Principles of Spiritual Growth

God expects you to grow; He doesn’t expect you to stay at the same level. The people around you need you to grow. You will handle your life better when you grow spiritually.

God is ultimately responsible for all spiritual growth.

God’s role in spiritual growth must always be at the center. He begins to cause the budding on the inside of you. God is the one who gives the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

“Without God almighty granting spiritual growth—nothing is going to happen” — Pastor Billy Johnson

Effort, diligence and discipline are absolutely necessary for spiritual growth.

There must be effort on our part. God is responsible for our spiritual growth but He requires our participation. God gives you the faith but you have to add to it. When you look at your time—is any of it going toward spiritual growth?

2 Peter 1:5-7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“If you never spend time with God—growth will not happen” — Pastor Billy Johnson

Spiritual growth potential may not be easy to see at first.

Some of us have already looked at our lives and determined how far we can go. God takes you from where you are to where He wants you to be. God has already seen what you are going to be although now it doesn’t look anything like it. Don’t underestimate where you are!

1 Corinthians. 1:26-29

“Don’t ever estimate what God can do in you and through you”—Pastor Billy Johnson

Spiritual growth depends on an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ

The vine can live without the branches but the branches cannot live without the vine. Include God in everything because He has the answers for everything. There has to be a real intimate relationship with Jesus. Bring the real you to God and He’ll begin to deal with the real you.

If you are have trouble producing love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness—check your connection.

John 15:5

Growth is primarily an inside-out process.

It’s not what’s going on around you—it’s what’s going on in you. You never want to take the route outside-in when you are trying to produce spiritual growth. Listen to the language of the people you encounter. If they say, “this is how I feel”—it’s the voice of emotions.  If they say, “this is what I think”—it’s the voice of reason; If they say, “this is what I believe”—that’s the voice of the spirit. The world conforms, we are transformed. Once transformation takes place—it never can return to what it used to be.

Romans 12:2

“God wants to bring such a transformation in your life that you are not the person you used to be.”—Pastor Billy Johnson

Spiritual growth relates to every aspect of our lives.

The transformation is going to occur as it changes your thinking. When you grow—your world changes. You want God in every aspect of your life.

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT), 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Significant growth occurs within the context of frustration, suffering, or challenge.

If you want to grow God has to provide a classroom for you. You don’t know how strong you are until you face a challenge. What you are currently going through is not worthy to be compared to what is coming. God is going to perfect you, establish you, strengthen you, and settle you.

Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT/MSG)

“Your suffering has a timetable” – Pastor Billy Johnson

Growth happens most naturally within a close social context (small groups)

God wants us to grow but He will do it in a community of believers. You cannot do this by yourself—you need other people. God doesn’t want you to stay an infant—He wants you to grow and come out of the infancy stage.

Ephesians 4:11-15 (NLT)

 “Growth happens in Community” – Pastor Billy Johnson