The Ways Of God

God always gives us "choices" and often how we choose is directly related to where we are spiritually and how we understand God.  Think for a minute about trials and difficulties in your life.  When you are confronted with some difficulty you have to make a choice that usually boils down to answering this question: Will I respond "my way" or "God's way" to this situation?  Obviously, God wants us to respond His way.

It is God's heart that we really know Him and know His ways.  Even though Isaiah 55:9 tells us that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours,  it doesn't mean that God's ways and thoughts can't be known, because they can.  We just have to be aware of the mistakes and pitfalls.

Mistakes We Make

 When trying to discover the ways of God, there are several mistakes Christians make.

• We seldom focus on God's way. (We gravitate to the carnal and physical rather than the spiritual.)
• We follow our reasoning instead of listening to God.  (The problem with this is that our reasoning is often "flawed.")
• We act on impulse rather than asking what God would have us to do.
• We act in our own strength rather than God's strength. (The Lord told Paul that "my strength is made perfect in weakness."  In other words when we are weak, God is strong.)
• We fail to consider future consequences for our decisions. (This is the most dangerous of mistakes.  We must consider the outcomes of the decisions we make.  If they are based on God's ways then we know we will be successful.)

What Happens When You Do Things God's Way?

Wonderful things happen when we follow God's ways.  First you will experience God's power and blessings in your life.  This is a power that works in "unusual" ways and blessings that are beyond anything you could imagine.  Secondly, when you do things God's way you will quickly realize that God can accomplish more in a brief period of time than you could in a lifetime doing it your way.  Doing things God's way also helps you to develop intimacy with God to the point that you begin to live by His principles.  And finally, your life impacts everyone around you when you do things God's way. 

God Makes His Ways Known

Psalm 103:7 tells us the "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel."  God wants us to know His ways and also enjoy His acts!  Lets start today!

God bless you and I pray you will seek God's ways and find fulfillment in your life. Are you diligently seeking God's ways or are you content with going it on your own?

Listen to the Podcast of this message at www.bcchoctaw.org

The Virtue of Patience (Part 4)

Where Are You When It Comes To Patience?

It is spiritually incumbent upon the believer to express patience in their lives as a testimony to what God can do.  Remember, patience, is the "will to wait upon God without irritation, frustration, worry, anxiety, fear or anger."  Many people don't recognize the lack of patience in their life.  To help  you identify where you are on the patience scale, consider the following questions:

• How do you react to the lack of patience in yourself?

• What feelings do you experience when you're impatient?

• What negative consequences have you experienced when you were impatient?

• What thoughts block your ability to be patient?

• What thoughts would help you gain patience?

• What behavior do you need to change in order to be more patient?

• When presented with a problem, difficulty, or conflict, where do you rate on the patience scale of 1-10, with 10 being most impatience?

Considering these questions "honestly" will help you to see where you are in regards to patience, and what you can do to develop this fruit of patience in your life.

 How To Develop Patience

There are several steps you can take to develop this virtue of patience in your life.  

• Recognize "difficulties" as opportunities.  This requires are "mindset" change and it often comes over time.  It's a situation where you recognize the problems that generally upset you and you make a "conscious" decision to view them as opportunities for growth.

• Accept that you have personal responsibility but also that you are human and can make mistakes.  Don't expect perfection, but do expect growth and change in the area of patience.  When you do make a mistake, then be willing to forgive yourself.

• Remember patience is a "Fruit of the Spirit."  God will develop it in your life as you experience and go through trials and tribulations.

• Remember, faith and patience are intermingled.  James 1:2-4

Patience In Conflict

The times that it is the most difficult to express patience is usually during the times of conflict.  There are eight steps you can follow that will help you be patient when conflict arises:

1. Pray
2. Control your thoughts
3. Control your emotions
4. Refrain from forcing your opinion
5. Listen without reacting
6. Forgive
7. Express encouraging words
8. Have a positive attitude

Patience is necessary in many areas of our life.  It is a virtue that, when demonstrated, can have a great impact on the lives of those who see it.  What are you doing to be more patient with those in your circle of influence?  What are you doing to be more patient with those "outside" your circle who you barely know?  Your patience can make all the difference in the world.

