Journey Class – May 2011 – 9:15am

Week 1: Balance- What is the state of your marriage? Signs of a healthy marriage- Working towards a future together

Week 2: Aerobics- Doing the hard work of fighting… and staying married

Week 3: Strength- Increasing the bond and connection with each other- Keys to making a marriage last

Week 4: Stretching- Growing (up) together- God in the middle of me- God in the middle of my marriage

Week 5: Review- Talking about it – again- and talking again… and, then some

Journey Class – May 2011 – 9:15am


Spiritual Growth… TogetherAn open-ended survey question asked churchgoers to describe how their

church defined a “healthy, spiritually mature follower of Jesus.”• Half said they were not sure- unable to identify their church defines• 16% = having a relationship with Jesus• 9% = practices of Bible study and prayer• 8% = living according to the Bible• 8% = being obedient• 7% = being involved in church• 6% = having concern for others

• 81% of self-identified Christian said believed Spiritual Maturity = “trying hard to follow the rules described in the Bible” (53% strongly agreed)


Spiritual Growth… Together

• Faith: "Your faith is greatly enlarged" (2 Thes. 1:3). "As your faith grows" (2 Cor. 10:15)

• Love for other Christians: "As to the love of the brethren... excel still more" (1 Thes. 4:9-10). "The love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater" (2 Thes. 1:3)

• Love for all people: "Increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men" (1 Thes. 3:12)

• Knowledge of God: "Increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10)• Christ-likeness: "Grow up in all aspects into Him" (Eph. 4:15). "Christ is formed in

you" (Gal. 4:19)• Knowledge and Discernment: "Your love may abound still more and more in real

knowledge and all discernment" (Phil. 1:9)• Obedience: "You ought to walk and please God... excel still more“ (1 Thes. 4:1)• Salvation: "Grow in respect to salvation" (1 Pet. 2:2)• Grace: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter

3:17-18)

Growth Required



So, What Do You Think Spiritual Maturity Is?


Spiritual Growth… Together1. It’s a Mystery… Unclear… • It’s a Spiritual World We Lack Awareness Of• It’s Growth is Hard to Measure• It’s a Part of Who We Are- yet…

– we ignore our spiritual life- or fail to feed it


Spiritual Growth… TogetherRoad Blocks Prevent Our Grow Together…

Deal With Roadblocks

• Busyness• Lack of Forgiveness

• Low–Level Anger• Lack of Respect• Others?

Grow Up…


Spiritual Growth… Together2. It’s A Process… that takes time…

• continual (like our marriages)• we are called to actively work on it- not

passive (like our marriages)• healthy Christians feed themselves


Spiritual Growth… TogetherAccomplishing Spiritual Growth

• Walk with a purpose in view

• Step by step

• Grow up… growing together begins with growing up yourself



• Grace

• Truth

- environments of safety - (Be “Jesus Safe”)

- hearing truth about God, me, & you… Speaking Truth In Love

Ingredients of Growth



• Time - time to experience, repeat learning, & internal change(How We Learn)o 10% of what we READo 20% of what we HEARo 30% of what we SEEo 50% of what we SEE and HEARo 70% of what is DISCUSSED with OTHERSo 80% of what is EXPERIENCED PERSONALLYo 95% of what we TEACH TO SOMEONE ELSE

Growth is much more than cognitively understanding or memorizing a fact, idea, or principle… adding experience

to intellect takes time

Ingredients of Growth


Spiritual Growth… Together3. It’s Different for Each of Us…

• different levels of maturity



• STAGE 1: Young children follow the beliefs of their parents. • STAGE 2: Children tend to respond to religious stories and rituals literally, rather

than symbolically- As individuals move through adolescence to young adulthood, their beliefs continue to be based on authority focused outside themselves.

• STAGE 3: Individuals tend to have conformist acceptance of a belief with little self-reflection on examination of these beliefs. Most people remain at this level.

• STAGE 4: Begin a radical shift from dependence on others’ spiritual beliefs to development of their own. Individuals are no longer defined by the groups to which they belong. Instead, they choose beliefs, values, and relationships important to their self-fulfillment.

• STAGE 5: Persons still rely on their own views but move from self preoccupation or from dependence on fixed truths to acceptance of others’ points of view they- tend to be more tolerant and begin to consider serving others.

