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How God Trains You to Grow | The Hidden Process of Spiritual Maturity | GracePrayer Sermon | NO ADS — Transcript

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0:02If God loves me, why does he allow me to
0:04go through trials? If God loves me, why
0:08does he let me wait so long for
0:09something I have prayed about again and
0:11again?
0:13If God loves me, why doesn't he remove
0:15the pain the moment I ask him?
0:18Why does he sometimes allow me to walk
0:20through seasons where I feel weak,
0:23confused, disappointed, or even
0:26completely unprepared?
0:28Have you ever asked those questions?
0:31Maybe you are asking them right [music]
0:32now. You know that God loves you. You
0:36believe that he is good. You believe
0:38that he hears your prayers.
0:41And yet there are moments when what you
0:43believe about God seems difficult to
0:45reconcile with what you are experiencing
0:47in life.
0:49You pray but the situation remains. You
0:53ask for direction [music] but the road
0:55still seems uncertain.
0:57You ask God to open a door, but instead
1:00you find yourself waiting.
1:03And somewhere deep inside, you begin
1:06wondering.
1:07Lord, if you really love me, why are you
1:11allowing this?
1:13Welcome, my dear friends, to this space
1:16with God. [music] My name is James and I
1:19am truly grateful to spend this time
1:21with you today.
1:23Wherever you are listening from, I pray
1:25that you have a beautiful and blessed
1:27new day.
1:29Maybe you are drinking your morning
1:30coffee.
1:32Maybe you are driving to work. Maybe you
1:34are sitting quietly before everyone else
1:36in your home wakes up. Or perhaps today
1:40has already begun with something heavy
1:41on your heart.
1:44Whatever your situation may be, I want
1:46you to know that you do not have to rush
1:48through these next few moments. Give
1:50yourself permission to be still.
1:53Bring your questions with you. Bring
1:56your disappointments.
1:58Bring the things you do not understand.
2:01Because sometimes the questions we are
2:03afraid to ask are exactly where God
2:06begins teaching us something deeper
2:07about himself.
2:10For many years, I think many of us
2:12unconsciously develop a certain idea
2:15about God's love.
2:17We think if God loves me, he will make
2:21things easier for me. If God is pleased
2:24with me, everything should work out
2:26quickly. If I pray faithfully, surely he
2:29will remove every obstacle. And then
2:32life happens. A prayer is delayed. A
2:36relationship becomes difficult. A plan
2:38fails. Someone disappoints us. We lose
2:43something we thought we needed. We enter
2:45a season we never would have chosen for
2:47ourselves.
2:49Suddenly, we begin questioning whether
2:51God is still with us.
2:53But what if God's love is much deeper
2:55than simply making us comfortable?
2:58What if God loves you too much to leave
3:00you exactly as you are? Think about a
3:02loving father raising a child. When a
3:06child is very young, the father carries
3:08him. He ties his shoes. He prepares his
3:12food. He holds his hand when crossing
3:14the street. He makes many decisions for
3:17him because the child is not yet ready
3:20to make those decisions himself.
3:23But imagine if that father continued
3:25doing everything for his child [music]
3:27when the child became 20, 30 or 40 years
3:31old.
3:33We would not call that good parenting.
3:36Love does not only protect. Love also
3:39prepares. A wise father gradually
3:42teaches his child how to walk, how to
3:45choose, how to accept responsibility,
3:47[music] how to recover after failure,
3:50and how to stand when life becomes
3:52difficult.
3:54And spiritually, [music]
3:55our heavenly father is doing something
3:57similar in us. God is not simply taking
4:00you somewhere. God is making you into
4:02someone.
4:04Listen carefully to the instruction
4:06Peter gives believers in 2 Peter 3:18.
4:11But grow in the grace and knowledge of
4:13our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him
4:16be glory both now and forever. Amen.
4:20Notice that word grow.
4:23Peter does not say simply believe once
4:26and remain exactly where you are. He
4:28says grow.
4:30Salvation is the beginning of a
4:32relationship with Christ, not the end of
4:34[music] spiritual development.
4:37God desires that the person who comes to
4:39Christ begins becoming increasingly
4:41rooted, increasingly discerning,
4:45increasingly obedient, increasingly
4:47loving, and increasingly like Jesus.
4:50That means spiritual maturity is not
4:53reaching a point where you never
4:54struggle again. A mature Christian can
4:57still experience sorrow. A mature
5:00Christian can still face temptation.
5:03A mature Christian [music] can still
5:05have unanswered questions.
5:07Spiritual maturity means that when those
5:09moments arrive, you increasingly know
5:12where to stand, what to believe, and
5:15whom to trust.
5:17So why does God care so much about our
5:19growth? First, because God is shaping us
5:23into the likeness of his son. Listen to
5:25Romans 8 29.
5:28For those God forneew he also
5:30predestined [music] to be conformed to
5:32the image of his son that he might be
5:35the firstborn among many brothers and
5:37sisters.
5:39God's purpose for you goes far beyond
5:41giving you a comfortable life. He is
5:44forming the character of Christ within
5:46you and that changes the way we look at
5:49certain seasons.
5:51Sometimes we ask God for patience but
5:54patience develops when we have something
5:56to wait for. We ask God for stronger
5:58faith. But faith becomes stronger when
6:01we must trust him without seeing
6:03everything clearly.