The Virtue of Patience (Part 3)

Everyone struggles with expressing patience on some level and with certain situations.  For many it's just easier to express their impatience with the person or circumstance than it is to have patience and wait.

The patience God desires for His followers to have is one with a "willingness to wait upon Him in difficult circumstance."  Unfortunately, too many exercise "impatience" which is the "inability to tolerate delay."

In this update, I just want to recap a few of the "characteristics" of impatience, and what motivates it.

Impatience Says:

• I don't trust God and my timing is better than His.
• I'll use my resources instead of waiting for God's.
• I know what is important better than God.
• I want my way more than I want God's will.
• I'm more concerned about my feelings than my future.
• Life revolves around my desires, wants, and needs.

What Motivates Impatience
Impatience can be motivated by many different feelings and emotions.  Feelings such as doubt, anger, fear, selfishness, and even rebellion all cause us to be impatient.  If you aren't careful, these emotions will drive your desire to want things to happen on your schedule and timing rather than God's.

Spiritual Obligation
We have a spiritual obligation to express patience.  The scriptures admonish us to "be like Christ."  And Christ was always willing to wait for the Father's timing.  How about you?

The Virtue of Patience (Part 2)

In this post I wanted to share a few of the attributes of patience and why patience is so important in the life of the believer.

Attributes of Patience

An attribute is something that is an "inherent characteristic."  Patience has many characteristics that are inherent to it.  Characteristics such as:

• Faith
• Wisdom
• Love
• Strength
• Determination
• Calmness
• Understanding
• Forgiveness
• Persuasiveness

All of these character qualities are a part of patience in the believer.  But more than just knowing these qualities it is vital we understand why patience is so important.

Patience is essential to a life of obedience and it is a vital element in every good relationship.  Whether that relationship is with a family member, friend, or with God, we must show patience.

Patience is also necessary for persevering in prayer.  Too often with our prayers we expect the answer immediately when God has something different in mind.  We have to learn patience and allow for God's timing and that in turn allows us to see God at work.

Patience is a major key to your success in life and it is essential to peace, joy and contentment.  Allow God to work the fruit of patience in your life today.

The Virtue Of Patience (Part 1)

Patience is one of those qualities that does not come naturally for most people.  When it comes to exercising patience, many are like the individuals in a popular TV commercial for a company that negotiates structured settlements where the people shout "It's my money and I want it now!"  Most of us want things "NOW!"

However God's plan for patience in our lives is much different.  Patience is "the will to wait on God without irritation, frustration, worry, anxiety, fear or anger."  God's plan is always the better plan.

When God is working in your life, it's vital that you allow Him to work at his timing.  Remember, "the greater the blessing God has in store, the greater patience He requires."

What Patience Is Not

• It is not a natural trait.   Waiting goes against most peoples natural inclinations.
• It is not a "gift"; it is a fruit of the Spirit.
• It is not a weakness.  Actually patience demonstrates great strength on the part of an individual.
• It is not avoiding adversity.  A person with patience will face adversity head on.
• It is not false hope.  In other words patience isn't a quality where we just hope things will turn out in our favor.
• It is not instability.  People who exercise patience should not be viewed as "passive."  Actually they are being proactive in dealing with problems. 

 

In my next post I will cover some of the attributes of patience and why it is so important in the believers life.

Pastor Temple

The Power Of The Anointing

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)

The anointing that John is speaking of is an anointing that will bring life to your ministry!  It is the empowerment to do the work of the ministry, it's not just something so you can feel good.  There is always a purpose behind this anointing.

