TALK No.

8 GROWING IN THE SPIRIT

GOAL : To teach the basic tools to growth and maturity as Christians.

EXPANDED OUTLINE

I.

Introduction.

a. The baptism in the Spirit is only a beginning. Now we need to grow in this new life in the Spirit. b. In order to grow, we need to make use of the basic means of growth which the Lord provides us. These are: prayer, study, service and fellowship. 1. The Christian life can be pictured as a wheel of a cart. It has three components: a. The outer rim. This is the part of the wheel that meets the road. This represents daily Christian life. b. The hub. This is the part of the wheel from which the power emanates to the rim. It holds the wheel together. The hub is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the center of our lives. The power is that of the Holy Spirit. c. The spokes. These transmit the power and direction from the hub to the rim. In Christian experience, the spokes are the means of putting our whole life in contact with Christ, so that our life can be transformed by his power and direction.

2. Note: For Catholics, there is a fifth tool to growth: the sacraments. II. The First Tool: Prayer.

a. Prayer is the primary means for establishing and maintaining a deep and loving personal relationship between God and us. b. A successful prayer life involves 3 important principles. 1. Our prayer must be faithful. a. Decide to spend time with the Lord everyday. b. Decide on the practical details.

c.

When? Decide on a specific time of the day, which you can then protect. Where? Matthew 6:6. Find a place where you will not be disturbed or distracted. How long? Begin with 5 to 10 minutes, and increase later.

Adopt a format to begin.

ACTS. Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Use daily prayer guides (e.g., God's Word Today).

2. Our prayer must be led by the Holy Spirit.

Scheduled and structured prayer is helpful, but could make our prayer dry and mechanical. Be open to changing your format as the Spirit leads.

3. Our prayer must be centered on a relationship with Jesus. a. Prayer is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Our goal is not "to pray" or even "to pray well", but to grow in our relationship with the Lord. b. People can get wrapped up in techniques. While these can help, prayer is really very simple. It is a matter of loving God and being loved by Him. c. c. Concentrate not on prayer but on the Lord.

In the Catholic tradition, the intercession of Mary and the saints is a powerful tool of prayer. A devotion to Mary and the saints is part and parcel of a Catholics faith. The Second Tool: Study.

III.

a. We need to know God and understand Him and His ways. Study is a deliberate, focused exercise of the intellect, not referring primarily to scholarly or academic endeavor but to the wider process of understanding more about God so we can love and better serve Him. b. Three ways we can learn more about God. 1. The Bible. a. This is the most important, because this is the very word of God. It teaches us who God is, what He has done, and what He wants us to do. b. We should read the Bible daily.

Start with 10 to 15 minutes. Pursue a more deliberate study of portions of the Bible. We should make it a goal to read the whole Bible.

2. Spiritual reading. a. After reading what God has said of Himself (Bible), we can read what men have said about God. We can draw on spiritual insights and study throughout the life of the Church. b. This includes reading spiritual books, magazines, articles, etc. 3. Teachings and preachings. a. Our teaching and formation program in CFC Singles for Christ. b. The word of God spoken in the Sunday homily, in parish events, in conferences, etc. c. IV. Begin the habit of taking notes.

The Third Tool: Service.

a. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is at work in us, not just for our personal development but also to equip us for effective service for him and his people.

b. We need to take on a mentality of service so that we see our whole life given over to God's work. We need to take on the heart of a servant. Matthew 20:26-28. 1. As we put the Lord first in our lives, he calls us to reach out also to others. 2. Service helps us grow because it touches the most basic attitudes we have of ourselves and our independence. To serve others is to be humble. c. Ways we can serve: 1. First we serve God by the way we live. a. Daily prayer and Scripture reading. b. Pursuit of righteousness and holiness. 2. We also serve by performing the basic responsibilities God has given us in our daily lives.

E.g., as son or daughter, as brother or sister, as employee, etc.

3. Then we serve our fellow men by recognizing the many built-in opportunities for service in day-to-day life.

E.g., hospitality, offering a ride, babysitting, visiting the sick, etc.

4. We give witness to our faith in Jesus by the way we live our lives. Be alert to opportunities to share your faith verbally with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the world at large. 5. Make ourselves and our resources available for God's work. Our time, talent, treasure. a. Do good works. James 2:14-17. b. Support through prayer and financial giving offered to sound Christian ministries that further the spread of the gospel. c. Look for opportunities to give your time and energy to serve in a Christian group on a regular basis.

V.

The Fourth Tool: Fellowship.

a. Fellowship refers to almost everything that Christians do together as a body. It is the concretization of a spiritual reality that we are brothers and sisters belonging to one family. b. We do not become complete Christians by ourselves. experience the fullness of Christian life. We must be joined to others in order to

1. We need the support of others. We need their wisdom and strength. 2. We need to do things together. Fellowship is not an optional extra. c. Some ways to experience Christian fellowship. 1. Worship in liturgies, prayer meetings, and conferences. 2. Coming together for teaching and formation.

3. Serving together (like the team in this CLP). 4. Social gatherings. d. Mention invitation to join CFC Singles for Christ, which will be discussed fully next week. VI. The Fifth Tool (for Catholics): The Sacraments.

a. In the Catholic tradition, the most important tool for spiritual growth are the sacraments. They are the main channels of God's grace for our lives. b. We recommend frequent confession and communion. 1. Though confession is required only once a year, we should avail of this more often. 2. Though communion is required only once a year, we should receive communion much more frequently, with the proper disposition. VII. Conclusion.

a. This CLP, your commitment to Christ, the baptism in the Holy Spirit all these are just the beginning of a new life. We are "babies in Christ" and we need to grow. Make use of the tools provided by God. b. If you are faithful, you will not be disappointed.