6:05We ask God to make us more forgiving.
6:08And then we encounter someone who gives
6:10us an opportunity to practice
6:12forgiveness.
6:14We ask for wisdom and suddenly we face a
6:17decision where human understanding is
6:18not enough.
6:20We want the character but we often do
6:23not want the process. Yet God sees both.
6:26He sees the person you are today and he
6:29sees the person you can become as you
6:31continue surrendering yourself to him.
6:34More patient, more humble, more
6:36discerning, more courageous, more
6:39forgiving, more obedient, more loving,
6:43more deeply rooted in Christ.
6:46Second, [music] spiritual maturity
6:48protects you. We are living in a world
6:51filled with voices. Every [music] day
6:53someone is telling you what to believe,
6:56what to value, what happiness should
6:58look like, what success means, [music]
7:01and how you should live. Social media
7:03has a voice. Culture has a voice.
7:07Friends have voices. Fear has a voice.
7:11Your emotions have a voice. And not
7:13every voice speaking confidently is
7:15speaking truth. An immature believer can
7:19hear something that sounds spiritual and
7:21immediately accept it. But as we grow in
7:24God's word, something begins changing.
7:27We develop discernment. Instead of
7:30asking only, "Does this sound good?" We
7:34begin asking, "Is this true according to
7:37God's word?" That is one of the
7:39beautiful signs of maturity. You no
7:42longer allow every opinion to move you.
7:45You no longer allow every emotion to
7:47command you. You no longer allow every
7:50popular idea to define truth for you.
7:54Your roots begin going deeper. And when
7:56the wind blows, you may bend, but you
7:59are not easily uprooted.
8:02Third,
8:04God wants you to grow because he wants a
8:06deeper relationship with you.
8:09There is a tremendous difference between
8:11knowing things about God and actually
8:13knowing God.
8:16You can memorize verses and still keep
8:18God at a distance. You can attend church
8:21and still [music] speak to him only when
8:23you need something. You can know
8:25biblical stories without learning to
8:27recognize the character of the God who
8:29stands behind those stories. But as you
8:32mature, prayer begins changing.
8:36At first, many of our prayers sound
8:39like, "God, give me this. God, fix that.
8:45God, open this door. God, remove this
8:49problem." And there is nothing wrong
8:51with bringing our needs to our father.
8:54He invites us to do that. But
8:56relationship grows deeper when our
8:58prayer also becomes, "Father, what are
9:01you teaching me? What needs to change
9:04[music] in me? What do you want me to
9:06see? How can I obey you here? How can I
9:10know you more deeply through this
9:12season? That is growth. You begin
9:15wanting more than God's hand. You begin
9:18wanting God's heart. You begin trusting
9:21his character when you cannot [music]
9:22understand his methods. You begin
9:25obeying when you cannot yet see the
9:27outcome. You begin discovering that
9:29God's presence is sometimes more
9:31precious than the answer you originally
9:33wanted from him.
9:35My friend, perhaps that changes the
9:38question we began with. Instead of
9:40asking only if God loves [music] me, why
9:43am I going through this? Perhaps we can
9:46also begin asking because God loves me,
9:49what might he be developing in me
9:51through this? That does not mean every
9:54painful event is directly sent by God.
9:57Scripture never asks us to call evil
9:59good. We live in a broken world. People
10:03make harmful choices and there are
10:05realities we may not fully understand
10:08this side of eternity.
10:10But it does mean that suffering does not
10:12place you beyond God's reach. He can
10:15meet you there. He can sustain you
10:18there. And he can use even what he did
10:20not delight in to deepen your dependence
10:23upon him and shape your character. And
10:26this brings us to a much more difficult
10:28question. If God wants us to mature,
10:32what role do trials actually play in
10:34that process? Why does God sometimes
10:37stop the storm? While at other times, he
10:40gives us strength to walk through it.
10:43Why does he sometimes answer immediately
10:46while at other times he allows us to
10:49wait?
10:50And when the enemy attacks, how much
10:53control does he really have?
10:56There is one man in the Bible whose life
10:58forces us to confront these questions.
11:01Job.
11:03Job loved God. Job was faithful. Yet
11:07suddenly his life entered a season he
11:10could not understand. What Job saw on
11:13earth looked like chaos.
11:15But what was happening in the unseen
11:17realm tells us something extraordinary
11:19about God's sovereignty, the boundaries
11:22of testing and the hidden process
11:24through which faith is strengthened.
11:27And that is where we are going next.
11:33Before I truly began listening to the
11:35word of God and allowing it to shape my
11:38life, there were difficulties that could
11:40knock me down so deeply that I did not
11:42know how to get back up. A
11:45disappointment could stay in my mind for
11:46days. A painful word from someone could
11:50steal my peace. An unanswered prayer
11:52could make me wonder whether God had
11:54forgotten me. When something did not
11:57happen the way I expected, I would
12:00sometimes feel as though everything was
12:01falling apart. But as I look at my life
12:03today, I realize something that makes me
12:06deeply grateful to God.
12:09Some situations that would have
12:10completely overwhelmed me years ago
12:12still come, but I no longer respond to
12:15them in the same way.
12:18I still feel pain. I still have moments
12:21of uncertainty.
12:23I still have questions.
