Why Growth Is An Essential Mindset For Jesus Followers

As with any earthly parent, the expectation of God, our Heavenly Father, is that His children grow. Now, that’s a valid expectation because that’s how God wired creation in the first place. All of creation grows. It never stops growing. Way back in Genesis when God said, let there be light, that was actually a statement of growth. When God spoke those words, light propelled forward from inside of Himself at the magnificent speed of 186,000 miles a second. Light has never stopped traveling, never stopped growing since that day. It’s no surprise that things grow. One day a lady asked a question of her landscape gardener. The question caught him off guard. “Will you say that again, ma’am,” said the landscape gardener? The lady-of-the-house waved her hand to include several acres of the woodland she was having landscaped. This is what the lady said — “I want a picture of how it will all look when it’s finished—fish pond and rose garden included. Could it look like this picture in Better Homes and Gardens?” The gardener replied, “Hard to say, you know, we’re dealing here with living things. I can show you a pattern, I guess, but these things grow. Okay? So you’re going to have to keep on planting, cultivating, and trimming. Who’s to say what it will look like some day? It’s just never going to get finished growing!” … “I had no idea I was hiring a philosopher,” [my friend] said over coffee. “But that little speech reminded me that growth doesn’t stop when we reach our full height.” ¹ We’re talking about growth today. Why Growth Is An Essential Mindset For Jesus Followers all on this week’s Light on Life.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

Bible reading is not just about gaining knowledge, it’s about providing food for your spirit man so that your spirit man can grow. It’s about providing nutrients for your spirit man so that you will stay healthy and strong.

Join the Conversation

Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: Share a story from your growth journey that can encourage others on their journey to maturity. Leave your story in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 47 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 42 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

Prayer

Well, again welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for your goodness and your mercy. We so desire to grow into the image and likeness of Jesus for that is good and pleasing in your sight. We so desire to live in this manner — good and pleasing in your sight. Thank for the Holy Spirit whom you provided to help us in this endeavor and for Jesus who sits at your own right hand praying on our behalf. Thank you that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us.

Well, again welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you that where we are today will not be where we will be tomorrow if we walk according to your Word. That’s exciting news and we’re thrilled about the possibility of being full grown mature children of God. We give you all the praise, glory, and honor for these things in Jesus Name, Amen.

Spiritual Growth Review

In a previous podcast on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we established the concept of spiritual growth and development.
There’s a link in the podcast notes if you happened to miss it at www.emeryhorvath.com.
In that episode, we looked at 1 Corinthians 2:6–7.

1 Corinthians 2:6–7 (ESV) — 6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

Paul starts right out with the phrase, ‘among the mature’ which indicates that there are levels of growth and development in Christ.
There must be.
I mean if there are mature Jesus followers then there must be immature believers as well.
And there must be levels in between these two.
We also looked at the first two verses of chapter three in the same regard.

1 Corinthians 3:1–2 (ESV) — 1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

In that podcast, we established the idea of ‘spiritual development’ in the New Testament and came to understand what the process of growth looks like.
And, we began to answer the question: how does one grow spiritually?

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) — 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

It tells you right here — drink the milk of God’s Word.
Of course, we must know what the milk of God’s Word is, right?
Hebrews 6:1–2 has the answer.

Hebrews 6:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

The two words ‘elementary doctrine’ are key to understanding what Paul is saying here.
The word ‘elementary’ in the Greek means ‘the beginning.’
Elementary doctrine is beginning doctrine.
So, Hebrews 6:1–2 contains elementary, basic, beginning doctrines of Jesus.
These doctrines are the ‘milk of the Word’ doctrines for Jesus followers to feed on.

To Grow, Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Notice, I said ‘feed on.’
To grow, think of Bible reading as Bible feeding.
Practice feeding instead of reading.
Thinking this way will help you immensely in many areas.
When you are reading the Bible, you are feeding your spirit man.
It may be helpful to use ‘eating terminology.’
Instead of saying, “I need to read my Bible,” say “I’m going to go eat some Word of God.”
Afterall, Bible reading is not just about gaining knowledge, it’s about providing food for your spirit man so that your spirit man can grow.
It’s about providing nutrients for your spirit man so that you will stay healthy and strong.
Bible reading is Bible feeding.

