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Developing Mature BelieversThis is the process by which we take a new convert and develop him or her into a mature disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ over a period of about three and a half years. Why have we adopted this time frame? Quite simply because it is the approximate amount of time that Jesus spent in public ministry between His baptism by John and His ascension to the right hand of the Father. Interestingly, this is also the time period that the Apostle Paul spent in Ephesus, after which he told the Ephesian Elders: " Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” (Acts 20:25-27) Whatever the “whole will of God” is, it can be imparted in three and a half years. Since it’s obviously not everything there is to know about God, it must be the most important truth that can be imparted in that relatively brief amount of time. We believe that Paul spent this time with the Ephesians in order to prepare them for a lifetime of service in God’s Kingdom. He was following the example of Jesus who devoted the same amount of time to the preparation of His own disciples. Characteristics of Mature BelieversIt is impossible to systematically develop mature believers
without first understanding the characteristics we want them to exhibit.
We
can develop
a comprehensive set of characteristics by combining our core values
with several
other aspects of general human experience. Remembering Jesus' words
in Mat
22:34-39
Maturity In Loving GodThe characteristics related to loving God include God’s Word, prayer, and worship. God’s Word Mature believers have read through the Bible at least once and continue to read through the entire Bible each year. They have a basic working knowledge of scripture and have memorized several scriptures. They have completed the training classes that the church offers. If maturity in this area is your goal we have some resources to recommend to you. Prayer Mature believers faithfully pray for their own needs; and for the needs of family members; those within their spheres of influence; and their disciples and others whom they oversee in ministry. They faithfully pray for the needs of the church, the larger Body of Christ; and for their neighborhood, municipality, region, and nation. Worship Mature believers worship whether they feel like it or not and their worship produces the presence of God in their home and their community. They have renounced and therefore do not participate in any occult practices or false religions. Maturity in Loving One AnotherThe characteristics related to loving one another include fellowship, discipleship, agreement, serving, speech, family, education and employment. Fellowship Mature believers appropriately distinguish between worldly relationships and genuine Christian fellowship. They faithfully participate in their life group and in supporting its members; and in church worship services and other ministry events. Discipleship Mature believers systematically and formally produce disciples of Jesus Christ. Agreement Mature believers submit to God and experience the access, revelation, and authority that submission produces. They respect and submit to the delegated authority of leaders. They attend major church functions. They seek the counsel of church leaders before leaving the church. Serving Mature believers have the attitude of a servant. Speech Mature believers refrain from profane language, gossip, slander, and backbiting. They do not knowingly speak falsehood. Family Mature believers honor their parents. Those who are married love and respect their spouses and operate in mutual submission. Those who are parents love their children and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Those who have siblings love and respect them. Education Mature believers plan their educational careers with the Kingdom of God in mind. They consistently make educational choices that enhance both their natural gifts and their opportunities for effective ministry. Mature believers glorify God at school by consistently doing their very best and exhibiting godly behavior. They influence those around them for the Kingdom of God. Employment Mature believers plan their occupational careers with the Kingdom of God in mind. They consistently make career choices that will utilize their natural gifts and enhance their opportunities for effective ministry. Mature believers glorify God at work by consistently doing their very best and exhibiting godly behavior. They influence those around them for the Kingdom of God. Maturity in Self-ControlThe characteristics related to self-control include money, sex, power, and health. Money Mature believers are good stewards over their resources; they tithe, and live within their means. They have a vision for prosperity. Sex Mature believers enjoy sex within a heterosexual marriage. They are free from immoral sexual behavior, such as fornication (sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman), adultery (sex between a man and a woman where one or both are married but not to each other), pornography, and homosexuality. They avoid the appearance of immorality and environments that provide sexual temptation. Power Mature believers serve. They honor others above themselves. Recreation Mature believers enjoy recreation and honor God in their recreational activities. They avoid forms of recreation that hinder their spiritual lives. They take advantage of opportunities to glorify God and to build God’s Kingdom during recreation. Health Mature believers maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are disciplined in their exercise, eating, drinking, and rest. They refrain from tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. They do not abuse legal drugs. Goals of the Mature BelieverLike everyone else, you interact with various
people over the course of a given week or month. Some of these people
you will encounter
once and
then
never again. Others you will interact with again and again.
This subset of people, the ones who interact with you repeatedly,
form your sphere
of influence – especially
if you spend at least one hour a week with them. God wants
us to win the people in our spheres of influence. The process
of
becoming a mature believer
equips us to achieve this very goal. As a mature believer,
you will work with your cell group to win and disciple
the people
in your sphere of influence. Action Plan Here is how we develop mature believers: Worship Services Our worship services provide the opportunity for the body to come together to offer God the worship He deserves and to hear from Him about what we are to do. Life Groups Life groups are small groups of believers who come together at various times during the week. These small groups are central to our mission at Life Church. For more information check out our life group pages. Life Church Training Classes Our training classes provide members with the basic equipping that they need to function as mature believers. One-on-One Discipleship Every mature believer within Life Church will be expected to engage in one-on-one discipleship with the believers for whom he or she is responsible. Bible Study Life Church will conduct bible study classes for its members. |
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[ Life Church Ministries • Founded 2003 • Rocklyn & Eva Clarke, founding pastors |
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