The Purpose Of The Anointing

1. The Anointing Has An Assignment -- It is present in your life to enable you to minister hope and healing. (Luke 4:18)
2. The Anointing Has An Authority -- People who walk in the anointing have an authority that is supernatural.  The anointing has the ability to transform.
3. The Anointing Is For A Demonstration Of Greater Works -- Praying in the Spirit and meditating on the Word of God are the two strongest ways to nurture the anointing in your life.
4. The Anointing Is Given To Demonstrate Good In Your Life --  Unfortunately, there are too many selfish Christians that want to do their own thing rather than doing good for others.  God puts His anointing in you so you can help others and bring healing to hurting people.
5. The Anointing Works With The Word -- The Word of God nurtures the anointing.  Whenever you declare the Word of God, the anointing is there to perform it.
6. The Anointing Is Available To Every Believer -- The exciting thing about the anointing is that you received it the moment you accepted Jesus as your Savior.  The anointing is in you to live boldly for the Lord, to endure trials in joy, to heal the sick, and set the captives free!

It's For You

Never think the anointing of God is reserved for only a select few.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  God has given you the anointing to use to help others.  What actions are you taking to allow God's anointing to flow from you to benefit other people?

Be sure to share this blog with your friends and family.  God bless you and your family this Thanksgiving and remember to always be grateful for all that God has done.

Blessings,

Pastor Temple

Living In The Time Of Jubilee

In the Old Testament, in Exodus 25, God instituted the "Year of Jubilee."  This "Jubilee" was a celebration that happened every fiftieth year and it was a year where "liberty" was "proclaimed throughout the land to all its inhabitants."  This year of Jubilee signified a time when every man who had worked as a servant to payoff a debt, was to be set free and their debt forgiven and they were to be allowed to return to their home. 

In Luke 4:18-19, when Jesus was speaking in the synagogue, He stood up and read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and He spoke these words:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

"The acceptable year of the Lord" that Jesus spoke of typified the year of Jubilee when liberty was proclaimed to all the people on the day of atonement.  When the atonement of Christ is fully embraced, the sick, sinful, helpless, and needy are restored.  When Jesus was crucified it was the year when everyone was made free and we are now living in a time of Jubilee.  The exciting aspect of this reality is that the day of Jubilee became a person not just a time of year.  Our Jubilee has come.  His name is Jesus.

Sound Your Trumpet of Freedom and Victory

In the Old Testament, the beginning of the year of Jubilee was signified by the sounding of a trumpet.  It is time for us to sound our trumpet of liberty and freedom.  There are four freedoms that Jesus has brought to His people.

1. Freedom from Slavery to Satan and Sin:  Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you:  for ye are not under the law; but under grace.
2. Freedom from Sickness and Disease:  Galatians 3:13 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
3. Freedom from Debt to Satan and to the World's System:  Colossians 2:13-14 - And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
4. Freedom from Fear:  2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Jesus came into our sorrow to lead us into Jubilee.  We have become God's property, bought and paid for, no longer belonging to the kingdom of satan.  Today is your day of Jubilee.  Are you ready to receive the freedom God has for you?

River of Life (Part 2)

In the natural sense there is nothing more refreshing than a cold spring of running water on a hot summer day. This is true not just in the natural but also in the spiritual sense.  Salvation represents a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  Just as our physical body desires and thirsts for natural water, so too does our spirit desire and thirst for the spring of spiritual rivers that flow in our life.

Jesus desires to flow in every aspect of your life; every situation in your life; every circumstance in your life.  The rivers of life can enrich everything you do.  It is up to you to yield as much as you desire to the flowing of the rivers.  You can allow the rivers to flow ankle deep, waist deep, or let them become swimming waters.

As a Christian there should be five rivers flowing out of your spiritual life.