Use Available Resources to Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Here’s what happens when we don’t understand that Bible reading is Bible feeding.
Here’s one way it can play out.
My spiritual dad wrote lot’s of books to help grow believers in basic areas, like faith, prayer, and healing.
He wrote those books in such a way that one could feed on these subjects.
These books he wrote were filled with scriptures — I mean stocked full of Bible verses topically arranged.
Now, I’m no way implying that teaching books written by mature born again believers this are equivalent to the Bible.
No way — no how — I would never say anything like that.
God’s Word stands alone.
But here’s what we must know — No one has perfect understanding of any Bible topic — we are in the process of developing.
We are all in the process of becoming — that’s the way of growth.

Psalm 119:130 (ESV) — 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

The word ‘unfolds’ in the Hebrew means to open.
If God opens the Word to one one His kids on Planet Earth and he writes that ‘opening’ or the ‘elevation of his thinking’ down in a book, that you can get your hands on, is that not helpful?
My spiritual dad spent 16 months bedfast, learning how to release his faith for healing.
He had to wade through the wrong teaching, the wrong believing of his church circle.
That’s what took him so long.
He wrote what he learned about believing God in a book so that you won’t have to relearn what he had to learn.
So instead of it taking 16 months to learn tied to a bed, you can learn it in 16 minutes in an easy chair!
Can you see that you can tie into the light that someone has already received from the hand of God?
Saying this a different way: you can use A BOOK to help you understand THE BOOK.
Light is light — revelation is revelation.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
An explanation of what certain verses mean, word definitions, illustrations that show how these scriptures work when you act on them, can be great tools to help people grow in God.

Growth in Healing and Divine Health

Let’s continue talk about healing for a moment.
Where are all the verses in the Bible on the subject of healing located?
You see this Bible we have sitting in our laps is written in chapters and verses.
It’s not topically laid out.
It’s not even chronologically laid out.
To understand what God’s Word says about your healing, you have to dig it out.
Digging it out takes time — that’s great if you have the time.
What if you don’t?
What if disease is advancing in your body while you are trying to search things out.
One of my favorite Smith Wigglesworth sayings is along this line and with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

If you try to get faith when you need faith, you’re too late.

Too late means you didn’t respect the time process of spiritual growth and development.
There are Bible verses on healing in the Old Testament.
Bible verses on healing in the New Testament.
There are healing verses in Psalms, and Proverbs.
You should want to know where those blessed promises are.
I know people who read a book on healing one time and then gave it away.
And they gave them away because they thought, ‘Well I read it already.’
‘I already know what’s in there.”
That mindset indicates that you do not understand the difference between Bible reading and Bible feeding.
Reading through and being informed on a Bible subject is not the point — feeding on that topic is the point.
Nourishing your spirit is the point.
Building yourself up on your most holy faith is the point.
There are many good books on the subject of healing.
Many good books — many authors.
‘Healing the Sick’ by T.L. Osborn.
‘Christ the Healer’ by F.F. Bosworth.
‘God’s Word for Your Healing’ by Harrison House
‘Healing Scriptures’ by Kenneth E. Hagin
‘Bible Healing Study Guide’ by the same Kenneth E. Hagin.
Reading these books can inspire your faith and increase your faith in God’s will for healing because of their heavy emphasis on scripture.
Well, people have had these books and threw them away.
Now, they’re heavy-duty sick with some serious stuff in their bodies.
You see the mentality to walk in divine health was not in place.
Now, they must do the work of digging what God said in His Word.
And they have to do it all over again.
That’s time you have to spend that you may not even have time to spend because of what you’re facing.
And it’s all because we didn’t look at Bible reading as Bible feeding.
We looked at it like ‘I already know that.’
Or, we already looked prayed about it — or I have 37 million people praying for me about this.
It’s not quantity of people praying — it’s two touching and agreeing in faith.

Understanding Growth by Looking at the Natural

Okay, let’s press forward some more.
Let’s get after this mindset of ‘I already know that.’
Here’s what wrong it — you’ll see it immediately.
I already know what chicken and mashed potatoes taste like.
Now, just because my taste buds have that knowledge, do you not proceed to eat it?
Why do you eat it if you already know what it tastes like?
Because you need to feed your body.
Your body needs nutrients to stay strong and healthy.
It’s the same thing with the Word of God.
The Word of God is spirit food for the spirit of man.
You need to feed on the Word of God so that your spirit can stay strong and healthy.