12:26But somewhere along the journey, God
12:28taught me how to stand again. He taught
12:31me where to run when my heart was
12:33troubled. He taught me to pray before
12:36reacting. He taught me to return to his
12:38word when my emotions were telling me
12:40something different.
12:42He taught me that a closed door does not
12:44mean he has abandoned me. That waiting
12:47does not mean he has forgotten me. And
12:50that difficulty does not mean he has
12:52stopped loving me.
12:54And today when I face certain
12:56circumstances with greater peace than I
12:58once could, I find myself thanking God
13:01for the seasons that came before them.
13:04At the time, I wanted [music] those
13:07seasons to end. I prayed for God to
13:10remove them. I could not understand why
13:12they lasted so long. But now, I can see
13:15that God was preparing me for [music]
13:17things I had not yet encountered.
13:20He was teaching me lessons before I knew
13:23I would need them. He was strengthening
13:25spiritual muscles before I knew what
13:27weight I would someday have to carry.
13:31He was building roots before the
13:33stronger winds arrived.
13:36My friend, perhaps you will discover the
13:39same thing about your life. Some of the
13:41things you are learning today may not
13:43make complete sense [music] yet because
13:45you have not reached the moment when you
13:47will need what God is teaching you.
13:50Sometimes we think God is delaying us
13:52when he is actually preparing us.
13:55Sometimes we think nothing is happening
13:57because our circumstances have not
13:58changed. While God is quietly changing
14:01the person [music] who will eventually
14:03walk into the next season, that brings
14:05us to one of the greatest mistakes we
14:07[music] can make as Christians. Assuming
14:11if something is difficult, God must have
14:13abandoned me. If that [music] were true,
14:16we would have to conclude that God
14:18abandoned almost every great person of
14:20faith in scripture.
14:22Joseph had a prison.
14:24Moses had a wilderness.
14:27David had caves.
14:29Daniel had a lion's den.
14:32Paul had suffering, opposition,
14:35imprisonment, and hardship. And Job
14:37experienced a season so painful that
14:39even today his name is almost synonymous
14:41with suffering.
14:43Yet Job's story gives us an
14:45extraordinary window into something he
14:47himself could not see.
14:50In Job 1:es 6-12,
14:53scripture describes a scene in the
14:55heavenly court. Satan challenges Job's
14:58integrity and argues that Job serves God
15:01only because God has blessed and
15:03protected him. The Lord permits a severe
15:06test. But he also establishes a boundary
15:09[music] that Satan cannot cross. This
15:11passage is mysterious and the book of
15:14Job does not answer every question we
15:16might have about suffering. But it
15:18reveals something essential.
15:21Satan is not sovereign. God is. The
15:25enemy does not possess unlimited
15:26authority.
15:28Job's world appeared to be collapsing.
15:31But heaven had not lost control. Think
15:34about that for a moment. Job knew what
15:37was happening to him, but he did not
15:39know everything happening around him.
15:41Job saw tragedy. God saw a reality Job
15:44could not see. Job experienced loss. God
15:48knew the boundaries of the testing.
15:51Job asked questions because he could not
15:53understand what was happening. But God's
15:56sovereignty had not disappeared simply
15:58because Job could not see it. And
16:00perhaps that is where some of us are
16:02today. You see the doctor's report, but
16:05you cannot see tomorrow.
16:08You see the [music] rejection, but you
16:10cannot see where God may redirect your
16:12life.
16:14You see the closed door, but you cannot
16:16see what might have happened had that
16:18door opened. You see the waiting, but
16:22you cannot yet see what God is
16:23developing while you wait.
16:26You see what you lost, but you cannot
16:28see the whole story.
16:30Faith does not mean pretending that loss
16:32does not hurt. Job grieved [music]
16:35deeply.
16:36Faith does not mean calling evil good or
16:39claiming that every tragedy is directly
16:41sent by God.
16:44Scripture gives us a far more serious
16:46picture of suffering than that. We live
16:49in a fallen world.
16:51Human beings make sinful choices. The
16:54enemy opposes what is good. Bodies
16:58become sick. Relationships [music]
17:00break, injustice happens.
17:03There are mysteries we will not fully
17:05understand in this life. But Job teaches
17:08us that our inability to understand what
17:10is happening does not mean God has
17:13surrendered his throne.
17:15There is a difference between saying God
17:18caused everything that hurt me and
17:20saying nothing that hurt me can prevent
17:24God from working redemptively in my
17:26life. That distinction matters.
17:29Sometimes we are begging God to change
17:30something around us while he is doing
17:33something profound within us. We say,
17:37[music] "Lord, change my circumstances."
17:40While God may be developing
17:41perseverance,
17:43we say, "Lord, take this difficult
17:46person away." While God may be teaching
17:49us forgiveness, wisdom, courage, or
17:52healthy boundaries,
17:54we say, "Lord, open this door now."
17:58While God may be developing patience and
18:00discernment so that we will know what to
18:03do when the right door finally opens. We
18:06say, "Lord, make this easier." While God
18:09may be teaching us that his strength
18:10becomes most precious when ours is
18:12insufficient.
18:14Have you ever noticed how often we ask
18:16God to make us stronger and then become
18:19surprised when he allows us to face
18:21something that requires strength?
18:23We pray for faith, but faith must have
18:26something to trust God through. We pray
18:28for patience, but patience requires
18:30waiting. We pray for courage, but
18:33courage has no meaning without something
18:35that makes us [music] afraid. We pray
18:37for wisdom, but wisdom often develops
18:40through decisions where the answer is
18:41not immediately obvious.
