Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Age of Opportunity: Chapter 5 – Know Them and Care for Them

“The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” (Proverbs 20:5)

by Josh Liu

One of my biblical counseling professors has often exhorted his students that we not only need to faithfully exegete the Word of God, but we must also exegete people. In other words, we need to seek to know the people we minister to. Biblical wisdom must be applied appropriately and with discernment. Paul David Tripp touches on this principle.

To briefly review, I have been summarizing and expanding each chapter of Paul Tripp’s Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens. Tripp has divided his book into three parts: (1) Clearing the Debris; (2) Setting Godly Goals; and (3) Practical Strategies for Parenting Teens. In Part One, Tripp confronted the secular and skewed attitude toward parenting. He sought to reclaim parenting to the glorious purpose of fulfilling God’s divine appointment of shepherding another soul through life, in and against the culture’s attitude of merely surviving those teen years. He challenged readers (parents) to examine idols (unbiblical, worldly, selfish expectations and goals) within their hearts for their children. He then examined “family” according to the Scripture, summarizing biblical anthropology and family community. This present chapter, Chapter Five: “Parents, Meet Your Teenager,” which concludes Part One (Clearing the Debris), highlights important reminders to keep when pursuing opportunities with teens. This can ultimately be expanded to seeking to know anyone you would counsel, witness to, and disciple.

Tripp begins by stating, “Effective parents of teenagers are people who are able to remember what it was like to live in the scary world of the teen years…. If parents fail to remember moments like this, if we fail to recognize how huge these events are to our teenagers, we will fail to take them seriously.” In other words, parents who trivialize teens’ struggles miss opportunities to shepherd their children toward Christ. Here are things to keep in mind when ministering to teens (or another person in general):

  • Deal with your own heart first (cf. Matt. 7:3-5)
  • Speak in the right place at the right time
  • Consider how you make biblical wisdom and correction appealing and desirable in your responses
  • Remember that counseling is not beating someone over the head with the “right answers”
  • Seek to come with honest questions, not accusations
  • Be ready to humbly and graciously respond to defensiveness or blame shifting
  • Patiently pursue when they distance themselves
  • Wisely engage; do not be characterized exclusively as a lecturer
  • Prayerfully trust in God to work in hearts

Tripp highlights common tendencies of teens for parents to remember and be sensitive to when ministering to their children, which, again, may be expanded to others in general:

  • A tendency toward legalism: Many reduce godly living to a set of do’s and don’ts. You need to communicate what it means to have a heart for God and for doing what is right.
  • A tendency to be unwise in their choice of companions: Do not resort to gossip and slander, but help them examine what biblical friendship is and looks like.
  • A susceptibility to sexual temptation: Tripp suggests teaching your children early and keeping the topic of relationships, intimacy, and temptation open.
  • An absence of eschatological presence: Many, particularly teens, live for the present moment (e.g. Y.O.L.O.). Challenge their pursuit of temporal (and vain) happiness, and direct them to eternal investments.
  • A lack of heart awareness: Help them expose spiritual blind spots to their own heart motivations, desires, expectations, thoughts, and feelings by asking heart-probing questions. Help them see what they truly value, and how that is impacting their choices.

The teenage years truly is an age of opportunity when one humbles himself before God, girds himself with Scripture, and faithfully shepherds his teenage children. It may be an overwhelming or daunting task, but these general principles and reminders may encourage you to prayerfully and powerfully bring the Word of God to every moment in life. As you seek to minister to others, draw out the heart with the Word of God.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Partnering in the Gospel

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This week a number of our church’s men have traveled to Grace Community Church for its Shepherds’ Conference. Each year, this proves to be one of the great annual highlights on the church’s calendar. But this year is particularly special because The Master’s Seminary is hosting a summit on the inerrancy of the Word of God. This has been the theme of the Shepherds’ Conference, and perhaps there has never been a time when it was more needed. It has been tremendously encouraging to see more than 4,500 pastors, missionaries, scholars, and church leaders come together to affirm the perfection, reliability, authority, and sufficiency of the Bible. It has been a great display of the unity that comes from the Spirit of God when believers are committed to God’s truth.

