Spiritual Growth: Kindergarten To Greater Works
Hey everyone, it’s Conrad here from ConradRocks.Net, and welcome back to another deep dive into all things spiritual and supernatural! I was recently reflecting on my own walk with Jesus, and it hit me like a ton of bricks – I'm still in kindergarten! It's a humbling thought, right? We think we've come so far, and then we realize the ocean of truth is still vast and unexplored. This realization wasn’t a downer; it sparked a passion to go deeper, and that's what I want to share with you today.
We’re often so busy, but I had a chance during spring break to really connect in prayer and I was shown a microcosm of a spiritual truth that just blew my mind open. It made me realize the difference between simply knowing the Bible – the external, surface-level understanding – and truly letting the word of God dwell in you richly. It's the difference between reciting the text and becoming the text.
Moving From Knowing to Being: The Heart of the Matter
This idea of becoming the text rather than just knowing it is crucial. We can quote scriptures, we can attend church, but have we truly allowed the word of God to penetrate our hearts and transform our lives? Have we been so focused on the fruit of our labor that we've neglected the root? This isn't about bashing where you're at. It's about realizing where you’re at and challenging yourself and me, to ask for more! My experiences have shown me that many of us, myself included, might be stuck in this "kindergarten" phase without even realizing it. We think we have a handle on things, but there’s always more to discover.
Personal Reflections: Stepping Into the Supernatural
Lately, my focus has been on stepping out in faith, being proactive in bringing Jesus to our community. It’s not enough to just talk about faith; we have to walk it out. We've been actively seeking opportunities to see God’s supernatural power manifested in our community and lives. We've witnessed some incredible healings, and also some moments where we wondered if we should have pressed in more. This journey has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, successes and failures. But every step, every experience, has propelled me closer to the heart of God and has led to a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus.
I've been learning so much by proactively stepping out and engaging with the supernatural. I even find myself grabbing my phone to jot down these lessons or prophetic insights. Some might think I'm rude, but trust me, I don't want to lose those butterfly moments when God drops a truth in my spirit!
Overcoming Inhibition and Stepping Into Power
One of the major roadblocks I've identified is inhibition and fear. We sometimes hold back, afraid to step out for Jesus. Yet, the Bible tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. This has led me to dig even deeper, to crucify those fears that bind us and hold us back from experiencing the fullness of God’s love, power and prophetic revelation.
We can't achieve that through the spirit of the world, or artificial highs. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with divine power. We must root out these weeds of fear and doubt, making room for the fruit that God wants to bear in our lives. This means diving deeper into the Word of God, not just with our lips, but with our lives.
Biblical References and Teachings: Jeremiah and the Importance of Dwelling
I’ve been listening to an audio Bible by Alexander Scourby while going about my days. I've listened to it countless times and I keep finding new hidden treasures each time, it's incredible. Recently, I was deeply impacted by Jeremiah chapter 9. In verses 12-16, we see the Lord's heart and his disappointment for those who forsake his law and choose to walk after the imagination of their own hearts. They had the law in front of them, and yet they chose to reject it, rejecting also the spirit of God. This directly relates to my realization about "kindergarten Christianity", right? We have access to the word of God; it's a luxury. But are we truly living by it, or simply picking and choosing what we want to believe? This scripture really reveals the character of God and our position in his kingdom.
This passage struck me because it illustrates such an important point: having the word before us is not enough. We must let it dwell within us richly, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and ultimately, our lives. This also is the key to truly hearing God. We know that Jesus is the word, and Jesus is the way to the Father. So drawing closer to the Father through reading and listening to the word gives us access to him. Also, we need to let that word help us in discerning the spirit of truth. That is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Truth and the Spirit of Truth illuminates truth as we read the word! We really need to just ponder that – how Jesus is the word, the truth and the way to the Father! It's pretty amazing.
Understanding the Process: Root, Word, Spirit, and Fruit
We can't expect to see fruit in our lives unless our root is deeply planted in Jesus. Our passion needs to be kindled by that root. That passion is then fed by a deep understanding of the word of God and a relationship with the Holy Spirit. When you have those things and you put those things into the process of discipline, then you begin to yield fruit.
It's like a recipe for a spiritually rich life. Passion, word, spirit, and discipline are the ingredients that produce that fruit. Just like in the time of Jeremiah, not everyone is yielding the fruit of God. They had the law, but they chose to walk in their own ways. They didn’t fully embrace the word of God, and therefore, they did not walk in the spirit.
The Great Commission: Not Just A Subconscious Idea
Many think the Great Commission is just an internal desire that we might feel. But no, it's a blatant instruction to make disciples. Jesus wants us to make that passion contagious by sharing the truth of the Gospel and leading others to him. To do this, we must also be disciples ourselves. The root word of "disciple" is "discipline." Discipline is the alignment of our lives with that of our teacher, Jesus.
And before we follow the spirit, the word has to dwell in us richly. Before the word can dwell in us richly, we have to value it. And before we value the word, we usually have some kind of compelling spiritual encounter that ignites that passion and a desire for more. I heard someone tell a story about the beginning of their faith walk, which I thought really highlighted this point.
The Contagious Nature of Truth and Bold Faith
This person I was talking to had a life changing experience. This happened 40 years ago, in the early days of their relationship with Jesus. As they were seeking more, and getting intimate with the Lord, they happened to see a street preacher walk by. This preacher was simply being bold, walking in the spirit of truth, and it ignited a fire within them. The Spirit of Truth quickened something in their hearts just by watching this man be obedient and bold. They didn't even talk to him! This is the type of contagion that happens when you're truly walking in truth, your feet are fueled by a passion for Jesus. They found the treasure in the field that was worth selling all they had to obtain.
The key here is the street preacher wasn't even doing anything “for” that person. He was simply obedient, living out his faith and that lit a fire in another, sparking personal revival. Some of us, like me, are just now realizing that we are in the kindergarten stage of our Christian walk. Even though we may know the text, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the greater works that God has promised in his word, and seeing those signs following those that believe. This journey starts with passion, a relationship with the Word, a deep well of intimacy with the Spirit, and then finally, a contagious passion that will lead others to Jesus.
So, where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you ready to move beyond kindergarten and dive deeper into the supernatural? Let's not settle for just knowing about Jesus, let's seek to become like Jesus! Let’s not settle for just knowing scripture, but let’s work to let it become part of us and shape our identity!
If this message resonated with you, please take a moment to share this post with your friends and family on social media. Let’s ignite a fire together! Please leave a comment or a rating – it helps me out a ton!
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Until we meet again, dig deeper and go higher! That’s what it’s all about – digging deeper at ConradRocks.Net and going higher with Jesus!
God bless you, and don't forget to share!
Amen!
Jesus Rocks!
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