Five Spiritual Rivers That Flow

• Rivers of Revelation (John 16:13) You have the Holy Spirit in you and this allows you to flow in the revelation of God.
• Rivers of Power (Acts 1:8) This river of power enables you to do things that within yourself you could never do.  It is a river to defeat the enemy and to be a witness and testimony to the world about God's great power.
• Rivers of Healing (Acts 19:11-12) When Jesus was in this world He healed the broken hearted, preached deliverance to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and set at liberty those that were bruised.  Jesus has now gone to heaven and has left this job up to us.
• Rivers of Miracles - God is a miracle working God and He wants miracles to flow through us.  When Jesus died, miracles didn't stop.  They continued through His believers.  With man a lot of things may seem impossible but with God all things are possible.  (Matthew 19:26)
• Rivers of Compassion (Mark 6:34) Everything Jesus did, He did out of a heart of compassion for people.  If there is one river that you need flowing out of your life, it is this river of compassion.  It is a compassion for the entire world, as well as other Christians.

My challenge to you is to allow God's rivers of revelation, power, healing, miracles and compassion to flow out of your life and into the lives of others.

Rivers of Life - Part 1

In Scripture, salvation is beautifully pictured as a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4:7-14 he made it very clear to her that the water in the natural well that her ancestors had dug would just temporarily satisfy a person's thirst after they drank it.  But anyone who drinks of the water Jesus could give them would never thirst again (v. 14).  The "water" Jesus had to offer would become in the person who drank it, a "spring of water, welling up to eternal life."

There is a well of water bubbling up, flowing up, and springing up on the inside of you and you need to let it flow. You need to let it saturate your life.  This well is available for you to drink whenever you need it.  You can drink in the desert; you can drink in the valley; or you can drink on the mountain top.  You can drink in the great times of life, and you can drink in the tough times of life.  It's always there to satisfy!  This well will produce several benefits in your life.

1.  It Will Produce the Agape Love of God

There is a well of love on the inside of you that desires to spring up and change you.  It wants to change the way you feel about people.  It wants to change the way you act toward people.  It is a well that is greater than hatred, greater than strife and greater than unforgiveness.  When Jesus spoke of this well to the Samaritan woman in John 4, it completely changed her life and it can completely change yours.

2.  It Will Produce the Joy of God

Nehemiah 8:10 says ".... for the joy of the Lord is your strength."  This joy is produced from the well of water that flows inside of you even in the most difficult circumstances.  It will bubble up on the inside of you to give you strength. 

3.  It Produces the Wisdom of God

Even in the most trying times, you can draw from the well of living waters on the inside of you that produces the wisdom of God.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him - James 1:5.

4.  It Produces the Resurrection Power of God

 If you are a Christian, there is a well of resurrection power inside of you.  The key is to not trust in yourself, but to trust in God.  Because "if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11.

Jesus desires to flow into every aspect of your life; every situation in your life; every circumstance in your life. That well of "life" can enrich everything you do.  If you are saved you have this well inside you!  If you aren't, you can have it today!  God desires to flow His life into and out of your life!
How are you allowing God's River of Life to flow out of you?

Unity

Helen Keller once said: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."  This statement is true simply because of the power of unity.  Unity means to be in agreement and harmony.  It means to have a oneness of purpose, sentiment, spirit, and attitude.  Unity speaks of a covenant relationship.  When the Body of Christ is united, there is nothing we can't accomplish for the Lord.

Psalm 133:1-3 is a beautiful picture of the unity.  "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."  Unity will bring the blessings of the Lord!

The Power of Unity

Where there is unity in the Body of Christ, there is a natural flow of God's anointing and power.  And this anointing will flow during praise, worship, prayer, and the hearing of the Word of God.  Where there is unity, it commands God's blessings and nothing can stop it!

The Benefits of Unity

• It relieves stress in your life
• It rids you of spending energy, time, and thoughts on needless thought patterns
• It allows God to open your eyes and show you the possibilities as a Christian and a church
• It helps you to be at peace with yourself, others and God

Unity is not an option.  It is commanded by God.  It doesn't mean everyone thinks exactly alike, but it does mean we stay connected, love each other with the love of Christ, and become a people of trust and integrity.
Spiritual Unity Requires:

• Love for one another (John 15:12)
• Humility (Proverbs 13:10)
• Forbearance (Colossians 3:13)

What will you do this week to "endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?"  Unity in the Body of Christ is one of the keys for us to grow spiritually and accomplish all that God wants us to accomplish!