18:44We pray for perseverance. But
18:46perseverance cannot grow if everything
18:48ends the moment it becomes
18:50uncomfortable.
18:52This is why the trial is not
18:53automatically evidence of God's
18:55displeasure.
18:57Sometimes the trial becomes a classroom
18:59where faith matures and once we
19:01understand that [music] the question
19:03changes.
19:05Instead of asking only how quickly can I
19:08get out of this, we begin asking [music]
19:11Lord, how should I live while I am here?
19:15That brings us to the next part of God's
19:17training. His training requires our
19:20response.
19:21God does not merely want us to survive
19:23difficulty.
19:25He wants us to learn how to respond
19:27faithfully within [music] it.
19:29One of the first things maturity teaches
19:31us is how to choose God's direction even
19:34when we do not understand everything.
19:37Listen to Proverbs 3:es 5-6. [music]
19:41Trust in the Lord with all your heart
19:43and lean not on your own understanding.
19:46In all your ways, submit to him and he
19:50will make your paths straight.
19:52Those words sound beautiful when
19:54everything is going well. But they
19:56become much more difficult when God's
19:58way does not make sense to us.
20:02Lean not on your own understanding means
20:04there will be moments when your
20:06understanding is not enough. There will
20:08be moments when your feelings tell you
20:09one thing while God's word tells you
20:12another.
20:14There will be moments when the easiest
20:15decision is not the wisest decision.
20:19There will be moments when obedience
20:21costs you something.
20:23Spiritual maturity learns to ask a
20:25different question. Not merely what will
20:29make me feel better immediately, but
20:32what decision honors God right now?
20:35Those two questions can lead to very
20:37different choices. Sometimes what
20:39removes your discomfort fastest is
20:42walking away from a responsibility God
20:44wants you to fulfill.
20:46Sometimes what feels easiest is saying
20:50something in anger instead of remaining
20:52quiet until your heart is calm.
20:56Sometimes the fastest escape from
20:58loneliness is entering a relationship
21:00you already know is [music] unhealthy.
21:03Sometimes the fastest way to avoid
21:05conflict is compromising a conviction.
21:08Sometimes the easiest response to
21:10disappointment is bitterness. But
21:13maturity says, "I may not understand
21:16everything, but I know whom I trust."
21:20And then [music] comes another part of
21:21training that may be even harder.
21:25Remaining faithful [music]
21:26after you have made the right choice.
21:29It is one thing to choose correctly for
21:31one day. It is another thing to continue
21:34choosing correctly when nothing seems to
21:36improve.
21:38Making one good decision is not the full
21:40picture of maturity. Continuing in that
21:43decision when it becomes costly develops
21:46endurance. Jesus says to the church in
21:48Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10,
21:52"Since you have kept my command to
21:54endure patiently, I will also keep you
21:57from the hour of trial that is going to
21:58come on the whole world to test the
22:00inhabitants of the earth." Notice the
22:03phrase endure patiently.
22:06There are moments when obedience becomes
22:08tiring.
22:10There are moments when you pray
22:11faithfully and still do not see the
22:13answer. There are moments when
22:15compromise looks easier than conviction.
22:18There are moments when you watch someone
22:19else take shortcuts and appear to
22:22succeed while you are trying to remain
22:24faithful.
22:26And you may quietly ask, Lord, is this
22:30worth it? That is precisely where
22:33endurance is being formed. Maturity
22:35[music] is not merely choosing correctly
22:38once. Maturity is remaining faithful
22:41when the cost of that choice increases.
22:45Think again [music] about physical
22:46training. You do not become stronger
22:49because you lifted a weight once.
22:51Strength develops because the muscles
22:53experience resistance repeatedly and
22:55gradually adapt.
22:57Spiritually, [music] resistance can
22:59expose where we are weak, but it can
23:02also become an opportunity to practice
23:04faithfulness.
23:06The goal is not pain for the sake of
23:08pain.
23:09The goal is growth. A wise trainer does
23:12not add weight simply to watch someone
23:14suffer. The resistance has a purpose.
23:18And our heavenly father knows us far
23:20better than any human trainer ever
23:22could.
23:23So what [music] begins to happen as we
23:25learn to endure? One important change is
23:28that things which once controlled us
23:30begin losing some of their power.
23:33Listen carefully to 1 Corinthians 10:13.
23:39No temptation has overtaken you except
23:41what is common to mankind.
23:44And God is faithful. He will not let you
23:47be tempted beyond what you can bear.
23:50But when you are tempted, he will also
23:52provide a way out so that you can endure
23:54it. This verse is specifically about
23:57temptation. So we should not use it to
23:59claim that every hardship will always
24:01feel manageable or that Christians will
24:04never be overwhelmed emotionally.
24:07Paul himself described seasons of
24:09extraordinary pressure. But this promise
24:12tells us something precious about
24:14temptation.
24:16God is faithful and temptation [music]
24:18never removes our responsibility or
24:21God's provision for obedience.
24:24He provides a way to endure without
24:26surrendering to sin. And maturity
24:28[music] begins teaching us to recognize
24:30that way more quickly. Perhaps years
24:33ago, rejection could control your entire
24:35sense of worth.
