Growing Up
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Prayer of Praise and
Adoration
God we praise you,
for the newness of each day,
and the hopes we have for tomorrow.
We praise you
when the wind of the Spirit
blows through our life.
We praise you
for the rain
that washes away the debris
of our life.
We praise you
for the storms that
rock our complacency.
We praise you
for the gentle voice
that speaks peace
into our hearts.
Gracious God,
for the opportunities to serve,
for the ability to praise,
for the talents to serve,
we adore your kindness and generosity.
Powerful God,
for the strength you give to us,
for the trust you place in us,
for the love that you pour out upon us,
we adore your kindness and generosity.
Amen.
One in Christ Jesus
One in Christ Jesus
παιδαγωγός / paidagōgos
παιδαγωγός / paidagōgos
Guardian
Schoolmaster
instructor
tutor
Babysitter
Maturity
Maturity
Signs of Maturity?
Signs of Immaturity?
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Faith vs. “Beliefs”
Faith vs. “Beliefs”
Plenty of things that I believe with all of my heart and soul and mind
Creator and sustainer of all things
Every sunrise, Every breath, life itself is a miracle .: open to the miraculous in my life and in the world around me. Jesus - God with us - life death and resurrection is the greatest miracle of all b/c even if we run to the ends of the earth God will not abandon us
Experience of God’s presence through the power of the Holy Spirit - cornerstone of our faith
But all too often, we want to take our faith, and set it in stone. Set our foundation not on God, but on some list that keeps us in and others out.
Confession vs statement.
Not saying that they’re wrong, but I’ve always been uncomfortable
It is all too tempting to tack things on.
Where is the room to grow?
Where is the room to confess that we don’t have it all figured out?
Where is the room to learn from others?
Where is the room for the Spirit to blow wild in the world?
When you boil it down, they start to sound a lot like the law. Like the babysitter to keep us on the straight and narrow because we’re too immature to be trustworthy or faithful.
Are we mature? Do we have faith in God’s faithfulness? Do we secretly desire a babysitter?
Faith & Faithfulness
Faith & Faithfulness
faithfulness of Jesus, answering faith of the believer
Heirs according to the promise
Heirs according to the promise
sign of being grown up is that we’re trusted with responsibility
not erasing identity, but new identity, together as God’s family
Benediction
Lead a life worthy of the calling
to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as we were called to the one hope of our calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all.
—from Ephesians 4:1-6, NRSV