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The Bible tells us that Christians normally do certain things to help them grow closer to Christ. These are called spiritual disciplines.
Grow through studyTo help you grow and mature in your relationship with God, we offer many opportunities for study -- small groups, like Sunday School; special Bible studies, special events and conferences. These are designed to equip people to pursue intimacy with God, fellowship with believers, and have an influence on the world.
>>Read More grow through prayer"Teach us to pray," the disciples asked Jesus, and Jesus responded by teaching them a simple prayer (Luke 11:1-4). Prayer does not need to have special words or fancy phrases — all we need to do is to talk to God. In prayer, we tell Him what we think, what we like, what we fear, and what we want, and we can be sure that God hears us.
As Creator, God has all the power of the universe. As Father, he is filled with love. We can be sure that He is able and He is willing to answer our prayers. But He is also wise enough not to grant everything we ask as soon as we ask. As James explained in the next verse, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." God doesn't give us what isn't good for us. He doesn't want to hurt us, or to make us selfish brats. There is much more that could be said about how to pray, but the main thing is to keep praying. The Lord's prayer asks for "our daily bread" — we look each day to God to supply our needs. That means we pray each day. We look to God each day. It becomes a habit in our Christian lives. It builds our relationship with God. >>Read More grow through fellowshipChristians who are serious about spiritual growth are also serious about the Body of Christ. Growth is never a matter of mere individual pursuit of God. It is always pictured as something we pursue as a community. The importance of fellowship for growth is seen, not just in experience, but in the pages of the Bible.
>>Read More grow through givingHere we have the basic motivation behind all Christian giving: we share what we have with others because, as believers, we are called to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) – in other words, joyous, generous, and faithful givers. Our goal and purpose in this life is to open our hearts to the Lord so that the resources of His love can flow through our hands directly into the lives of others. As Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” The life-producing sap of the vine is love expressed in active giving.
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