24:37Now it still hurts, but you remember who
24:39you are in Christ. Perhaps anger once
24:42immediately controlled your mouth. Now
24:45you begin recognizing the warning signs,
24:48[music] becoming quiet, praying, and
24:50choosing your words more carefully.
24:53Perhaps fear once made every decision
24:56for you. Now fear may still knock at the
24:59door, but it no longer owns the house.
25:02Perhaps temptation once caught you
25:04completely unprepared.
25:06Now you recognize the pattern earlier.
25:09You know which situations make you
25:11vulnerable. You know when to leave. You
25:15know when to pray. You know when to call
25:17a trusted believer. You know which
25:20scripture to remember. The temptation
25:23may not have disappeared.
25:25You have changed. That is something we
25:28often miss when we ask God for
25:30deliverance.
25:32Sometimes we imagine victory [music]
25:34means we will never encounter that
25:36battle again. But sometimes victory
25:38looks like facing something that once
25:40controlled you and discovering [music]
25:42that through God's grace it no longer
25:46has the same authority over you. You can
25:49look back and say I remember when this
25:52would have destroyed me but it did not
25:54destroy you this time. Why? Because God
25:58has [music] been training you. Your
26:01roots went deeper. Your discernment
26:03became sharper. Your dependence upon
26:06Christ became [music] stronger. And this
26:08leads to perhaps one of the most
26:10beautiful outcomes of God's training.
26:12God develops the person inside you.
26:16Listen to 2 Timothy 3 16-1 17.
26:22All scripture is God breathed [music]
26:24and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
26:27correcting, and training in
26:29righteousness so that the servant of God
26:31may be thoroughly equipped for every
26:33good work.
26:35I love the language Paul uses here.
26:38Teaching, rebuking,
26:41correcting, training, equipping. We
26:45often want only the comforting part of
26:47scripture. We love the verses that
26:49reassure us. We love promises. [music]
26:52We love hearing that God is with us and
26:55we should. Those truths are [music]
26:57precious. But the same God who comforts
26:59us also corrects us. The same word that
27:03tells you God loves you may confront an
27:05attitude you need to change. The same
27:08Bible that gives you peace may expose
27:10[music] bitterness you have been
27:12protecting. The same Holy Spirit who
27:14comforts you may convict you about a
27:16conversation you need to make right.
27:19Why? Because God is not merely
27:21interested in helping you feel better
27:23for an hour. He is developing you. And
27:27notice the purpose at the end of the
27:28passage.
27:30So that the servant of God may be
27:32thoroughly equipped for every good work.
27:34Equipped.
27:36That word changes the way I look at
27:38difficult seasons.
27:41What if some of what you are walking
27:42through today is equipping you for
27:44something you cannot yet see? What if
27:47the patience you are learning now will
27:48be necessary for a responsibility God
27:51gives you later?
27:53What if the compassion born from your
27:54pain will someday help you sit beside
27:57someone experiencing the same kind of
27:59pain?
28:01What if the financial discipline you are
28:03learning in a season of limitation
28:06prepares you to steward greater
28:07resources wisely? What if learning to
28:10forgive now protects your future
28:12relationships? [music] What if the
28:14prayer life you developed because you
28:15had nowhere else to turn becomes the
28:18foundation that carries you for the rest
28:20of your life?
28:22This is why one of the greatest rewards
28:24of God's training is not simply
28:26receiving what you prayed for. Sometimes
28:29the person you become while waiting is
28:31part of the answer.
28:34You ask God for a door. God developed
28:37discernment so you would know which door
28:39to enter. You ask God for influence.
28:43God developed humility so influence
28:45would not destroy you. You asked God for
28:48greater responsibility.
28:50God developed endurance so you would not
28:52collapse beneath [music] it. You ask God
28:55to use you. God began preparing the
28:58[music] person he intended to use.
29:01My friend, perhaps you are in one of
29:03those training seasons today. Maybe you
29:06are tired of it. Maybe you are asking
29:09God how much longer it will last.
29:12I cannot tell you why every difficulty
29:14has entered your life. And I would never
29:16pretend that every painful circumstance
29:19[music] has a simple explanation. But I
29:21can tell you this from scripture.
29:24Your difficult season does not prove
29:26that God has abandoned you.
29:28Look at Job. He could not see heaven's
29:31perspective,
29:33but God had not lost control.
29:36And look at your own life. Remember the
29:40things that once seemed impossible.
29:42Remember the prayers you cried years
29:44ago. Remember the season you thought you
29:46would never survive. [music]
29:48Yet here you are. Perhaps you are
29:50stronger than you realize.
29:52Not because you became self-sufficient,
29:55but because God taught you to depend
29:57upon him. So when the next challenge
30:00comes, remember what God has already
30:03taught you.
30:04Before reacting, pray. Before allowing
30:08fear to write the story, return to God's
30:11word.
30:12Before assuming that waiting means
30:14rejection, remember that preparation
30:17also takes time. Before asking only,
30:21Lord, when will you remove this, dare to
30:24ask, Lord, what are you developing in me
30:27while I am here?
30:30Because someday you may enter a
30:32situation that would once have knocked
30:34you to the ground. And suddenly you will
30:36realize something has changed. You are
30:39still standing. You are still praying.