It is no surprise that one of the most prominent principles of application of the gospel we find in the New Testament is unity. Since we worship and serve one God, according to one truth, in one Spirit, by one faith, so God calls all believers to fellowship together as one (cf. Eph. 4:1-6). Any attack or compromise to the unity of the body of Christ is an attack or compromise in one’s theology of God. This is one of the key areas of Bible application where theology (what we believe) and theopraxis (what we do because of what we believe) come together.

The basis behind this unity is the gospel. Throughout the conference, though it has been a time focused on the inerrancy of Scripture, we have been reminded of the grace of God in salvation. We have sung the gospel, we have been taught the gospel, and the fellowship has been a reminder of the gospel that has brought us together. This certainly makes sense since the whole of the Word of God really in some ways is the gospel of God. It also makes sense since the goal of knowing Scripture is to come to know the God who authored the Scripture. All true believers share this common fellowship with their God and Savior, and this in turn brings believers together in fellowship with one another.

Through all of this, I have also been reminded of the unity we strive for in the Lighthouse Alliance. There are certain ideals that Lighthouse has held to throughout the years. We have said repeatedly that what defines Lighthouse is really its commitment to the MVP statement, the Peacemaker Pledge, and the doctrinal distinctions of the church. We have also communicated that the Lighthouse Alliance is striving to be more than just a simple association that agrees on the gospel. But while we are striving to be more than that, we are definitely not less than that. More foundational and fundamental to anything else we are doing is that the gospel brings us together and holds us together in fellowship with one another.

In this sense, we can echo the sentiment of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:3-5, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you . . . because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” This is a passage that Pastor John Kim of Lighthouse Los Angeles recently encouraged all the other Lighthouse pastors with, and it has been on my mind since. The word for partnership in this verse is koinonia, which is also translated “fellowship” or “participation.” It conveys the idea of holding together through the thick and thin of gospel ministry. It is not just about basking in the joys and successes of gospel ministry, but also trudging through the trials and hardships. Having a partnership in the gospel is a significant bond that I am thankful all the Lighthouse churches share in. We have walked with each other through some very difficult trials and we have rejoiced with each other in times of celebration, and all of this has been for the sake of the gospel and for the glory of God.

I am so grateful for this partnership we share in the gospel. The time we have been spending together at the Shepherds’ Conference has helped as a reminder of the blessing of this fellowship. It is also serving as a great opportunity worship together with thousands of other men who also value this fellowship.

And Because Of All This We Make A Sure Covenant

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Nehemiah 9:38

There are many occasions in our experience when we may very rightly, and with benefit, renew our covenant with God.

  • After recovery from sickness when, like Hezekiah, we have had a new term of years added to our life, we may fitly do it.
  • After any deliverance from trouble, when our joys bud forth anew, let us again visit the foot of the cross, and renew our consecration.
  • Especially, let us do this after any sin which has grieved the Holy Spirit, or brought dishonour upon the cause of God; let us then look to that blood which can make us whiter than snow, and again offer ourselves unto the Lord.

We should not only let our troubles confirm our dedication to God, but our prosperity should do the same. If we ever meet with occasions which deserve to be called ‘crowning mercies’ then, surely, if He hath crowned us, we ought also to crown our God; let us bring forth anew all the jewels of the divine regalia which have been stored in the jewel-closet of our heart, and let our God sit upon the throne of our love, arrayed in royal apparel. If we would learn to profit by our prosperity, we should not need so much adversity. If we would gather from a kiss all the good it might confer upon us, we should not so often smart under the rod. Have we lately received some blessing which we little expected? Has the Lord put our feet in a large room? Can we sing of mercies multiplied? Then this is the day to put our hand upon the horns of the altar, and say, ‘Bind me here, my God; bind me here with cords, even for ever.’ Inasmuch as we need the fulfillment of new promises from God, let us offer renewed prayers that our old vows may not be dishonoured. Let us this morning make with Him a sure covenant, because of the pains of Jesus which for the last month we have been considering with gratitude.

