2 Peter 1:3-11
Growing in the Knowledge of God
"As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
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Spiritual Growth
According to Wikipedia . . . "Spiritual Growth is the growth and development of the whole person by an intentional focus on one's spiritual and interior life, interactions with others in ordinary life, and the spiritual practices of prayer, the study of scripture, fasting, simplicity, solitude, confession, worship, etc."
The pure teaching of the Word of God ... the written Word, the Bible, and the living Word, Jesus Christ, offer the only true way to resist false teaching and grow spiritually.
On the following pages . . . Sunday School, Adult Classes, Pastor's Class, Bible Study, and Short-Term Classes . . . you'll find spiritual growth opportunities within our church. For more information about any of these, email the church office.
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After attending Charterhouse school in London, John Wesley went on to Christ Church, Oxford, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1724 and a masters degree three years later.
He became a fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford in 1726, where he helped establish the Holy Club, dubbed 'Methodist' due to their prescribed method of studying the Bible. Wesley's Holy Club asked themselves 22 questions each day during their private devotions:
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- Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better person than I really am?
- Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
- Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence?
- Can I be trusted?
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habit?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Do I give time to speak to me every day?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
- Do I disobey God in anything?
- Do I insist on doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
- Am I defeated in any part of my life?
- Am I jealous, impure, irritable, or touchy?
- How do I spend my spare time?
- Am I proud?
- Do I thank God I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
- Is there anyone I fear, dislike, criticize, or resent? If so, what am I doing about it?
- Do I grumble and complain constantly?
- Is Christ real in me?
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