assuming that you may already know, what do you need to do to continue, improve, resume or begin your growth in grace?