Slowly Growing Up!
I recently read this: “According to BizVibe, there are over 200,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States and it is estimated that 50 million Americans eat at one of them every day. The top three revenue-producing restaurants are Starbucks, Mcdonalds, and Subway. As an American culture, we move at a fast pace. We supersize our fries, drive through our favorite restaurants, download our music and podcasts, and join our church’s live-stream service from anywhere in the world. From motorized bicycles to supercomputers, we seem to thrive on speed.
And yet, there is no formula or button to push, no computer program or drive-through restaurant to make a disciple of Jesus. We cannot supersize, motorize or computerize a disciple. Disciple-making is a long slow process that at times, includes false starts, U-turns, broken promises, and failures, none of which are popular in a society focused on speed.”
We want to help the whole world to come to know Jesus as their savior. Each person needs to have a personal conversion moment, where they are born again into a new life. Then, the rest of their life becomes intertwined with others and the disciple-making process begins as they grow to become more like Christ.
As a parent, I’ve had to remind my children that sometimes they feel “growing” pains. There are times when kids seem to suddenly have a growth spurt and get taller overnight! Growing is the natural step. The same is true in our Christian life.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
Having the fellowship of God’s family can be the light that shines on us to help us see God’s Spirit growing us in ways that at times may feel uncomfortable while transforming us from the inside out. It is the day-by-day slow work of His Spirit. When I was young, there was a button available some people would wear. It had the letters PBPGINFWMY. When someone would ask what the letters meant, it provided the opportunity to tell them “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet!”
In a society that demands speed in almost everything, let us remember that the work of God in our lives may at times be slow and steady. We grow a little bit every day! May this message help you grow today. If you know Jesus as your Savior, take a moment to thank Him for slowly helping you grow to be more like Him!
Pastor Tom
I recently read this: “According to BizVibe, there are over 200,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States and it is estimated that 50 million Americans eat at one of them every day. The top three revenue-producing restaurants are Starbucks, Mcdonalds, and Subway. As an American culture, we move at a fast pace. We supersize our fries, drive through our favorite restaurants, download our music and podcasts, and join our church’s live-stream service from anywhere in the world. From motorized bicycles to supercomputers, we seem to thrive on speed.
And yet, there is no formula or button to push, no computer program or drive-through restaurant to make a disciple of Jesus. We cannot supersize, motorize or computerize a disciple. Disciple-making is a long slow process that at times, includes false starts, U-turns, broken promises, and failures, none of which are popular in a society focused on speed.”
We want to help the whole world to come to know Jesus as their savior. Each person needs to have a personal conversion moment, where they are born again into a new life. Then, the rest of their life becomes intertwined with others and the disciple-making process begins as they grow to become more like Christ.
As a parent, I’ve had to remind my children that sometimes they feel “growing” pains. There are times when kids seem to suddenly have a growth spurt and get taller overnight! Growing is the natural step. The same is true in our Christian life.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
Having the fellowship of God’s family can be the light that shines on us to help us see God’s Spirit growing us in ways that at times may feel uncomfortable while transforming us from the inside out. It is the day-by-day slow work of His Spirit. When I was young, there was a button available some people would wear. It had the letters PBPGINFWMY. When someone would ask what the letters meant, it provided the opportunity to tell them “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet!”
In a society that demands speed in almost everything, let us remember that the work of God in our lives may at times be slow and steady. We grow a little bit every day! May this message help you grow today. If you know Jesus as your Savior, take a moment to thank Him for slowly helping you grow to be more like Him!
Pastor Tom
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