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A Day in the Life of a Sparklers’ Teacher

by Esther Cheng

If you’ve ever been to a flock group at Lighthouse, you’ve (hopefully) seen the flocks worksheet. There’s a question where it asks you to describe the sermon to a child in 1-2 sentences – which sounds like what we do for Sparklers! I’ve had the joy of being able to serve in the Sparklers’ ministry for the past two years, and I just wanted to share some insight as to what goes through my mind as I prepare a Sparklers’ lesson.

Just to give you some context (in case you’ve never observed a Sparklers’ class in action), all staff members are on rotation to teach and we present a 5-10 minute lesson to a group of 10+ preschool-age children.

Teach Accurately

We ought to rightly handle the Word of God. No matter the age of whom we are teaching the Word of God, we ought to prepare with care! At times, I even feel like sometimes I need to more deeply study the Word when teaching children, since it takes a thorough understanding of the passage to be able to find the right words to communicate it in simpler terms. With the Sparklers, it could be easy to think that they just want to play during lesson time, but they are listening! What they remember and their level of comprehension surprise me sometimes – and all the more, I am reminded to be aware of what I teach them.

Teach Specifically

With kids, we have to teach in a way that they can understand and would be helpful for them. For example – I could tell them all the details of the building of the tabernacle; however, with the kids’ short attention spans, it can be easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. A good question to keep in mind would be: “What should the kids take away from the lesson?” The Bible is thorough in its descriptions, but I have to focus on what would help the children understand the character of God more. When reading passages from the Bible, there may be words and concepts that are challenging for them to grasp, so we teachers have to be thoughtful about the illustrations and the words that we use to describe and explain what the Bible says.

Teach Historically

In Sparklers, we teach lessons of things that happened in history – moments that are not just fictional stories, but actual, historical, documented events in the Bible. This is something that we’ve been trying to emphasize lately, and although it sounds simple enough, it’s something that even we as teachers must remember and reflect upon. Having grown up with Bible stories myself, it can be easy to lump Biblical narratives with your everyday bedtime story, instead of seeing each Bible lesson’s characters as real people that God worked through. With events as intense as the ten plagues, it can be easier for me to visualize the Prince of Egypt movie instead of an actual devastating plague. As I read through the Bible to prepare my lesson, I need to take time to pause and meditate on the Word to dwell on the character of God revealed through these historical events; we ought to be God-centered in what we teach. This was pretty different from what I remembered growing up, since too often were the characters in the lessons championed as the heroes (whether it be Moses, David, etc.). When I teach now, I have to remember that they were people who the Lord our God used throughout history in His sovereign plan.

No matter how well I prepare a lesson, only the Lord can work in the childrens’ hearts. I could have the most animated expressions, the best illustrations, the best vocal impressions… and even so, it is only the Lord who works in their hearts. All the more do I need to depend on God for wisdom and patience, seeing these teaching times as precious opportunities to share the Gospel with kids!

…Stood A Lamb As It Had Been Slain

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Revelation 5:6

Why should our exalted Lord appear in His wounds in glory? The wounds of Jesus are His glories, His jewels, His sacred ornaments. To the eye of the believer, Jesus is passing fair because He is ‘white and ruddy’ white with innocence, and ruddy with His own blood. We see Him as the lily of matchless purity, and as the rose crimsoned with His own gore. Christ is lovely upon Olivet and Tabor, and by the sea, but oh! there never was such a matchless Christ as He that did hang upon the cross. There we beheld all His beauties in perfection, all His attributes developed, all His love drawn out, all His character expressed.

