June 25-26, 2005, Selected

SUMMER ROAD TRIP!
NO PARKING ANYTIME!

*** Rev. 2:4 “I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first!” [New Living Translation]
*** Rev. 3:15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!” [NLT]

WE ARE CREATED TO BE LIKE CHRIST!

WE AVOID SPIRITUAL NO PARKING ZONES:

1. BY BELIEVING THE BENEFITS OF GROWTH!

When we are growing spiritually:

A. WE WILL SEE CLEARLY!
*** John 8:12 “Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." [NLT]
*** John 9:39 “Jesus told him, "I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." [NLT]

B. WE WILL HAVE OVERFLOWING JOY!
*** John 15:9-11 “Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” [NLT]

- HAPPINESS IS BASED ON HAPPENINGS!

- JOY IS THE ASSURANCE THAT ULTIMATELY GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING!

*** Ps. 43:4 “There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy.”

C. WE WILL BE REALLY PRODUCTIVE!
*** John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” [New International Version]
*** Psalm 1:2-3 “They delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.” [NLT]

D. WE WILL LIVE WITHOUT FEAR!
*** 1 John 2:28 “Now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.” [Message Bible]

*** 2 Tim. 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now, a crown is being held for me—a crown for being right with God…not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” [New Century Version]

2. BY AVOIDING THE ROADBLOCKS TO GROWTH!
*** Luke 8:7 "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plant." [NIV]
*** Luke 8:11,14 "This is the meaning of the story: The seed is God's message. [14] The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.” [NLT]

THREE KINDS OF ROADBLOCKS:

WORRIES! WEALTH! WORLDLINESS!

3. BY PARTICIPATING IN THE PRACTICES OF GROWTH!
*** 1 Tim. 4:7b “Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit.” [Living Bible]

- GET STARTED!
*** Matthew 4:19-20 “Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples…." And they left their nets at once and went with him.” [NLT]
*** Hebrews 6:1a “So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.” [NLT]

- RELY ON THE RESOURCES!
*** Col. 1:28 “So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature person in Christ.” [NCV]

- OWN THE RESPONSIBILITY!
*** 2 Peter 1:5-6 “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness….” [NIV]
*** 2 Pet 3:18 “Grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”
*** Jude 1:20a “Dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith….” [Contemporary English Version]

- WORK AT IT!
*** Eph. 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” [NIV]

THREE STEP PROCESS:

PUT OFF! – Romans 6:12 “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.” [NLT]
PUT IN! - Romans 12:2a “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [NIV]
PUT ON! - Col. 2:6-7a “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught….” [NIV]
***James 1:4 “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” [NIV]