• STAGE 6: People Reaching this stage are rare. As older adults, they begin to search for universal values, such as unconditional love and justice. Self-preservation becomes irrelevant.

Different Levels of Maturity- Stages of Faith



• different levels of maturity• different interests



1. NATURALIST- loving God out of door2. SENSATE- loving God with sense 3. TRADITIONALIST- ritual and symbolism 4. ASCETIC- solitude and simplicity5. ACTIVIST- through confrontation- standing up for justice6. CARGIVER- loving others7. ENTHUSIAST- mystery, celebration- worship, excitement8. COMTEMPLATIVE- adoration: emotions, presence,

friendship with God9. INTELLECTUAL- with the mind

Different Interests- How Do You Feel Connected with God?



• different levels of maturity• different interests• different learning styles



3. It’s Different for Each of Us…• different learning stylesVisual Learners



3. It’s Different for Each of Us…• different learning stylesAuditory Learners



3. It’s Different for Each of Us…• different learning styles

Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners


Spiritual Growth… Together4. It’s (can be)Different Than Mom & Dad’s

Way… This Ain’t Your Daddy’s World… or Church!


Spiritual Growth… Together5. It’s Different Over Time…

• it changes• it should change


Spiritual Growth… Together• Less than 8% of Christian couples pray together on a

regular basis… Why?• Of Christian couples who pray together, the divorce rate is

less than 1%

Prayer• What Does Prayer Do For A Couple?

• unite spiritually before God – Matthew 18:18-20/John 17:20-26

• encourages humility & honesty- Luke 18:10-14• develops & deepens communication • builds marriage up because we are being built up


Spiritual Growth… TogetherMake A Plan to Grow Together

• Pray TogetherThe Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Paul Tournier

wrote,It is only when a husband and wife pray

together before God that they find the secret of true harmony: that the difference in their temperaments, their ideas, and their tastes enriches their home instead of endangering it. When each of the marriage partners seeks quietly before God to see his own faults, recognizes his sin, and asks for the forgiveness of the other, marital problems are no more. They learn to become absolutely honest with each other. This is the price to be paid if partners very different from each other are to combine their gifts instead of setting them against each other.

• Develop a Regular Spiritual Growth Time Together



Prayer … Start There

• Find Mutually Agreeable Time• Keep Prayer Time Short• Keep Your Turn Short• Keep Your Prayer Personal• Pray For Your Marriage


Spiritual Growth… Together6. It Can Start With Just 1 Thing… It Requires

My Effort…Pick One Thing… Start there


Spiritual Growth… Together6. It Can Start With Just 1 Thing… Pick One• read the Bible together• listen to mp3 sermons• watch a DVD• read a book- together• listen to a book• play Bible reading in car• play Bible trivia games• memorize verses• listen to music

• join small group• go on a retreat• journal• walk • serve together• talk about God• worship

Together Regularly• time With Other Couples


Spiritual Growth… TogetherGrowing Towards Spiritual IntimacyQuestions for Me1. Which of the following blocks to spiritual intimacy affect your life the most?• busyness• low-level anger• lack of forgiveness• lack of respect• other_________________________2. What can I personally do to bring more spiritual intimacy to our relationship?Questions for Us1. Share with each other your answer to question #1 from Questions for Me.2. Complete this sentence: If I could receive more spiritual intimacy from you it would be in the area of ________________________.


Spiritual Growth… TogetherHeart-to-Heart Home WorkOur Spiritual Growth PlanCreate together a simple plan to enhance your spiritual relationship as a couple. Remember to keep it short and simple so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Put down on paper things like:• Pray daily.• Worship together weekly.• Join a couples group.• Participate in a marriage or spiritual retreat.• Develop a regular spiritual growth time together.

Our Weekly Time• Devotional time of the week (If you need an idea for this week, try reading through Ephesians 5:22–33.)• Greatest joy of the week• Greatest struggle of the week• An affirmation• A wish or a hope• Physical goals• Prayer• Book of the monthExcerpted from Creating an Intimate Marriage by Jim Burns.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=202065&netp_id=431424&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW

Journey Class – May 2011 – 9:15am

Documents

Transcript of Journey Class – May 2011 – 9:15am