Beloved, the wounds of Jesus are far more fair in our eyes than all the splendour and pomp of kings. The thorny crown is more than an imperial diadem. It is true that He bears not now the sceptre of reed, but there was a glory in it that never flashed from sceptre of gold. Jesus wears the appearance of a slain Lamb as His court dress in which He wooed our souls, and redeemed them by His complete atonement. Nor are these only the ornaments of Christ: they are the trophies of His love and of His victory. He has divided the spoil with the strong. He has redeemed for Himself a great multitude whom no man can number, and these scars are the memorials of the fight. Ah! if Christ thus loves to retain the thought of His sufferings for His people, how precious should his wounds be to us!

‘Behold how every wound of His
A precious balm distils,
Which heals the scars that sin had made,
And cures all mortal ills.

‘Those wounds are mouths that preach His grace;
The ensigns of His love;
The seals of our expected bliss
In paradise above.’

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LBC Weekly SPARK – February 20, 2015

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends!

This past week, I had the pleasure of traveling to the Bay Area to spend some time with the other Lighthouse pastors. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun! It also served as a great reminder of the truths that have brought us together in the partnership of the gospel. I was reminded of how so often in the New Testament Paul wrote of his gratitude for his co-laborers in the faith and how they provided much needed support and encouragement along the way.

In the same way, I’m very thankful that the Lord has assembled this team to work together in the ministry of Lighthouse. It has been tremendously encouraging to see how like-minded and committed these men are to the MVP Statement, Peacemaker Pledge, and doctrinal distinctions of LBC. May the Lord continue to be gracious to cause us all to grow together in Him and give us wisdom to consider all the various opportunities and advantages we have in striving together with a common purpose and towards a common goal.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some opportunities for ministry for you to consider:

  1. Midweek Bible Studies. Our midweek Bible studies continue tonight as College Life and Lumos Youth Ministry meet at the church at 7:00 PM. Visit the church website for more information about these ministries!
  2. Membership Class. There is a membership class this weekend for all those interested in pursuing membership at Lighthouse Bible Church. The class will meet on Saturday, February 21, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and again on Sunday, February 22, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Attendance at both classes is required. Please email Pastor Patrick if you have any questions.
  3. Baptism Service. We will be having a baptism service on Sunday, February 22, at 4:00 PM, at the church. Please come out and support all those who will be sharing their testimony of God’s grace to them.
  4. Singles Retreat. The singles retreat is March 13-15 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. Our speaker this year is Pastor Alton To of San Francisco Bible Church. The cost for the retreat is only $150! You can register with Jonathan Eng and Larry Wu.
  5. Flocks. Our next flocks week will be on February 25-28. During flocks week, all our regularly scheduled midweek Bible studies are cancelled. If you would like more information about our regional flocks, please visit the church website or contact Cesar Vigil-Ruiz (jn316niv@gmail.com).
  6. Czech Republic Missions. The dates for this year’s trip to the Czech Republic are July 1-18. If you are interested in applying for the team, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application. Applications are due by March 1.
  7. The Dropbox Film. If you are not planning on attending the Shepherds’ Conference, I would highly recommend that you go and see “The Dropbox” film. It will be playing at the AMC La Jolla 12 and at Edwards Mira Mesa. This is a wonderful story of compassion about a pastor in Seoul who rescues unwanted children. I believe the movie is only showing on March 3-5 with limited showtimes. Visit www.thedropboxfilm.com for more information.
  8. Needs for Prayer.

Emily Choi. Please continue to pray for Emily, who is the daughter of Pastor Aaron and Tina Choi of Berean Mission Church in Millbrae, CA. Emily has been diagnosed with stage 4, high risk neuroblastoma, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. The Choi family is very dear to us at Lighthouse. Please pray that God would show grace to this family and for healing for little Emily. Pastor Patrick will be preaching at Berean Mission Church on Sunday, March 1.

Esther Yi. Please continue to pray for our sister Esther who has been diagnosed with a mass in her head. Doctors are still assessing her condition and looking for the best way to monitor and treat her.