30:42You are [music] still trusting. You are
30:44still obeying. And perhaps in that
30:47moment you will look back at the seasons
30:49you once wanted to escape and whisper,
30:51"Thank you, Lord. I didn't understand it
30:54then, but you were teaching me. [music]
30:57You were strengthening me. You were
30:58preparing me."
31:02So if God is using the seasons of our
31:04lives to develop us, there is another
31:07question we must ask. What kind of
31:10posture should we have while God is
31:12training us? Because difficulty by
31:15itself does not automatically produce
31:17maturity.
31:19Two people can walk through similar
31:21trials and come out completely
31:23different.
31:24One becomes bitter, the other becomes
31:27wiser.
31:29One closes his heart, the other learns
31:32to trust God more deeply.
31:35One spends years asking
31:37why me? While another eventually learns
31:40to ask, Lord, what are you teaching me?
31:44The difference is not always the
31:45difficulty itself. Sometimes the
31:48difference is the posture of the heart.
31:51Listen to Proverbs 24 10. If you falter
31:55in a time of trouble, [music] how small
31:57is your strength?
31:59That is a challenging verse, but there
32:01is wisdom in it. Trouble reveals things
32:04about us that comfortable seasons often
32:06conceal.
32:08You do not really discover the strength
32:09of a foundation on a beautiful sunny
32:11day. You discover it when the storm
32:14comes. In the same way, pressure often
32:17reveals where our spiritual foundations
32:19are strong and where they still need
32:21strengthening.
32:23When something goes wrong, [music] what
32:25comes out of us? Fear, anger, blame,
32:29despair, prayer, faith, wisdom,
32:33dependence upon God. Trials have a way
32:36of bringing hidden things to [music] the
32:38surface.
32:39So when adversity comes, perhaps we
32:42should not ask only God, why is this
32:45happening? There is nothing wrong with
32:48asking why. Many faithful people in
32:50scripture did. But add another question.
32:54God, what are you teaching me here?
32:57Maybe God is exposing a fear that has
32:59controlled you for years. Maybe he is
33:02revealing that your security has been
33:04resting more in money, people, approval,
33:08or circumstances than [music] in him.
33:11Maybe he is showing you that you need
33:12stronger boundaries.
33:14Maybe he is teaching you patience.
33:17Maybe he is showing you how much you
33:19need his grace.
33:20>> [music]
33:20>> The lesson will not be identical for
33:22everyone
33:23and we should be careful not to claim we
33:25know God's hidden reason behind every
33:27hardship.
33:29But we can always come before him with
33:31an open heart and say, "Father, do not
33:35let me walk through this season without
33:37becoming wiser." And that requires
33:39something essential, a teachable spirit.
33:43Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord
33:47is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
33:50despise wisdom and instruction." [music]
33:52One of the clearest signs of spiritual
33:54maturity is not that a person knows
33:57everything. It is that they remain
33:59teachable.
34:01Mature believers can be corrected.
34:04They can listen. They can admit, [music]
34:07"I was wrong."
34:09They can apologize without spending 10
34:11minutes defending themselves first.
34:14They can open scripture and allow God's
34:16truth to challenge something they have
34:17believed for years.
34:20Immaturity constantly protects the ego.
34:24Maturity increasingly surrenders the ego
34:26to God. A powerful prayer for spiritual
34:29growth is simply this.
34:31Lord, show me what I cannot see about
34:33myself.
34:35That prayer takes courage.
34:38We usually enjoy asking God to show
34:40other people what they need to change.
34:42But maturity turns the mirror around.
34:46Lord, is there pride in me? Is there
34:50bitterness I have justified? Is there a
34:53habit I keep excusing?
34:55Is there someone I need to forgive? Is
34:58there something you have already told me
35:00to do that I keep postponing?
35:03God corrects us because he loves us.
35:05Correction is not rejection.
35:08When God exposes something in your life,
35:10his purpose is not to humiliate you. His
35:14purpose is to transform you. And this is
35:17why God's training can never be
35:18separated from God's word. Proverbs 3:es
35:231-2 says, "My son, do not forget my
35:27teaching, but keep my commands in your
35:29heart, for they will prolong your life
35:32many years and bring you peace and
35:34prosperity."
35:36Feelings change, circumstances change,
35:40culture changes, human opinions [music]
35:43change, but the believer needs a
35:45foundation deeper than all of those
35:47things. God's truth becomes that
35:49foundation.
35:51This brings us to one of God's primary
35:53instruments for spiritual growth,
35:56scripture itself.
35:58Listen to the beautiful description in
36:00Psalm 19:es 7- 11.
36:04The law of the Lord is perfect,
36:06refreshing the soul. The statutes of the
36:10Lord are trustworthy, making wise the
36:12simple. The precepts of the Lord are
36:15right, giving joy to the heart. The
36:18commands of the Lord are radiant,
36:20[music] giving light to the eyes.
36:23The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring
36:26forever.
36:27The decrees of the Lord are firm, and
36:30all of them are righteous.
36:32They are more precious than gold, than
36:35much pure gold. They are sweeter than
36:37honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
36:40By them your servant is warned. In
36:43keeping them there is great reward.
36:46Look at everything God's word does.
36:49First, God's word is perfect. When life
36:53becomes confusing, scripture gives us
36:55something reliable. Your emotions are
36:58real, but they are not always reliable
37:00guides to truth.
37:02One morning you may feel strong. The
37:05next morning you may feel discouraged.
