Growing Toward Maturity

I have been missing Bible Study on Fridays for too long - what with all the Grace Notes rehearsals for Christmas, and the wedding of Chee Keat and Lee Mei - I called in to find out which lesson we are at so I could read up a bit before class but instead, Pastor Chris asked me to lead the study! Oh dear, I panicked a bit.

I had grumbled before about the bible study materials and this time it there was no exception. After reading up and preparing the study in the couple of hours I had, I sent Pastor a message to pre-warn him that I will be changing the setup of the study but sticking on to the passages and the topic of study: "Growing Toward Maturity".

Among the passages given by the study materials include:

• Colossians 1:13-14
• Colossians 1:21-22 (I included v.23 as well)
• Colossians 1:9-12
• Colossians 2:6, 7 (the core of the epistle)
• Ephesians 4:14-15

Rather than strictly following the study material, I chose to just look at the verses alone and asking questions to encourage discussion and to probe the gist and the heart of the message, while focussing on the basis of our growth in God, God's expectations from us and His ultimate purpose for our lives.

The discussion was good, almost everybody participated. We talked about why do we need to grow at all, what do we need to do, what is the mark of a matured Christian and much more.

Pastor referred us to an excellent passage, which I don't seem to have encountered before (even though I have read the entire bible once!).

2 Peter 1:5-7
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

What a wonderful way to define and line up our growth toward maturity. The root of it all is faith, which produces goodness, then knowledge, then self-control, that will help us to persevere, leading us to godliness, brotherly kindness and the ultimate goal of it all godly love.

I drew the session to a close by asking:
What, in one sentence, is God's purpose for humankind?

What do you think? As for me, I find the answer in Isaiah 43:7, a memory verse of my younger days that I can still recite: "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Our lives after all belong to him - that is first and foremost.

Whoever we are
Whatever we do
Wherever we are
However we live
We are created for His glory
So let us live
Aright

pearlie
Photo © 2008 Benjamin Earwicker