Discipleship | Advancing: The Way - Part 4

Springcreek Church - Garland, TX Podcast

ADVANCING
The Way – Part 4
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
January 29, 2023
In this series, we’ve been challenged to think of the beginnings of the spiritual life in ways we never have before. This week, we learn what it takes to grow and mature as a follower of the Way.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.) Discuss the quote, “Most Christians are educated way beyond their level of obedience.” - Dr. John Maxwell
2.) The Bible is very clear that God uses our experiences with hardship and trials to mature us. That doesn’t mean that God causes the hardship or trials (since we live in a broken world, they are inevitable) but He does use that experience to bring us to maturity.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1.2-4
Where have you had experience with this in your life presently or in the past? How has it affected your prayer life – especially if the trial or difficulty you’re experiencing is something that you will be facing long term? Within Christianity, there are segments of the church that always and only believe in miraculous deliverance from every disease, difficulty, or setback. When someone doesn’t experience deliverance, the suffering individual is often indicted for a lack of faith. How does that set with you? What does Scripture actually say about such things? What would you say to someone who was suffering then, on top of that, made to feel like an inferior Christian?
3.) It's not our actions but our reactions that are the best barometers for how far we’ve come or how much we’ve grown. How often do we respond as Jesus did to unjust treatment, unfair accusations, or actions meant to bring us harm? Have you ever had a time in your life when you experienced God’s power enabling you to have a truly Christlike response to bad treatment? Share that with the group.
4.) If you look over these questions in advance as a group, download Henry Drummond’s book, “The Greatest Thing in the World” and read it through at least once before your time together. Share with the group your biggest takeaway from the book.
5.) Spiritual formation truly is all about love formation. Everything God is doing in our life is to make us more and more like Jesus especially in our capacity to love God, our brothers and sisters, and our neighbor as ourselves. How is God challenging your right now to love? Where have you seen progress in love since becoming a Christ follower? Take some time to discuss the following definition of love. Love: to seek the highest and best good of another.
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