Growing Strong In Christ 2021

     Happy New Year! If you are a serious Christian, no doubt you’re thinking of ways you can grow in your relationship with Christ in the coming year. Me too! First, if we want to grow, we have to know where we stand!

The two clear commandments we are to follow are: Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and then love others as yourself. It seems simple enough, right? The truth is, it takes a life-time to cultivate a deep love for God and genuine love for others. We have to dedicate a lifestyle of growing our roots down into Him!  So… How are you doing? It’s impossible to know unless we ask ourselves some tough questions and reflect on our honest answers.  It is essential to give ourselves the gift of a Spiritual Check-Up, and allow God to tap on the areas that we need to grow into maturity. I put together a few questions below that may help us assess our spiritual hearts and get a clear idea of the areas we can focus on in 2021. 

     Let’s be strong in Christ this year so that we can overcome anything that may come our way.  “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7). “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

     If I can help you grow stronger in Christ, don’t hesitate to contact me from the contact page on this site. 

Biblical Foundations

• Do I read the Bible on a regular basis?
• Do I study the Bible on a regular basis?
• Do I have a Bible reading plan for 2021?
• Do I have a good understanding of the major themes and ideas of the Bible?
• Do I have a good understanding of what the Bible has to say regarding Christian living?
• Do I have a good understanding of the Redemptive storyline from the Old Testament to the New?
• Do I listen to biblical preaching on a regular basis? 

Spiritual Disciplines

• Do I attend church on a regular basis?
• Do I pray regularly for the needs of others?
• In my prayer time, have I learned to listen to God as well as to speak to Him?
• Do I sense God’s presence every day?
• Do I pray and wait for the Holy Spirit’s guidance while making decisions?
• Do I set aside time every day for worship/quiet time?
• Can I describe my quiet time with the Lord as meaningful, intimate and personal?
• Can I honestly say I know God and He knows me?

Priorities

• If married—Do I invest time and effort into my marriage honoring my spouse?
• Do I invest time and investing into my relationships with children and grandchildren?
• Do I take good care of myself physically?
• Do I seek biblical wisdom and direction to establish daily routines/time management?
• Do I invest time into my family’s spiritual well-being—reading the Bible together, going to church, serving together, etc.?

Relationship With Others

• Is there anyone in my life I need to forgive?
• Am I nurturing friendships that bring me closer to God or farther away from Him?
• Do I have at least one spiritually mature person in my life that I feel comfortable asking questions, or sharing spiritual concerns?
• Do I meet regularly with a small group for Bible Study, and/or prayer? 
• Do I have at least one mature believer in my life that holds me accountable to live a consistent Christian life-style? Do I talk to them on a daily basis?
• Do I truly love people—as in, I put their needs before mine?

Service/Calling

• Do I understand clearly how God wants me to serve Him?
• Am I passionate about at least one social issue or ministry to the point I am ready to do something about it?
• Am I convinced God has something for me to do?
• Am I serving with a team doing ministry together?
• Do I believe God has gifted me and given me the talents to do His work?
• Do I currently give at least an hour to some sort of ministry/service each week?
• Do I have ideas, but lack faith with putting them into action?
• Do I struggle with feeling like my time of service is over?
• Do I think I don’t have talent/skills to do something for God?
• Do I really believe I can make a difference in someone’s life?
• Am I living out my call, or do I know deep down I am running from it?

Sharing My Faith 

• Do I participate in global missions by praying for missionaries and evangelistic efforts on a regular basis?
• Have I ever felt a tug in my heart to serve on a short-term mission trip?
• Do I participate in Global missions by giving?
• Do I find it easy to talk about my faith with non-Christians?
• Do I ask people to come to church with me on a regular basis?
• Do I intentionally and consciously guard my actions, attitude and words out in public or on social media to protect my Christian testimony?
• Do I ever actually ask anyone if they would like to be a Christian?
• Do I obey the Spirit’s prompting to pray for others?
• Do I pray consistently and intentionally for the salvation of others?

Attitude

• Am I growing in humility?
• Do I have an “others first” mentality?
• Do I consider the needs of others before my own?
• Do I have a true servant’s heart?
• Am I growing in love, patience, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness  and self control?

Generosity

• Do I find myself growing in the desire to give more?
• Do I find myself imagining ways to give to a cause or to those in need?
• Do I give to my local church on a consistent basis?
• Do I have a good understanding of the biblical concept of giving?