Maturing in Christ

The Power of "Asking" - I John 4:14-15 NKJV & 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NKJV

1 John 5:14-15 New King James Version

 

¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Jesus Christ, Our Plumbline (Part 2) - Amos 7:7--9 NKJV & Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT

Amos 7:7-8 New Living Translation

 

⁷ Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. ⁸ And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins.

Christ, Our Plumbline - Amos 7:4-9 NKJV & Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

Amos 7:7-9 New Living Translation

 

A Vision of a Plumb Line

⁷ Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. ⁸ And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. ⁹ The pagan shrines of your ancestors^[a] will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”

The Benefits of Praise and Worship - Psalm 96:1-9 NKJV

Psalm 96:1-6 New King James Version

 

96 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
³ Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

⁴ For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Why Worship? - Psalm 33:1-7 NKJV

John 4:21-24 New King James Version

 

²¹ Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Keys to Increasing your Worship Experience - Psalm 29:1-9 NKJV & Isaiah 6:1-3 NKJV

Psalm 29:1-2 New King James Version

 

29 Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
² Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Biblical Discernment - 1 Corithians 12:1-11 NKJV & 1 John 4:1-5 NLT

1 John 4:1-3 New Living Translation

 

4 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. ² This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. ³ But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

Obstacles to Obedience - Matthew 10:27-31 NKJV & Psalm 18:29-30 NIV

Matthew 10:27-31 New King James Version

 

²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear; therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

The Power of Obedience ( Part 2) - John 14:15-18 NKJV & John 15:9-17 NKJV

John 15:9-10 New King James Version

 

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

The Power of Obedience - John 14:15-21 NKJV & John 15:9-17 NKJV

John 15:9-10 New King James Version

 

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.