I was checking in on a friend of mine from Nigeria through Facebook. Mustafa has worked with churches and mission organizations his entire adult life. He served as our mission team's interpreter each trip we made to Nigeria. He speaks seven - yes seven - different languages; including arabic. His Facebook profile picture is a picture of a Nigerian baby with a long white beard from a poster entitled 'The Characteristics of Immature Christians'.Among the characteristics of Immature Christians are:
- Itching Ears
- Unproductive
- Unstable
- Loosed Tongue
- Carnal Behavior…
I am not a fan of going to carnivals. The 'old school' carnivals had what were called 'freak shows'. You know - the bearded woman, man with two heads, elephant man, evil dwarf, female sword swallower… and the list goes on. I wonder aloud now, 'Do people outside church think of church (Christians mind you…) as a freak show?' Could it be that on the marquis of our carnivalized Christian life actually reads "Come see the Bearded Baby"?
I want to challenge you this week to listen to and consider this past Sunday's message application, Consider the 3 Critical Steps to Understanding the Mystery of Spiritual Maturity:
- Personal Responsibility for Spiritual Growth
- Personal Role in Kingdom Growth
- Personal Commitment to Unity Within the Body of Christ (thru…)
- Communication
- Consideration
- Cooperation
I look forward to seeing you guys on Sunday as we explore the 'Challenges to Spiritual Maturity'.
Pastor Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment