Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God. Table of Contents. Volume 1. Chapter 1: Making Progress in My Walk With God... 1

Transcription

1 Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God Volume 1 Chapter 1: Making Progress in My Walk With God... 1 Understanding Biblical Growth... 1 Chapter 1, Lesson 1, Leaving Childhood Behind...3 Growing Up in God... 3 Why Some Christians Do Not Grow Up in God... 4 What This Study Entails... 6 Chapter 1, Lesson 2, Characteristics of Godly Growth, Part I...13 The God of the Living, Not the Dead Spiritual Growth and Progress What Growth and Progress Are Not How Do We Grow or Make Progress? Chapter 1, Lesson 3, Characteristics of Godly Growth, Part II...23 Growth Should Be Visible Growth Should Be Transparent How We Know When We Are Making Spiritual Progress Chapter 2: How the Bible Defines Spiritual Maturity Biblical Principles of Spiritual Maturity Chapter 2, Lesson 1, Maturity and Purpose...33 The Relationship Between Maturity and Purpose The Primary Characteristics of Spiritual Maturity Does God Expect Every Believer to Mature? Chapter 2, Lesson 2, Maturity and Responsibility...45 The Connection Between Maturity and Responsibility Shouldering the Responsibilities God Has Given Us No Other Foundation Preparing Our Hearts for the Word Chapter 3: Godly Emotional Maturity The Connection Between Emotional Maturity and Spiritual Maturity Chapter 3, Lesson 1, Faith and Emotions...57 Living by Faith or Living by Emotions Defining Godly Emotional Maturity Setting a Framework for Developing Emotional Maturity God s Perspective on Emotions Chapter 3, Lesson 2, Repairing the Foundation of Our Faith, Part I...65 Am I Mad at God? Is God Arbitrary? Chapter 3, Lesson 3, Repairing the Foundation of Our Faith, Part II...73 Is God Good? Mature Believers Know the Difference Between Good and Evil Vikki L. Kestell Page v

2 Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God Chapter 3, Lesson 4, Repairing the Foundation of Our Faith, Part III...81 Is God in Control? Living in This World Chapter 3, Lesson 5, How Shall We Then Live?...91 How We Choose to Respond Grounded and Settled Chapter 3, Lesson 6, Emotional Healing vs. Emotional Maturity A Season of Healing Chapter 3, Lesson 7, Physical and Emotional Maturity Stages of Physical and Emotional Growth Revisited: Is God in Control? The End of Choice Chapter 4: Led By the Spirit Chapter 4, Lesson 1, The Person and Role of the Holy Spirit God s Purpose in Sending the Holy Spirit Recognizing the Voice of God Where We Hear God s Voice Chapter 4, Lesson 2, The Voice and Leading of the Holy Spirit What the Voice of God Sounds Like Confidence in the Voice of God Chapter 4, Lesson 3, Competing Voices in Our Spiritual Lives The Voice of the Holy Spirit vs. the Voice of the Accuser Accept Conviction; Reject Condemnation Chapter 4, Lesson 4, Feeling Right About Righteousness The Doctrine of Righteousness The Spirit of Sonship Volume 2 Chapter 5: By a New and Living Way Chapter 5, Lesson 1, He Who Promised Is Faithful The New and Living Way vs. the Old and Dead Way The Law and Righteousness Chapter 5, Lesson 2, Planted in the New and Living Way The Fruit of the New and Living Way The Fruit of the Old and Dead Way Chapter 5, Lesson 3, Mindsets of the Old and Dead Way, Part I Yes, But I Never Did That Chapter 5, Lesson 4, Mindsets of the Old and Dead Way, Part II It s Not Right! It s Not Fair! Chapter 5, Lesson 5, Mindsets of the Old and Dead Way, Part III If I Can t Do That, Then You Can t Do That! Chapter 5, Lesson 6, The New and Living Way in Action Mature Believers vs. Religious People How Faith Works Page vi Vikki L. Kestell

