Posts by John Stephen Smith

Danger of Drifting The book of Hebrews, although originally written to Christians who were Jewish, and were in danger of leaving Christ to return to their previous faith, is also for Christians who: Are being drawn back into the world. Are growing weak in their faith. Have experienced tragedy or loss, Have lost their first love – Christ Have sacrificed to become & live as Christians. Have traded the good news for ritual, Have stopped growing & become desensitized to…

Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Today, I want us to think about this question: What kind of a person would knock a hole in someone else’s roof? In Mark 2 and Luke 5, we find some guys that not only would but did! Luke 5:20-26 NKJV When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven…

5 STAGES OF Spiritual Growth Stage 1: THEA _____________________________________________ CHRISTIAN 1 Peter 2:1-3 • The needs of the baby Christian • The challenges of the weak Christian Stage 2: THE B____________________________________________ CHRISTIAN Luke 8:4-15 • The Hard Path people • The Rocky Ground people We are to “grow up into Christ” Ephesians 4:15, and to “grow up in your salvation” 1 Peter 2:2. Have you reached your full potential for spiritual growth? Are there some areas of spirituality where you…

5 Critical Areas for Spiritual Growth “We will in all things grow up into him…” Ephesians 4:15 Where do I begin…without feeling overwhelmed? As the scripture above says, our desire should be to grow “in all things” pertaining to God and our spiritual walk with him. But to focus on the “all” would be overwhelming to most of us. We have to take life a step at a time. In this lesson, we are focusing on five critical areas where…

7 Exciting Discoveries of Spiritual Growth To underscore the never-ending aspect of spiritual growth, let’s look at 7 Exciting Discoveries of Spiritual Growth: Fact 1: There is a __________________________________________________ in that all of us are to grow and continue in growth. Paul said he put all his energy into presenting “everyone perfect in Christ”. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 take note of all the “adds” connecting the spiritual qualities, indicating the forward progress of life in Christ. Fact 2: There is…

Life Is A Growth Adventure  This “adventure” called life begins with the very first words in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 In the Creation, as God created the different elements of our world, there’s a recurring statement in Genesis chapter 1: “And God saw that it was A_____________________…” Genesis 1:4, 9, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 The beginning of each plant and animal was done by a miracle as God designed and spoke the world into existence. But after the days…

Peter’s Metamorphosis It is now time for Peter to stand on his own instead of in the shadows. Now is the moment Christ had envisioned for him when he gave him the name “Rock” & underscoring that in his reinstatement after the resurrection that he would follow Christ, fish for souls, feed the sheep, & die for the name of Christ. From Passover to Pentecost, a period of 50 days, Peter has now processed the teachings of the Lord that…

Peter’s Metamorphosis “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” These are among Jesus’ most potent and challenging teachings while he was here on earth. They ring out as a warning to us as well as those who heard them in the first century. They are both encouraging as we contemplate Jesus acknowledging us as one of his own before…

Peter’s Metamorphosis Today, we will look at several of the steps Peter took up until the time of the cross, noting both the good and the bad experiences that shaped him ultimately into the “rock” that Jesus envisioned. By revealing both the positive and negative experiences in his development, we will see quite clearly how human he was, how much like him we are at times, but also see the transforming power of Christ to use all kinds of experiences…

Peter’s Metamorphosis Peter is one of the great Bible heroes. Yet, he was very, very, very human – a guy many of us could easily relate to, due to the ups and downs of his spiritual struggle. We’re calling this series, “Peter’s Metamorphosis” as his development into a strong leader was not an immediate one. For him to blossom into the dynamic apostle who opened the gates of Christ’s kingdom on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, was the result…