Marriage Check Up: Session 4

by Ivan and Nancy Cheng

Marriage is not just a covenant relationship between a man and a woman, but actually two families coming together. In Grace Life, we recently covered the chapter “God’s Blueprint for Marriage” from Preparing for Marriage God’s Way by Wayne Mack. An important concept to consider is how your individual family backgrounds would affect your marriage. It would be valuable to discuss the similarities and differences between your families, personality features of your mothers and fathers, family values, views about responsibilities and roles of the husband/father and wife/mother, and the impact your family background has on you positively and negatively. Even In-law relationships can affect how two independent lives merge into a one-flesh relationship.

We read two narratives from the Bible to discern what characteristics make a good in-law relationship.

  • Exodus 18 describes Moses’ relationship with his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses displayed respect and affection for his father-in-law, he guarded himself against pride, and communicated in a loving, affirming way. When Jethro saw Moses struggle with judging Israel, Jethro gave Moses some advice that he graciously accepted and put into practice.
  • In the book of Ruth, we see another model of a good in-law relationship. Naomi showed love and concern for others in her time of affliction. By her life, she inspired her daughter-in-law, Ruth, to serve God also. In Ruth’s life, we see she is recognized for her noble character and exemplified faithfulness, loyalty, and compassion towards Naomi.

Having a healthy relationship with the in-laws can bring tremendous harmony to your marriage. Consider some practical ways of expressing appreciation for in-laws and indicating the type of relationship you want to have with them. Most importantly, express gratitude and respect towards your father, mother, and in-laws while expecting that the future will bring new and enjoyable aspects to your relationship.

We Are More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loved Us

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Romans 8:37

We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, ‘O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?’ Take your sins to Christ’s cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are crucified with Him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus.

To give an illustration-you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted Him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way? It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, ‘Lord, I trust Thee to deliver me from it.’ This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell Him, ‘Lord, I have trusted Thee, and Thy name is Jesus, for Thou dost save Thy people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!’ Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, and your tears-the whole of them put together-are worth nothing apart from Him. ‘None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good;’ or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through Him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among His olives in Gethsemane.

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Singles Recap: Speaking the Truth in Love

by Esther Cheng

Have you ever received a death grip handshake where you felt like your hand was being crushed by a vise? Or perhaps the opposite – a handshake so limp you might as well have been grabbing a jellyfish tentacle? When we speak the truth without love, it’s possible that we crush the people we interact with due to a lack of love and empathy. On the flip side, if we neglect sharing the truth of God’s Word in the name of “love,” we provide no substance to the other individual and in that way, actually withhold the love of God from them too.

This past week, Kevin Tse spoke on chapter 8 of Ken Sande’s The Peacemaker on the topic of speaking the truth in love. I was particularly thankful for this sermon because it is all too common where I see myself wanting to give counsel focusing only on half of “speaking the truth in love.” At times, I fail to genuinely love and care for the person but instead bombard the person with Scripture. Scripture is profitable for all things (2 Timothy 3:16), but without love, I can just be a noisy gong (1 Corinthians 13:1). On the other hand, there are times when I withhold from pointing the other person in the name of “loving” them. When I pause to evaluate my heart, it is often from a fear of man that I do so and in this case, is actually unloving to them that I withhold the goodness of God’s Word (Proverbs 27:6)! We must be on guard of our own thoughts and motives and seek speak the truth in love.

In conflict situations, there is a presumption that there is already a perceived wrong; that something is off and requires gentle restoration (Galatians 6:1). This would not simply be a chance to fix your relationship with the offender, but of their relationship with God. Sure, we know 1 Corinthians 10:31 by heart and understand that glorifying God is of utmost importance, but do we seek His glory in restoring a relationship? In our hearts, are we actually desiring the other individual to fess up for treating you in an unpleasant way? Or do we want the awkward silence and tension to end in the room when they’re around? No matter how much they sinned against us, most importantly, the sin was committed against God. In Psalm 51, David was convicted of his sin towards the Lord alone; in verse 4, he cries out to God saying, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” It’s not to say that he didn’t sin against Bathsheba or Uriah, but the magnitude of the offense to God was exponentially greater when faced with His holiness. We must keep this perspective as we speak the truth in love to our brothers and sisters – that ultimately, we seek their restoration with a holy and just God. In Ephesians 4:29, it mentions that we ought to seek to build the other person up in their relationship with God – we can do this by pointing them to their sin which Christ died for. This also fits the occasion that they desperately have a need to repent of their sins to the Lord.

