Living Hope Church
3 May Sunday
      • Bible Trivia
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  • Praise
  • This Is Amazing Grace
  • Firm Foundation (He Won't)
  • Open Up The Sky
  • Nothing Else
  • Nothing Else
  • Moving Forward
  • I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
  • Majesty
  • Majesty
  • *On Mission to Growing Christians*
    *Subtitle:* From Belonging to Becoming to Bringing Heaven Down
    *Big Idea:* Growing Christians take responsibility for their personal calling, grow stronger through the church, and are invited by God to go deeper—becoming people who carry God’s presence into the world. ---

    1. You are Responsible to Grow

    *“Faith Is Personal Before It Is Powerful”*
    *Key Texts:*
    1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NKJV
    1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
    *Core Truth:* Spiritual growth does not happen by accident—it requires *personal responsibility*.
    You might say:
    “You can’t grow on someone else’s devotion. Mature faith chooses obedience even when no one is watching.”
    *Examples That Break Through:*
    - A person who owns a Bible but never opens it vs. someone who feeds daily
    - A gym member who pays dues but never shows up vs. one who trains intentionally
    *Heart-Level Application:*
    - Growth isn’t about perfection—it’s about *participation*
    - Mature believers stop asking, “What can the church do for me?” and start asking, “What is God calling me to do for HIM?” ---

    2. This Church (the Body) Helps

    *“We Grow Best Together”*
    *Key Texts:*
    Hebrews 10:24–25 NKJV
    24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
    There is an urgency here!!!
    *Core Truth:* God never intended believers to mature alone.
    *Gym Illustration (Growth Focus):*
    In a healthy gym:
    - Equipment matters—but people matter more
    - Coaches correct form
    - Spotters prevent injury
    - Community fuels consistency
    You could say:
    “Isolation produces stagnation. Community produces strength.”
    *Church Parallel:*
    - Teaching aligns belief
    - Fellowship sustains faith
    - Service strengthens purpose
    - Accountability accelerates growth
    *Heart-Level Insight:*
    The church is not a crowd—it’s a *body*. And bodies only grow when every part engages. ---

    3. Growing Christians Must Grow Deeper

    *“We Don’t Just Go to Heaven—We Bring Heaven Here”*
    *Key Text:* - *Genesis 28:10–17*
    – Jacob’s Ladder > Angels ascending and descending—glory going up and coming down
    *Core Truth:* Mature believers don’t just receive from God—they *partner with God*.
    *Biblical Insight:*
    - Angels ascending = prayer, worship, obedience rising to God
    - Angels descending = God’s presence, power, and purpose released on earth
    You might say:
    “Jacob thought he was running from God—but God was building a bridge through him.”
    *Support Scriptures:*
    - *Acts 1:8* – Power to be witnesses
    Acts 1:8 NKJV
    8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
    Acts 2:42 NKJV
    42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
    *Modern Example:*
    A mature believer:
    - Brings peace into chaos
    - Brings truth into confusion
    - Brings hope into broken spaces
    **Because the presence of God through the Holy Spirit is in you and overflowing out of you.
    *Heart-Level Call:*
    “Growing Christians become places where heaven touches earth.”
    Reflection:
    “The mission doesn’t stop when we grow—it expands.
    Jesus meets the lost.
    Jesus grows the new.
    Jesus heals the hurting.
    And Jesus sends the mature.
    You were not saved just to sit—you were saved to serve.
    Not just to receive—but to release.
    Not just to go to heaven—but to bring His presence down.”
    --- ## Final Call to Action
    - Take responsibility for your spiritual growth
    - Commit fully to the life of the Body
    - Go deeper so God can work through you
    “Who will experience Jesus because you chose to grow?”

      • 1 Corinthians 3:1–3NIV2011

      • Hebrews 10:24–25NIV2011

      • Acts 1:8NIV2011

      • Acts 2:42NIV2011

Living Hope Church
pastor@livinghopecogop.org
325-500-4763
http://livinghopecogop.org
4 members