The Four Views Of Man

Too often we are guilty of evaluating ourselves based on what other people think.  Although there may be value in listening to what others who are close to us have to say, we have to be careful that we don't fall into the trap of allowing other people's opinions to control our life.  Ultimately, it only matters what God sees in you and what He says about you.  In this post I want to share the four views of man.

1.  How Man Sees You

Let's face it, typically how people view you is based almost solely on the "outside."  They see how you look physically, they see all the negatives and judge you by what you do right and wrong.  Man doesn't know your heart like God does and as a result he judges you by only what is visible.

2.  How You Think Man Sees You

It's unfortunate, but often times, our perception can be so wrong.  What you think concerning how man sees  you is not always correct.

3.  How You See Yourself

We often see ourselves by what is happening in our life at the time.  And as a result we see ourselves as never measuring up to what we think we should be.  We see ourselves as a failure based on what others say and we think God doesn't love us because of the mistakes we make.  We also find it hard to forgive ourselves even though God and other have forgiven us.

4.  How God Sees You

How God views you is often completely different than your view of yourself. God says you are forgiven (Colossians 2:13). He declares you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He looks at you as one of His children who is blessed and is an overcomer (Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:3; John 16:33; 1 John 5:4-5; 4:4). God says you are "reigning" in this life (Romans 5:17) and that you have authority (Luke 10:19). It's time to begin looking at yourself like God does. It will change your life!

Notice that the first three are man's view and the last one is God's.  Start listening to what God has to say about you!

Who God Created You To Be (Part 2)

God had you on His blueprints long before you were born and you were and always will be a part of His eternal design and plan.  And because of that, God sees in you qualities that others may ignore and He has a special plan for your life and significant things for you to accomplish.  For you to be everything God created you to be, you must start seeing yourself as God sees you and not as others do.  The first step is to:

1.  Dare To Believe In Who God Created You To Be

Human potential without a godly purpose will only produce self-destruction.  It's important to ask yourself the question: What am I doing with my life?  God has a purpose for why He created you, and it becomes your responsibility to develop who you are to be and what you are to do.

2.  Hindrances To Discovering And Fulfilling The Will Of God

Be aware of the many hindrances you will encounter as you try to discover and fulfill God's will for your life.  Some of these include:

• Your self will
• The influence of others
• Ignorance of God's principles
• Doubt and Fear
• Feelings of unworthiness
•  Busyness
• Willful sin in your life

3.  You Came Into The World With An Assignment To Fulfill

Romans 8:28 informs us that we are all "called according to His purpose."  And God is constantly working in your life to do His good pleasure.  Don't allow satan to steal what God is trying to do.

4.  You Must Give Your Ability Responsibility

It's unfortunate, but the cemeteries are full of great men and women who never reached their full potential or achieved everything God had for them.  Your potential will lie dormant until it is given responsibility.  God wants you to live effectively and He has put the seeds of success inside you and He wants you to let them grow and develop. 

5.  How To Fulfill God's Plan For You

There are four ways to help you fulfill God's plan for your life:

• Know you are linked up with God.  He is your source. 1 Corinthians 6:17
• Know you are valuable to God. John 3:16
• Know you were born for greatness.  Philippians 1:6
• Know God needs you. Ephesians 2:10

Don't allow the enemy to  discourage you.  Be ready to allow God to fulfill in you everything He created you to be.  All it takes is for you to stay connected with the source!

Who God Created You To Be

Many people struggle with trying to identify their purpose in life.  Whether they are Christians or not, people wrestle with the question “Why am I here and what am I suppose to do?  One of the reasons people have difficulty with these questions, is because they don’t know the Source of who created them.

A person who doesn’t have a relationship with God will have a limited understanding and a limited capability of attaining what God created them to be.  God isn’t trying to make you into something, He is trying to expose the real you He already sees and made.  Humans were born to expose God’s nature.  And the first step in living out God’s plan for your life is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord.

