How To Grow As A Christian

Like any important relationship, our relationship with Christ involves time and effort on our part. MVPC’s purpose statement spells out five key areas in which we can be involved individually and corporately that will help us grow in Christian faith.

Worship

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

Worship is our response to God for all that He has done for us. Weekly we gather with other believers to remember what God has done for us, to anticipate what He will continue to do, and to celebrate God’s character. Empowered by God, we live the rest of our week glorifying God in all we do.

Why do we worship? Sometimes we worship because we can’t help ourselves. God created us as worshiping beings. Our recognition of God at work, our overwhelming gratitude, and our desire to know God more fully pour out. Other times we worship because our holy, worthy God requires it. The first commandment states: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Participating in worship reminds us that God comes first – not us, not our desires, not our money, nothing else comes before God.

How do we worship? In worship we seek God and spend time with Him. We listen to God and connect with Him. We praise God and enjoy our relationship with Him. Worship looks different depending on when and where you’re involved in worship, but it most commonly involves music, prayer, and time spent studying God’s Word. We can and should worship God all day every day, whether we’re working or playing, but the Bible places special emphasis on worship together: “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3). That’s why Sunday morning worship services are at the center of MVPC’s family life.

What happens when we worship? First and foremost, we meet God. And encountering God, we cannot help but be changed. Humbled, we confess our sins and receive forgiveness. Then, with less sin and self-focus crowding our hearts, God fills us up with His peace, His love, His power, transforming us (Romans 12:1-2) into the people He created us to be. With a renewed sense of who God is and how He wants His followers to act, we live differently, bearing “spiritual fruit” of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Colossians 3:17 reminds us that whatever we say and do can be an act of worship when we do it with our focus on God. Worship is truly a lifestyle of loving God.

Connecting

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

With jammed schedules, long commutes, and high pressures, life can be difficult. Our world has become fragmented and disconnected, which is not God’s intention. God created us to be in relationship with Himself (Genesis 1:27) and with others (John 15:11-13).

The New Testament word translated fellowship (koinonia) means “association, communion, close relationship” and also “sharing, generosity, and participation.” MVPC places a high priority on opportunities to connect as each member contributes their time, energy, talents, and resources to the church and one another. As we openly share our lives with others and invite others into our church family, God stretches us, encourages us, and grows our faith.

One great way to connect with others is by participating in a small group. Every small group is different, depending on the people involved, but generally small groups are designed to help you grow in faith through study, prayer, and mutual encouragement. If you’re already in a small group, you know how great they can be. If you’re not involved in a small group, we encourage you to get connected!

Learning

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14:21).

The Bible refers to Jesus as the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). If we are serious about knowing Christ we need to spend time praying and reading through God’s Word the Bible.

God has sent us a marvelous love letter: the Bible. Reading, studying, and contemplating God’s Word is critical for spiritual growth, encouragement and direction. Excellent resources can help us study the Bible – study Bibles, books, magazines, tapes, or websites – but no commentary or concordance will prove useful unless we actually read God’s Word. We might start at the beginning with Genesis, or with the poetry of Psalms, or with one of the Gospels. We might decide to read large amounts daily in order to read through the Bible in a year or join a Bible study group that will focus on one book over a longer period of time. One way to read the Bible is to read a short section each day, asking God to impress upon you a word, phrase or idea. Then ask God what that means about God, about you, or about others.

Prayer is a conversation with God. We communicate our deepest thoughts, express to Him our greatest desires, and we listen as He does the same. We can pray anytime, anyplace, though some times and places will be more conducive to prayer than others. We can pray out loud, silently, in a journal, in solitude or corporately, in a worship service or in nature, at work and at play.

One balanced method of prayer follows this pattern:

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9)

“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).

Serving

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

God sent Jesus into the world to do for us what we could not do for ourselves and to give us a radical example of how to serve one another. Jesus told His disciples, “...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45).

We serve God when we serve others (Matthew 25:37-40). God has blessed us so that we might be a blessing to others. In service we put our hands and feet where our hearts are. As we use our gifts of time, money, and talents to serve one another we do God’s work here on earth.

God created each one of us for a purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Have you ever wondered what good works God created you to perform? And everyone benefits as we go about doing God’s good work. God grows us spiritually, the church is built up (Ephesians 4:11-13), and God’s grace is shared on earth (1 Peter 4:10).

How do we serve? God created each of us unique, with a distinct SHAPE.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:4-5).

Heart: What are your passions and areas of interest?

Abilities: What abilities do you have that God can use?

Personal style: Your God-given personality will draw you to or direct you away from certain areas of ministry. You can take a very brief online personality profile here. Be sure to read your personality description including strengths and weaknesses.

Experiences: Think about experiences in each of these life areas: family, education, vocation, ministry, and painful experiences. How might God use these experiences to direct you to a ministry area?

Because God created us each unique there may be as many ways to serve Him as there are people. Take time to prayerfully reflect on your SHAPE and ask God where He wants you to serve.

Discipling

“...what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done” (Psalm 78:3-4).

As followers of Jesus we are His disciples. But if you think about your spiritual journey, there may be one or more people who stand out for having invested in your life of faith. They might be a Sunday school teacher, a co-worker, a friend, someone who inspired in you a greater desire to follow Jesus. You might say they are your mentor; or, in others words, you are their disciple.

So first we are disciples. Then we are disciple makers. We are each called to take on that role in the lives of others. Just before He ascended into heaven, “...Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20). In Greek the word “go” does not mean you need to travel to all nations before you can make disciples; it means while you are going about wherever it is you go, make disciples of the people you encounter along the way.

What is discipleship? Discipleship is about relationship. As you are intentionally present with others in the ups and downs of life, take time to notice God on the journey. This is not an instant coffee one-time occasion but rather hours of conversation over countless cups of coffee over time, sometimes years. Sometimes noticing God may be as simple as asking the question, “What do you think God wants you to learn in this situation?” Other times it may mean the two of you pouring over Scripture in prayer together for guidance in life. Either way, it is about being together before Christ.

You may wonder whether you are qualified to disciple others. Good news! You don’t have to be an expert. If you profess Jesus as your Savior you have something to share: your own experiences in life and faith. Paul wrote to his dear friend Timothy, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Discipleship is about inviting others to join you as you walk together in the fantastic journey of faith in Christ.

How can you get involved in discipleship? You could volunteer in Children’s or Student Ministries by teaching or assisting in Sunday school, mid-week gatherings, or special events. You could be a mentor for student confirmation. You could pray, asking God to show you a specific person with whom He wants you to develop an intentional relationship. Maybe God would have you find someone to disciple you first. Be open to the new ways God wants to grow your faith as a disciple and a disciple maker.