3 Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God Chapter 6: How to Belong to a Church and Love It Chapter 6, Lesson 1, Belonging The Longing for Belonging Identifying the Church Identifying My Church Chapter 6, Lesson 2, Placed and Planted God s Purpose for Placing and Planting Us in a Church Chapter 6, Lesson 3, Remaining Planted and Becoming Fruitful, Part I Loving and Staying in Relationship Overcoming Obstacles Chapter 6, Lesson 4, Remaining Planted and Becoming Fruitful, Part II Dealing With Offense in the Church Our Relationship With Our Church Leadership Our Behavior Toward Other Churches, Ministers, and Ministries When Leaving a Church is Appropriate Chapter 7: Winning the Spiritual War The Overcoming Life Chapter 7, Lesson 1, The Spiritual Realm, Part I Establishing Biblical Understanding of the Spiritual Realm Biblical Facts About the Spiritual Realm Chapter 7, Lesson 2, The Spiritual Realm, Part II More Biblical Facts About the Spiritual Realm Take Courage! Chapter 7, Lesson 3, The Weapons of Our Warfare, Part I Defining Spiritual Warfare The Spoken Word of God Chapter 7, Lesson 4, The Weapons of Our Warfare, Part II Casting Down Imaginations Chapter 7, Lesson 5, The Weapons of Our Warfare, Part III The Shield of Faith Praise and Worship Chapter 7, Lesson 6, The Promise of the Father, Part I The Gift God Promised Filled with the Power to Do Battle Chapter 7, Lesson 7, The Promise of the Father, Part II Untangling the Gift From the Gifts The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit as a Spiritual Weapon Chapter 7, Lesson 8, Your Personal Pentecost The First Pentecost The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Recorded Early Church How to Receive Your Personal Pentecost Vikki L. Kestell Page vii

4 Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God Volume 3 Chapter 8: Godly Social and Civic Responsibility Affecting the Spirit and Culture of This Present Age Chapter 8, Lesson 1, The Differences that Distinguish Different for a Purpose In the World But Not of the World The Spirit of This Present Age Defining Worldview The Effect of a Wrong Worldview Chapter 8, Lesson 2, Competing Worldviews and Their Outcomes Compassion, Guilt, and Atonement The Blessing and Favor of God The Mission Jesus Has Given Us Chapter 8, Lesson 3, Salty Salt and Bright Light, Part I Light in a Dark Place The Principle of the Tipping Point Chapter 8, Lesson 4, Salty Salt and Bright Light, Part II Know the Issues Act on the Issues Outrage Is Not Action Act to Save Lives Both Now and in Eternity A Note to Pastors and Other Church Leaders Chapter 9: Outrageous Freedom! Freedom From Bad Habits and Addictive Behaviors The Ultimate Price for Complete Liberty Chapter 9, Lesson 1, From Inside to Outside Setting the Stage For the Great Escape How Important Are Our Thoughts? The Connection Between Thoughts, Words, and Actions Careless and Willful Sins of the Mouth The Pain of Change Chapter 9, Lesson 2, The Spiritual Effects of Addictive Behaviors Recognizing Addictive Behaviors Free to Have and Enjoy a Healthy, Happy Life The Need Component of Addiction Where Addictive Behaviors Control Us, God Does Not The Moment of Miracle: When Breakthrough Happens Assessing the State of Our Legitimate Needs Legitimate Needs Assessment (LNA) How to Begin a Relationship With God Religion vs. Relationship Chapter 9, Lesson 3, Bringing Truth to Bear on Our Lives The Power of Truth A First Look at Our LNA Scores Page viii Vikki L. Kestell

5 Toward Spiritual Maturity: Growing Up in God Chapter 9, Lesson 4, Roots, Fruits, and the Lies That Bind How Roots, Fruits, Lies, and Strongholds Are Connected The Compounding Power of Lies Wounds and Offences Examining Our Big Buts Lies and Our Legitimate Needs Jesus Is Not Enough Our Legitimate Need for Godly Balance Chapter 9, Lesson 5, Temptation, Lies, and Reasoning, Part I The Commonplace Nature of Temptation and Lies Dealing With the Offenses of and Lies of Childhood Establishing a Healthy No Identifying the Lies I Believe and Act on Chapter 9, Lesson 6, Temptation, Lies, and Reasoning, Part II Watch Out! Sin Is Deceitful Lies and Reasoning Jesus As Our Focus The Rest of God Chapter 10: The Joy and Triumph of Aging Well in God What We Leave Behind Starting Now Chapter 10, Lesson 1, Finishing Strong The Strong Finisher Starting Strong or Finishing Strong Plan To Finish Strong! Chapter 10, Lesson 2, The Example of the Elder Saints of God Planning for Retirement God s Plan for Passing on Knowledge, Wisdom, and Spiritual Insight Reasons Why We Finish Weak Drawing or Shrinking Back Honor and Respect Chapter 10, Lesson 3, The Roles, Responsibilities, and Authority of the Elder Saints of God The Testimony of Long Years in God s Service Leadership Chapter 10, Lesson 4, God s Plan for My Joy and Triumph in Him Me? A Patriarch or a Matriarch? Sowing Seed into Future Generations Vikki L. Kestell Page ix

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