For a Church to fulfill Jesus’s Great Commission, it must reach out to a lost world with the Gospel message. Then, it must take the people who respond to that message on the journey of faith, which is called discipleship.

For that person to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus, someone or several people must intentionally nurture that new faith until the person attempts to fulfill everything that Christ commanded.

How this plays out in the life of a Church is multifaceted.

Spiritual maturity is never achieved through one method. Numerous factors at play help each new believer become like Jesus.

There needs to be practical teaching of the Bible from others, along with the development of personal habits to water the seeds of faith further. Connecting with one or two other believers in authentic and open relationships is essential for the development of faith. Finally, serving others will help us grow as we place ourselves in situations that will stretch our faith.

The point is this: no ONE thing grows a person into a mature disciple.

This is why I encourage people to do multiple things when they join the Church I lead. I want people to be in worship every week, serve regularly, connect to others in a small group, and get into a 2-3 person discipleship relationship. I teach this because I know God will use one or all of those to help someone become a complete Christian.

At my Church, we are trying to develop a plan to help everyone grow, but you really never know what God is going to use. I do not recommend you throw all your eggs in one basket and hope for maturity. The best thing for someone who wants to follow Jesus is to open yourself up to a few growth opportunities and know that God will use those to transform you to be more like Christ.

I know it is a trite expression, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate.

This statement became a regular part of my thinking when I was working with recovery programs. Whenever someone was struggling with their addiction, the response was always, “Take it one day at a time.”

When I first heard it, I thought, “Of course, you are going to take it one day at a time; that is how life comes at you.”  Slowly, I saw the logic behind it. If a person was struggling, the solution was to use all their strength of character to make it through the present day. One day of success would give way to the next and then the next. Soon, you were clean for a month, then six months, and then a year.

The truth is that no matter what your issue is, the logic still works. If you are angry, make it through today without blowing up. If you are sad, make it through today without giving up. If you are hurting, make it through today, even if there is no joy. Whatever difficult situation arises, take it one day at a time.

I hope you have big dreams for your life that will help guide your major decisions. But there will be seasons for all of us when the waters will rise, get muddy, and it will be hard to navigate. On those days, keep throwing your energy into making it through this one day until your situation changes and the future becomes clear again. 

What is your normal behavior like?

Are you usually loud and aggressive? Do you see yourself as quieter and more reserved?

Are you outgoing and involved in everything? Would you say you are more introverted?

Do you like to be in control and have the final say? Are you someone who goes along with the crowd and is generally agreeable?

There are a whole host of ways that you act that might be considered your default settings. In other words, you behave this way the majority of the time.

Here is a little secret you need to know. Your most extraordinary power is when you behave outside of your norm.

When a quiet person gets loud, it means something significant.

When an introvert shows up to your party, it demonstrates hidden emotions.

When a more controlling person allows someone else to take the lead, it is a sign of respect.

By contrast, when a person yells incessantly, it means very little.

Knowing your default settings will help you to unlock the most powerful tools in your toolkit.