Concord United Methodist Church
5178 Hinkleville Road
Paducah, Kentucky
42001-9693
(270) 443-2669
The ABC's of Spiritual Growth
The first step of Spiritual Growth is being in a right relationship with God. This relationship is the only foundation for a worthwhile life. The Bible says, "If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will." (Romans 8:6-7 New Living Translation of the Bible) Knowing you are at peace with God is as simple as following these simple steps. If you are not sure if they fit, why not try them and find out for yourself?
Admit you have sinned. "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT) "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT)
Believe in Jesus. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18 NKJV) Belief or faith is active trust strong enough for you to depend upon it. "For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13 NKJV)
Confess your sin and leave it behind.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NKJV) "Salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is the message we preach--is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, 'The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.' For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.'" (Romans 10:8-11 NLT)*****************************
You cannot help yourself. "God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (Ephesians 2:8,9 NLT).
God loves you enough to provide for you. "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8 NLT)
By faith, believe Jesus and accept Him. "So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31 NKJV). Invite Jesus into your life now! Talk to Him as you talk to a loving friend, for that is just what He wants to be.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
Read Today's Daily Devotion Sign up for the Daily Devotion
The General Board of Discipleship is a good place to grow the Christian life. They sponsor a good number of Newsletters worth considering.
BeADisciple.com provides an online location for workshops, trainings, bible studies, and other educational opportunities for Christian leaders.
Discipleship Resources: Simple. Biblical. Free. Core Discipleship The Foundation for Evangelism offers PDFs and eBooks and Christian Audio and Video. Select from a large number of Bible reading plans Here, Here, or Here. Read or listen to the English Standard Bible- using their chronological reading guide. Click here for Bible study tools.
Read the Bible in a Year Daily reading as used in the Life Journal, a basic Scripture reading plan and journal. Every day promises three or four chapters of reading. You are encouraged to write about the verse or verses that "jump out at you." Or print your own Journal with the following file. Instructions are included in the document. We recommend printing "two sided" on three-hole punch paper. To save the file, right click on the link and hit "Save Target As..." Life Journal File
General Rules of the United Methodist Church
Free Classical Christian books
****************
Free Books on Prayer by E. M. Bounds!
Download with a right click, then press "Save as..."
From http://www.ccel.org/
Edward M. Bounds, an American lawyer and pastor, wrote nine books in his lifetime, seven of which were about prayer. Bounds has affected the prayer lives of thousands of people. Essentials of Prayer, focuses on the proper mindset believers must attain in order to have the best prayer life. He reminds readers that one must have a humble heart and undivided allegiance to God in order to pray effectively. He also believes strongly that prayer is available to all people -- even those who only come in times of trouble.
Prayer and
Praying Men
[from
www.WordSearchBible.com]
Prayer and
Praying Men
has a unique
approach as a
book on prayer.
Many books on
prayer focus
mostly on simply
features
of prayer.
Edward Bounds
takes a
different
approach in
Prayer and
Praying Men
by focusing on
persons
of prayer.
Bounds examines
the lives of
nine different
biblical
figures:
Abraham, Moses,
Elijah,
Hezekiah, Ezra,
Nehemiah,
Samuel, Daniel,
and Paul. In his
examination,
Bounds explores
how important
prayer was to
the spiritual
lives of these
men. He provides
concrete
examples of the
importance and
nature of
prayer, grounded
in biblical
narratives.
Prayer and
Praying Men
is thus
recommended for
those who crave
a book on prayer
which is not
abstract or
airy, but direct
and concrete.
Purpose in
Prayer
Composed of twelve short chapters,
Purpose in
Prayer is
Bound's description of the
purpose
behind
prayer and not
simply the
purpose of
prayer. He
focuses on an
individual's
purpose in
prayer; for one
can understand
the purpose of
prayer, but not
see the purpose
in one's
own prayers. Thus, Bounds attempts to encourage believers to not simply see the
purpose of prayer, but to see that purpose in their own personal, private
prayers.
Reality of
Prayer
There is a
spiritual
reality to
prayer, Bounds
urges. Prayer
brings us closer
to God. He then
discusses Christ
as both a
teacher of
prayer and as an
example of
prayer. Finally,
Bounds ends his
encouraging and
enlightening
discussion by
explaining the
role of the Holy
Spirit in
prayer.
Weapon of Prayer
Why Pray? In, The
Weapon of Prayer,
Edward Bounds
states: "The
life of the
individual
believer, his
personal
salvation, and
personal
Christian graces
have their
being, bloom,
and fruitage in
prayer." As a
chaplain in the
Civil
War, Bounds
initiated weekly
prayer sessions
to strengthen
the spiritual
state of his
local area. His
wisdom has
impacted
Christ-seekers
for decades, and
his words are as
powerful now as
they were in the
1800's. Bounds
reminds us that
throughout
Biblical
history, many of
God's greatest
movements were
incited by the
prayers of God's
people.
According to
Bounds, prayer
must be a
priority. Other
Christian
duties, such as
sacred works,
communion, and
church
activities,
cannot and
should not take
the place of
prayer. To
eliminate prayer
from our daily
lives is to
abandon
communication
with God. It is
through prayer
that we have the
opportunity to
share our
deepest sorrows,
joys, and
desires with the
only one who can
truly comfort
us. To remind
readers that
God's presence
steadfastly
endures, Bounds
concludes his
piece by
providing modern
examples of the
power of prayer.
•