Before we go revealing every detail of a person’s sinful actions, we need to remember to restore others gently… and remember, we are not the Holy Spirit! Even if we reveal their sins against God (and perhaps to others, or even to their own bodies), only the Holy Spirit can convict them of sin. In humility, be quick to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19). It is possible that there was miscommunication, or they could be a young / immature believer who does not understand that what they did was sin. After all, “we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Bear with the failings of others, not by sweeping sin issues under the rug, but encouraging others in truth and love. Rewind back to when Christ first saved us – how as immature Christians, there was much to learn and many mistakes made along the way… and yet, our shortcomings and sins could not separate us from His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) and nothing could separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39). God is gracious and thankfully, He uses these difficult situations to sanctify us until the day we die (Philippians 1:6).

May we prayerfully and humbly seek the Lord for wisdom as we struggle with our flesh to seek God’s glory amidst the painful impacts of another’s sin against God.

Signs of Spiritual Maturity #18: A Passionate Desire to Grow in Maturity

“There are many Christian people in our churches today who do not want to be taught. They object to teaching and only look to be entertained. They say as much and criticize ministers who are trying to teach them. They insist they want something from the heart, and say they cannot be bothered with doctrine – it demands too much effort on their part. They will not read solid books, therefore, but only snippets and digests. They do not believe in studying God’s Word.”(DM Lloyd-Jones on Romans 14:17, Romans)

by Elder Peter Lim

Although there’s no shortage of topics to write regarding Spiritual Maturity, I will bring this series to an end here. If you haven’t figured it out by now, pretty much all the articles here on the Beacon are designed to increase your spiritual maturity in one way or another, so I’m sure I’ll be getting the other topics that I’ve been thinking about into a Beacon article in the future.

As this quote by DM Lloyd-Jones says, many people don’t want to work hard in order to pursue spiritual maturity. Or they want to be mature without going through a difficult process of study, conviction, and refinement. Sometimes people will even express a desire to “want to want” maturity. That is, they don’t actually want maturity because they know that it’s not going to be easy to give up the things of the world and pursue Christ. I’m not talking about people who truly seek to be spiritually mature and are finding it difficult, or are experiencing some failures along the journey. I’m talking about those who claim to have been Christians for a while (or want to be one) who have simply given up hope that they can grow or the that cost is too high.

Typically these are people whose desire to change their questionable lifestyle is shallow and short-lived. They are satisfied with lack of growth or are too lazy to think deeply about holiness. They tend to question whether gray area issues are so bad because they don’t mind going toward the direction of the “sin border” rather than away from it. They get bored easily and would rather be entertained by worldly entertainment. They sometimes have doubts about their own faith and they struggle with sin regularly.

In contrast, a sign of someone who is growing in maturity is a passionate desire to grow. They are not satisfied with the level of their current personal holiness and look for ways to continue to change. This is true whether they’ve been a Christian for a short time or for decades. Presumably, those who have been a Christian longer should be more mature which ironically leads to a greater desire to mature. This desire to grow is a result of a firm understanding that the most mature of us still lack holiness by a wide margin, and our desire is to be holy as God is holy. (1 Peter 1:16) If you desire to grow in maturity and be challenged, ask someone to help keep you accountable to put this desire into action and to sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron.

It should be fairly obvious by now that the things mentioned in this series of articles are calls to a never-ending journey toward a direction, not merely a destination. Well, almost never-ending. All this maturing ends in the presence of Jesus Christ when we dwell with Him forever
in Heaven.