37:08One week everything appears hopeful, the
37:11next week circumstances change.
37:14But God's character has not changed. His
37:17truth has not changed. When your
37:19emotions become unstable, you need
37:22something stronger than your emotions
37:24upon which to stand. Second, God's word
37:28refreshes and restores the soul.
37:30Scripture does more than give
37:32information. Through the Spirit's work,
37:34it renews the way we think and calls us
37:37into obedience.
37:39You may open the Bible worried and
37:41encounter a truth about God's
37:43faithfulness.
37:45You may open it [music] angry and
37:47encounter Christ's teaching about
37:49forgiveness.
37:50You may open it confused and find wisdom
37:53[music] that corrects your direction.
37:56The word begins reshaping our [music]
37:58thoughts, priorities, desires, and
38:01responses.
38:03Third, God's word gives wisdom. You do
38:07not have to know everything about life
38:09in order to live wisely. You need to
38:11learn how to see life through God's
38:13truth.
38:15Scripture teaches us how to think about
38:17money, relationships, suffering,
38:20success, sexuality, temptation, [music]
38:23forgiveness, service, death, and
38:27eternity.
38:29Little by little, a biblical worldview
38:31begins replacing the assumptions we
38:33absorbed from the world around us.
38:36Fourth,
38:38God's word is right.
38:41And sometimes that means scripture will
38:43disagree with us.
38:45What do we do then? Spiritual immaturity
38:48tries to adjust God's word until it
38:50agrees with our preferences.
38:53Spiritual maturity says, "If my thinking
38:56contradicts God's [music] truth, then my
38:59thinking is what needs to change. That
39:02can be uncomfortable, but correction is
39:04part of growth." And fifth, God's word
39:09leads us toward true joy.
39:11God's commands are not designed to steal
39:13life from us. They direct us toward life
39:16as our creator intended it to be lived.
39:20Sin often promises immediate pleasure
39:22while hiding its eventual cost. God's
39:24wisdom may require surrender today, but
39:28its path protects us from many things
39:30that destroy peace tomorrow.
39:33As we learn [music] to trust him,
39:35obedience gradually stops feeling like
39:37merely following rules [music] and
39:39increasingly becomes an expression of
39:41love.
39:43But now I want to make this extremely
39:45practical because some people hear a
39:47sermon about spiritual maturity and
39:50become excited for one day.
39:54Tomorrow they decide,
39:56I'm going to wake up at 4:00.
39:59I will read 30 chapters of the Bible. I
40:01will pray for 2 hours. I will completely
40:04transform my spiritual life this week.
40:073 days later [music] they are exhausted,
40:11discouraged and back where they started.
40:15Growth does not usually happen that way.
40:18Think about physical exercise.
40:20Imagine someone who has not exercised
40:22for 5 years walking into a gym and
40:25deciding to train intensely for 5 hours
40:27on the first day. What happens? Their
40:31body becomes exhausted. They may become
40:34so sore that they do not want to return.
40:36The problem was not exercise. The
40:39problem was trying to create overnight
40:41what normally develops through
40:42consistency.
40:45Spiritual disciplines can be similar. If
40:47you rarely read scripture today, you do
40:50not need to condemn yourself because you
40:52cannot immediately read 20 chapters
40:54every morning.
40:56Start with one chapter, but read it
40:59attentively.
41:00Ask, "What does this teach me about God?
41:04What does it reveal about me? Is there
41:06something I need to obey? If your prayer
41:09life is currently only a few minutes,
41:11begin with 10 intentional minutes. Turn
41:13off your phone. Sit quietly. Worship
41:17God. Thank him. Confess what needs
41:20confessing. Bring your needs before him.
41:24Listen through his word. Then come back
41:26tomorrow and the [music] next day and
41:29the next.
41:31Start where you are, but do not stay
41:34where you are. One chapter consistently
41:37read over months may shape you more
41:39deeply than 20 chapters read once
41:41because you felt guilty. 10 sincere
41:43minutes of prayer practiced faithfully
41:45[music]
41:46may eventually grow into a rich prayer
41:48life that becomes one of the strongest
41:50foundations of your day. God is forming
41:53faithfulness, not merely spiritual
41:56excitement.
41:57Remember, roots grow quietly. You do not
42:01stand beside a tree and hear its roots
42:04growing underground.
42:06Yet every day something is happening.
42:09And one [music] day when the storm
42:11comes, those invisible roots become the
42:14reason the tree remains standing. So how
42:16can you know whether those spiritual
42:18roots are actually growing? What are
42:20some signs of maturity?
42:24The first sign may surprise you. You
42:26become more aware of your own weakness
42:28and [music] sin. Immaturity often thinks
42:31highly of itself.
42:33But the closer we walk with God, the
42:36more clearly his light reveals the areas
42:38that [music] still need transformation.
42:41That does not mean living in shame. It
42:43means becoming quicker to recognize
42:45wrong motives, wrong attitudes, careless
42:48words, [music] pride, selfishness, and
42:52hidden resentment, and quicker to bring
42:54them to Christ.
42:57Second, your desire to obey God becomes
43:00stronger. The question changes from how
43:04close can I get to sin without crossing
43:06the line. Two, Lord, what pleases you?
43:11That is a tremendous change. Third, you
43:15begin wanting God's presence, not merely
43:18his gifts.
