In
the
Word
Grow with God ~ Stay on Track
We Grow Together with One Focus
Our primary purpose
NKJV Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’"
We can clarify our understanding of God by seeing how the Bible describes God by reading it ourselves (GOD).
The Bible defines God as Love, Peace, Patience, Mercy, Forgiveness, Justice, Truth, and Compassion. There more descriptions, but these seem to be central to God's Righteousness, Goodness, and Grace which can help us grow them in our minds, hearts, attitudes, and lives/souls.
Are we choosing God in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions?
Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Ezekiel 18, and John 15 (note vs. 6-7)
See how these relate to each other
We can abide in God.
Each day we can choose to grow with God, by setting our hearts and minds to be with God. We can think how to have compassion with others, speak truthfully, practice patience, forgive, have mercy, and grow in peace. We can be just, which is to be impartial and fair, while not letting our own personal preferences (Cognitive Bias) make decisions for us against God's goodness.
We can choose God throughout each day. We can't be perfect, but we can improve our hearts, minds, attitudes, and actions. We can choose to: pray, meditate, collaborate, study, reflect, examine, purify our hearts, and cleanse our consciences. We can grow in love and peace.
Choosing God is to make God's will more important than the worlds or our own.
Philippians 3:14 NKJV "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Progress towards perfection
NKJV Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
We CAN make progress!
As our Inward Authority better aligns with God our attitude can change and we can sense God's goodness within and around us. As our minds search for God's love we can find it. As our hearts lean toward mercy and compassion we can feel it. As our faith grows fear gets reduced. This process begins with choices, not feelings. We can choose God when we feel it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. And these are perhaps the best times to do it.
We can change and be different with God, if, we are willing to be different with God.
NKJV James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Patience and the practice of it brings spiritual development. Practicing patience with the attitude of love can provide us an opportunity to grow. We can learn the good in being patient with ourselves and others. This is one example of how to grow.
NKJV Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Love of God "Passes knowledge." We can learn to see that loving ourselves and others does more good than having right answers.
NKJV Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace of God "surpasses all understanding." We can learn how the peace of God does more good than being right.
NKJV 2 Corinthians 3:6 not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
NIV James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.