Proverbs 18:14 (Amp) — 14 The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?

Understanding this ‘feeding’ concept takes your engagement with the Bible out of the realm of just gaining information.
We don’t read the Bible just to gain knowledge.
It’s not about information.
Knowledge puffs up but love edifies — that’s 1 Corinthians 8:1.
So, we read the Bible to feed our spirit man so that we can grow and develop.
We need to meditate on the Word — think on the Word.
Think of Bible reading as Bible feeding.
Think of meditating on a Bible verse as chewing on God’s Word.

Growth In the Elementary Teachings of Jesus

Hebrews 6:1–2 — 1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

So now the the milk of God’s word — The elementary doctrine that, the beginning doctrine of Jesus is six areas.
I’m still talking about Hebrews six.
We’re still referencing elementary, beginning doctrines of Christ.
Repentance from Dead Works.
Faith toward God.
Baptism’s.
Laying on of Hands.
The Resurrection of the Dead.
Eternal Judgment.
Feeding on the Word of God in these areas in God’s Word will help any believer grow — that’s just a Bible fact.
Focusing on ‘faith towards God,’ the second beginning doctrine of Christ, cover divine healing because you access all Bible promises by faith.

Acts 14:8–10 (KJV) — 8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

How does faith come?
How did this man get faith to be healed — he heard Paul speak.
Something that Paul said generated faith for this man to be well.
God’s Word generates faith to be healed.
We must continually feed on God’s Word and then you can grow area of healing.

Spiritually Mature People Develop a System for Growth

With that being established, I want to talk about Holy Spirit inspired concepts that you can bring alongside your Bible feeding so that you can grow in a consistent manner.
Emphasis is on the word ‘consistent.’

Growth: Storms of Life Principle

Luke 6:46–49 (ESV) — 46 Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and [hears my words and does them], I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Principle numbered one — The Storms of Life Principle
You live in a fallen world — a place where things are out of wack.
Sickness, disease, bugs, flu, colds, cancers, are indicators that things are out of wack.
God didn’t create these things.
They don’t come from Him.
Sickness is a mutation of sin.
It is rebellion against God’s order.
God’s order is life and peace — not death and dying.
Anything that leads to death is a mutation of sin and sin is a mutation of disobedience.
Storms of life come not because you are being targeted but because in live a fallen world where these entities exist.
They exist because Adam gave them the right to exist.
Here’s what I’m telling you — as a Child of God, these foreign entities have no right to exist in you.
Stop cuddling up to next sickness and disease.
Rise up against with the all the fury you would show a home invader.
It’s not normal — it’s not acceptable.
Since you know floods come — notice what Jesus said — ‘when the flood arose’ not if the flood arose — when it arose it could not shake the house because it was well built.
Well built means it was done ahead of time.
You need to feed today to be ready for the battles of tomorrow.
You need to train today to be fit to fight tomorrow.
Some of you are way out of shape.

Growth: Redeeming the Time Principle

Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Making the best use of time is the ESV translation.
KJV has it as ‘redeeming the time.’
The Greek word is ‘exagoridzo’ and it means to buy back time.
Rick Reiner says.

You may have lost time by merely wasting it or by using it on things that weren’t important. But the great story of redemption is that your story isn’t over. With God’s help, time can be redeemed — that is, bought back by personal carefulness and by stewarding what time remains.²

The principle of ‘redeeming the time’ means to use up every opportunity.
It means find time in your schedule — carve it out — protect it — to feed on healing scriptures.
That brings me to the next principle.

Growth: The Everyday Principle

Luke 19:45–47 (ESV) — 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple.

