Growing Up In Jesus

This weekend was so sweet. I spent some well-needed time with my campus ministry family at the beautiful Camp Horizon, enjoying a break from schedules and emails. It is so rare that I get a chance to actually get to slow down and reflect on my life and God's role in it. Even though it was just a quick 24-hour retreat, I was challenged spiritually many times. The theme of the weekend was "Growing Up in Jesus," with the goal to set us on a path that would help us mature as Christians. Let me tell you, it was convicting.

In Colossians 1:28-29 we are called to teach others, "so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ."

This is our call: to proclaim Jesus and teach others in wisdom.

Simple enough right? Well, we can't do that if we ourselves are not mature in Christ.

That's where the Three Values of a Mature Christian come in. These four values are:

• Formational rhythms

• Commitment to the church

• Missional Living

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Formational Rhythms

Formational Rhythms are simply put self-discipline for the sake of God and others. We as humans are not shaped only by the major occurrences that happen in our lives, but instead, it is the little things we do over and over again that shape us. Habits are built up over time with repetition. And the more time we spend doing or thinking about something, the quicker it becomes our default. Just as ruts are carved into the impressionable ground by wheels, our actions and thoughts carve ruts into our minds. We worship our way into sin, so we need to worship our way out.

One such good habit we should form is reading Scripture.

Romans 12:2 "Scripture is our food."

Just as food is a necessity for our physical well-being, the Bible is necessary for our spiritual well-being. Without consistently getting into the Word, we are living our lives Spiritually malnourished.

We also talked about what formational rhythms are not. They are not:

• Magic and cannot change us.

• Spiritual bonus points

• A burden

They are meant to lead us closer to Jesus. We were created to chase Him. And just like any other habit, we need to fix our minds on Jesus over and over again.

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Commitment to the Church

First off, what even is the church? The church is more than a building. To be a Biblically correct church there must be four things:

• Teaching of the word with accuracy

• Qualified leadership

• Fellowship with one another

• Rightly administered sacraments

Ok great. So now we know what the church is, but why is that important? It is important because our call to Jesus is a call to the church. Not only are we a gift to the church, but the church is a gift to us.

Ephesians 4:1-6 "Focus on Unity"

One common word throughout this passage in Ephesians is the word "One." One body. One spirit. One Lord. One faith. One God. One baptism. Through unity with other believers in the church, we are able to help one another grow into maturity. Church is a privilege, not a chore.

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Missional Living

For the final value, we looked at Luke 15, which is a collection of parables centered on lost items being found. We discussed what these parables tell us about God. We learned He rejoices with us when we come to Him just like the father in the story rejoiced when the Prodigal Son returned. We also see that God seeks us. He is not passive, but instead actively searches for us. Lastly, we learn that God is a missional God. What is His mission? To redeem the world through Jesus Christ.

So now we know a little more about God, but why is it important to know he is a missional God?

Matthew 28:18-20 "Those God saves, He sends."

He calls us to go and make disciples, just as He Himself seeks us. To mature as Christians, we need to go witness to others, being a light to those in darkness. For one, helping others in their faith helps us in ours. Two, we grow when we get out of our comfort zone. To grow we need to go.

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To recap, there are three values that help us mature as Christians

• Formational rhythms

• Commitment to the church

• Missional living

Now the question is, how do we apply this to our lives? For me, I decided on three things I want to work on that corresponded with the three values.

• Bible before phone

• Find a mentor

• Disciple a younger girl

I want to work on getting in God's word before I do anything else in the mornings. I also want an older mentor from my church to disciple me with the end goal of feeling confident enough in my faith to disciple others.

Overall, this weekend though short was very impactful. I am excited to work on these new habits, learn from older believers, and maybe even lead someone else in their faith.

I am excited to grow and mature in Jesus.