There are three principles that are vital to understanding who God create you to be.

1.  Know the source of who you are to be

Everything comes from God and everything belongs to God.  “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (1 Corinthians 10:26; John 1:1-4); that includes you!  You belong to God, because you were created by God.  Who you are is related to where you came from.  When God looks at you He sees the finished product.  He sees things in you that others may ignore.  Stop believing what others say about you and start believing what God says.  God says you were made in His image (Genesis 1:26).  God says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).  Your potential is limited only by God, and not others.

2.  Understand the seed principle

When you look at a seed, it is not all it could become.  The seed in and of itself is just a seed.  But within the seed there is great potential.  Take an acorn for example.  By itself it is just one seed and one tree.  But there is potential in that one seed to create a forest!  God created everything, including you with great potential.  Don’t limit God’s potential in your life.  Allow God to accomplish in you everything He wants to accomplish.

3.  Don’t settle for past accomplishments

Think about some of the great men of the Bible.  What if men like Moses, Abraham, or Paul had settled for and were content with only what they had accomplished in the past?  If Moses had given up after fleeing Egypt, he never would have encountered God in the burning bush.  If Paul had settled for just being a “Pharisee of the Pharisees” he never would have met Jesus on the Damascus road and written over half of the New Testament.

People who stop without achieving their full potential rob their generation.  God doesn’t want us to be unhappy with just what we have accomplished up to a certain time in our life, He wants us to know there is much more to accomplish.

Four Keys to becoming who God created you to be

• Know your Source, and your Source is God.
• Understand how God designed you to function.  You are to function in faith and in love.
• Know your purpose.  Purpose gives birth to responsibility and responsibility makes demands on who you are  becoming.
• Guard who you know you were created to be.  Satan is out to destroy so you must be on guard against his devices.

Never give up on who God created you to be.  There is great potential in your life to be a “world changer.”  God has done His part and now it’s up to you.  Are you ready to be who God created you to be?  If so, start today!  Your life will never be the same again!

The Dynamics Of Spiritual Growth

The Christian life is one of transformation.  It is not a static life of standing still and doing nothing.  It is a life of constant change.  Many Christians fail to respond to spiritual growth for two primary reasons:  (1) They lack the motivation, (2) they don’t know how.  Our motivation for spiritual growth and knowing “how it happens” has everything to do with our “relationship” with God.  If our relationship with the Lord is lacking, then our spiritual growth will also be lacking.  I want to share with you two keys to help initiate spiritual growth in your life and then offer some practical ways we can ensure we are growing spiritually.

Two attitudes have to be present in order for spiritual growth to occur.  The first is you have to have a “desire” to grow.  If you approach growing spiritually as something that you can’t do, or don’t want to do, then you can be certain spiritual growth will not happen.  As you desire to grow, God will use every opportunity available to change you.  Once you have a desire to grow, then you must “allow for the change” to happen, which is the second attitude you must have.  When you are open to God working in your life, that’s when you will see the greatest spiritual growth and change.

Let me share with you four practical dynamics of spiritual growth:

1.      Maintain a proper attitude towards change.  That means you welcome godly changes in your life and you reject those changes that draw you away from God.

2.      Recognize the symptoms that represent a need for change. These would include feelings of “dissatisfaction,” “uselessness,” “a lacking” in your life, or feeling like you are “out of date” with the move of God.  When these feelings are present, it may be God’s way of alerting you to a need for change.

3.      Seek to walk in the Spirit.  This includes seeking to know God more and more.  Striving for a deeper relationship with Him through prayer, Bible study, and spiritual conversation with other mature Christians.

4.      Understand how habits and life patterns work.  Recognize the habits that are beneficial to spiritual growth and those which are detrimental to your growth.  Practice the habits that help spiritual growth and release those that don’t.

Spiritual change will not take place automatically; it must be desired and allowed in your life.  Plan today to start growing spiritually.  Don’t just rely on “accidental” growth; make it intentional.  What will you do this week that will help you to grow spiritually?