43:20Prayer becomes more than a list of
43:21requests. There are moments when you
43:24simply want to sit with him, worship
43:25[music] him, read his word, and know him
43:28more deeply.
43:30You still ask for his help, but your
43:32relationship is no longer built entirely
43:34around what you can receive.
43:37Fourth, you become more stable when
43:40circumstances become unstable. You still
43:42hurt. You may still [music] cry. Mature
43:46believers are not emotionless. But every
43:49disappointment no longer makes you
43:51question everything you believe.
43:53Every unanswered prayer does not make
43:55you walk away from God. [music] Every
43:57criticism does not destroy your
43:59identity. Your roots have gone deeper.
44:02And fifth, your faith begins overflowing
44:05into other people's lives.
44:08Immature faith continually asks, "What
44:10can God do for me?"
44:13Mature faith increasingly asks, "How can
44:16God use me?" You begin noticing the
44:18person who needs encouragement. You pray
44:21for someone else. You share what God has
44:24taught you. You serve even when nobody
44:27applauds. You want someone else to
44:29experience the grace that has sustained
44:31you. There comes a point when every
44:33Christian must ask, "Am I serious about
44:36growing?"
44:37We cannot remain spiritually passive
44:39year after year and expect spiritual
44:42strength to appear automatically.
44:45Growth requires intention, prayer,
44:48scripture, obedience, fellowship,
44:52disciplehip,
44:53service, repentance. When God corrects
44:56us, perseverance when life becomes
44:59difficult. God supplies the grace. God
45:02has given us his word. God gives his
45:05spirit to his people. God provides
45:07strength, but we must respond. Do not
45:11settle for remaining at the same
45:12spiritual level year after year.
45:15There are deeper places of trust, deeper
45:18places of wisdom, deeper surrender,
45:22greater freedom from old patterns,
45:25greater intimacy with God.
45:28And perhaps the very difficulty you have
45:30been asking God to remove is becoming
45:32one of the places where he is teaching
45:34you how to walk more closely with him.
45:37Maybe you are listening today while
45:38walking through a difficult season.
45:41You have asked, "Lord, when will this
45:44end?" Keep bringing that prayer to him.
45:48But perhaps add another one.
45:51Lord, who are you teaching me to become
45:53while I am here? Do not waste your
45:56waiting. Do not waste the correction. Do
45:59not waste the lessons hidden inside this
46:01season. Let God's word correct you. Let
46:06adversity deepen your dependence upon
46:08him. Let waiting [music] develop
46:10patience. Let obedience strengthen your
46:13character. Let prayer teach you that
46:16God's presence is not merely something
46:17you seek in emergencies. It is where
46:20your soul learns to live.
46:23And one [music] day, perhaps you will
46:25look back at a season you once begged
46:26God to remove and realize that was where
46:30God taught me to stand.
46:32That was where he taught me to trust.
46:35That was where he exposed my pride.
46:38That was where he strengthened my faith.
46:41That was where I learned to pray.
46:43That was where I finally began to grow.
46:45Before we finish [music] today, I want
46:48you to ask yourself one question.
46:51Where am I still spiritually immature?
46:54Maybe it is the way you respond to
46:56disappointment. [music]
46:58Maybe it is your temper.
47:00Maybe it is your prayer life.
47:02Maybe you have neglected scripture.
47:05Maybe you struggle to forgive. Maybe
47:08correction immediately makes you
47:09defensive.
47:11Maybe when God seems silent, you quickly
47:14lose faith.
47:16Whatever God brings to your heart, do
47:19not be ashamed of where you are today.
47:21But do not become comfortable staying
47:22there. Start where you are. Stay close
47:26to Christ. Stay in his word. Keep
47:30obeying. Keep praying. Keep learning.
47:34Keep growing.
47:36Spiritual maturity is rarely produced
47:38through one dramatic moment. More often,
47:42it is formed through thousands of
47:44seemingly small decisions to trust God
47:47again, to obey again, to forgive again,
47:51to pray again, to open his word again,
47:54and to get back up again. My dear
47:56[music] friends, thank you for spending
47:58this time with me and with grace prayer
48:00today.
48:02My prayer is that every one of us will
48:04learn the precious lessons God is
48:06teaching us in this season of our lives.
48:10Some lessons may come through blessings,
48:13others may come through waiting, some
48:15may come through correction, and others
48:18through circumstances we never would
48:20have chosen. But may we never walk
48:22through them without growing closer to
48:25Christ. May the Lord give you wisdom to
48:27recognize what he is teaching you,
48:30humility to receive his correction,
48:32courage to obey his word, patience when
48:35answers seem delayed, and strength to
48:38remain faithful when the road becomes
48:39difficult.
48:41May your roots grow deeper in Christ.
48:45May your faith become steadier.
48:48May your heart become softer toward God
48:50and more compassionate toward people.
48:54And may every season of your life draw
48:56you closer to the person God is calling
48:58you to become. From all of us here at
49:00Grace Prayer, may God bless you, protect
49:02you, strengthen you, and guide your
49:04steps today.
49:06May you never forget that growth takes
49:08time. And may you have the grace to keep
49:11walking with him one faithful step at a
49:14time.
49:15Have a beautiful and blessed day, my
49:17friends. And wherever God leads you
49:19next, keep growing in his grace. keep
49:23growing in his word and keep growing
49:25closer to Jesus.

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