How to Thrive Spiritually and Grow Closer To God

The Big Idea

Growth happens when we experience Jesus and respond to his love.

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The PROBLEM: We feel confused about how to grow in our relationship with Christ. We have made the decision to follow him but don’t know what to do next.

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Our RESPONSE: The more we know the love of Jesus, the more our relationship with him and others thrives.

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What Do You Think

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• What are the signs you notice when a couple of your friends are starting to get to know each other?

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• How is this similar to what happens when we start to grow in our relationship with God?

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What Does God Say About This

Acts 2:42

This verse is about a group of people that all became Christians together. Let’s take a look at how they grew closer to God and see what we can learn.

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

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• What were people doing in this passage as they began to grow in their faith?

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• What might this look like in your life today?

What Does God Say About This

Acts 2:46-47

46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[a]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

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• What signs do you see in these verses that these people were growing in their relationship with Jesus?

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• What might this look like in your life today?

How Do We Apply This To Our Lives

Just like a tree needs its roots to grow, we grow spiritually as we sink our roots into Christ in at least four ways:

1. MEET with other Christians regularly

We grow with God as we hang out with those who share our faith in Jesus.

• What are some ways we can do this?
• How does this help your faith?
• What happens if this isn’t a part of your life?

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How Do We Apply This To Our Lives Part 2

2. SHARE our faith with others.

Telling non-Christians about God is another way we grow as followers of Jesus. The last verse in this passage says “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

• Do you think God is doing the same kind of thing today?
• If so, whom in your life do you most want to know about God?

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3. READ the Bible regularly

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4. PRAY – talking with God

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How To Spend Our Time With God

1. Pray
1. Confess sins to God (1 John 1:9)
2. Ask God’s spirit to teach you something new
2. Read the Bible and ask these questions…
1. What does it say about GOD?
2. What does this say about ME (or people in general)?
3. What can I do to APPLY what I’ve learned to my life?
3. Pray AGAIN
1. THANK God for what you learned.
2. ASK God to help you apply what you learned to your life.
3. PRAY for yourself and others.

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This is called the “Bible Sandwich”:

Conclusion

• What one thing stands out to you the most from this study?

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• What’s a step you can take with God’s help to thrive spiritually this summer?

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