Scripture Focus:
1 Peter 2:1–3 – “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”
1 Peter 5:6–10 – “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers[a] all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
I. The Call to Grow – 1 Peter 2:1–3
“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”
-
- Put away sinful behaviors: deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, unkind speech.
- Crave pure spiritual milk — God’s Word — like a newborn baby.
- Growth is the natural response to consistent nourishment.
- You’ve tasted His kindness — now grow into salvation.
Quote: “You can’t crave God’s Word and cling to your sin — choose one.”
II. Growing in Measure: A Lifelong Process – 2 Peter 1:2–11
“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
-
- God has given all we need to grow — His power, promises, and presence.
- Growth is adding to your faith daily: excellence, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, affection, and love.
- Growth is not perfection, but progression.
- Neglect leads to blindness and stagnation.
Quote: “Growth is not about perfection; it’s about direction.”
III. The Fight That Hinders Growth –
1 Peter 5:8–10 – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
James 4:1–10 – “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
-
- The enemy seeks to devour — spiritual laziness is his ally.
- Stay alert, resist the devil, and draw near to God.
- Pride blocks growth; humility unlocks grace.
- Repentance and spiritual battle are part of the growth journey.
Quote: “The enemy feeds on your spiritual laziness — stay alert and stay fed.”
IV. The Reward in the Growth – John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
-
- True freedom is found in Christ.
- Growth leads to strength, restoration, and a firm foundation.
- Don’t return to your old ways — walk in truth and freedom.
Quote: “Don’t just survive the struggle — grow through it.”
Conclusion:
- “Spiritual growth isn’t optional — it’s evidence that you’re alive in Christ.”
- “If you’re not growing, you’re drifting.”
- “You can’t crave God’s Word and cling to your sin — choose one.”
- “Humility is the soil where spiritual growth takes root.”
- “The enemy feeds on your spiritual laziness — stay alert and stay fed.”
- “Don’t just survive the struggle — grow through it.”
- “God’s grace doesn’t just save you — it grows you.”
- “You will never outgrow your need for the Word of God.”
- “The fight for growth is daily — but so is God’s strength.”
- “Growth is not about perfection, it’s about direction.”
Growth is not a luxury; it’s a necessity!