Notice Jesus modeling the ‘everyday principle.’
Jesus was teaching ‘daily’ — daily means everyday in the Temple.
He did what was important in His life daily.
Physically, we feed ourselves everyday — it’s important.
Spiritually, we feed everyday — it’s important.
If you’re feeding yourselves good meals physically but starving yourself spiritually because you have not carved out of your schedule a time to feed on God’s Word, you’re headed for more problems than you need to have.
Same time everyday — same place everyday works.
I can tell you what time I feed on the subject of healing everyday.
In fact, I’ve expanded this everyday principle to cover spirit, soul, and body that’s 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
There’s something I do for each area of my being, spirit, soul, and body everyday.
I could give you the list but then you’d be copying me — get your own list of non-negotiable[s] that you do everyday.
I highly encourage you to feed on healing scriptures in your ‘everyday.’
Successful people do daily what unsuccessful people do occasionally.³
That leads us to the next principle.

Growth: The One More Principle

Matthew 5:41 (ESV) — 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

The concept of one more is not the just the concept of doing the status quo.
To progress in any area requires extra.
In the area of physical training, this concept is called ‘progressive overload.’
The principle is ‘one more rep.’
If you want to increase in strength, do you more rep.
Let’s say you’re doing sit-ups, today you do ten, tomorrow you do eleven.
You lifted 10 lbs. today, the next workout, you lift eleven.
One more.
One more rep — one more mile.
Here’s the thing you need to get from this.
It’s really not about one more rep.
It’s about who you become as a person because you don’t just settle for just enough.
Your heart always pushes forward — pressing — refusing a rake by minimalist mindset.
We press toward the mark — we go the extra mile — we do one more rep — we read one more chapter in our Bibles.
Do you understand this growth principle?

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV) — Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think is God’s mindset.
We must strive to be like the God we serve.
Never settling for just enough.

Growth: Always Intentional Principle

Growth never happens by accident.
To grow in faith for healing, you must be intentional about it.
Growth doesn’t happen by osmosis and it doesn’t take place with the passage of time.
Eighty-six the idea that the growth will happen with the passage of time.
No growth happens without feeding on God’s Word.
Just because a believer has been in church for twenty years doesn’t mean that they have grown throughout those twenty years.
“Maturity in God doesn’t always come with age; sometimes age comes alone.”
Just because you’re older, doesn’t mean you’re wiser in the things of God.
To grow, one must put the work in.
You have to feed.
Here’s another quote along this line — it’s from a book written by James Allen called ‘As a Man Thinketh.’

People are anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.

A Better Growth Plan

So, here’s the best growth plan I know.

Proverbs 4:20–23 (ESV) — 20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Feed on the Word of God everyday in the area of healing.
Think on this!
What you become in five years will be determined by what you read and who you associate with.⁴
Rarely does a haphazard approach to anything succeed.
Get a plan and be intentional about your growth.

Now Father God, thank you for your goodness and mercy. Thank you for your healing mercies — they are new and fresh everyday — great is your faithfulness. As we reach out to you, show us what we need to know, direct us in the way we should be so that walk in the light of divine health. Thank you for that in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Why Growth Is An Essential Mindset For Jesus Followers.
You guys have a great God-week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

How Praise Powers You to Remarkable God-Style Growth

_________
References:

Elesha Hodge, ed., Today’s Best Illustrations, vol. 1–4, Today’s Best Illustrations (Christianity Today International, 1997). ↩
Renner, Rick. Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2 (p. 1482). Harrison House Publishers. Kindle Edition. ↩
John Maxwell ↩
Charles Jones ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Why Growth Is An Essential Mindset For Jesus Followers

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Fifty-One

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Spiritual Growth Review

To Grow, Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Use Available Resources to Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Growth in Healing and Divine Health

Understanding Growth by Looking at the Natural

Growth In the Elementary Teachings of Jesus

Spiritually Mature People Develop a System for Growth

Growth: Storms of Life Principle

Growth: Redeeming the Time Principle

Growth: The Everyday Principle

Growth: The One More Principle

Growth: Always Intentional Principle

A Better Growth Plan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Spiritual Growth Review

To Grow, Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Use Available Resources to Practice Bible Feeding Instead of Bible Reading

Growth in Healing and Divine Health

Understanding Growth by Looking at the Natural

Growth In the Elementary Teachings of Jesus

Spiritually Mature People Develop a System for Growth

Growth: Storms of Life Principle

Growth: Redeeming the Time Principle

Growth: The Everyday Principle

Growth: The One More Principle

Growth: Always Intentional Principle

A Better Growth Plan

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