Lesson Three
Grow

Pastor Roy Townsend

Are you growing, or just checking boxes?

I know I am a little unusual, but I love a good checklist. There is something satisfying about making a list in the morning and seeing those boxes checked off by the end of the day. I keep an ongoing list of house repairs in my phone. I have lists of work assignments on my computer. I even have a list of things I need to do to stay healthy: drink more water, walk regularly, get my steps in, and eat better. Although I sometimes conveniently overlook the item that says, “Don’t eat dessert!”

But there is a danger with checklists. If I am not careful, checking the box can become more important than actually accomplishing what the box represents. I can cut corners just so I can say, “Done.” I can complete something without really learning anything. And I can even leave something off the list simply because I know I cannot do it perfectly.

That can happen in our relationship with God, too. We can turn our growth in Christ into a checklist:

• Read my Bible—check.

• Pray—check.

• Go to church—check.

• Give—check.

• Serve—check.

• Attend Growth Community—check.

• Tell someone about Jesus—check.

None of those things are bad. In fact, they are good things. But spiritual growth was never meant to be about checking boxes. God is not simply interested in whether we completed a list. He wants us to know Him, become more like Christ, and live as His followers. The question isn’t simply, “What have I checked off?” The better question is: “Am I becoming more like Jesus?”

1. Do you enjoy making checklists? Why or why not? What are some ways Christians can turn spiritual disciplines into a checklist?

2. Have you ever found yourself doing something spiritually because you felt you were “supposed to,” rather than because you wanted to grow closer to Christ?

Spiritual growth means following Christ, and Acts 11:19–26 tells us about the growing church in Antioch. “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

Notice the language: “turned to the Lord.” These people weren’t simply agreeing with a set of beliefs. They were turning toward Jesus. That’s an important distinction. There is a difference between believing that Jesus exists and following Jesus with your life. There is a difference between knowing about Christ and actually becoming a disciple of Christ. Their faith didn’t remain hidden. Spiritual growth produces a changed direction. When we grow in Christ, our lives begin to point toward Him.

Our priorities change. Our attitudes change. Our relationships change. Our desires change. Eventually, our faith begins to affect the people around us.

3. What do you think is the difference between believing in Jesus and following Jesus?

4. What can keep us from sharing Jesus with other people?

5. Do you agree with this statement: “True faith is meant to be shared, not hidden.” Why or why not?

One of the most powerful things about this passage is when these believers shared the Gospel. They were living through persecution. They had been scattered from their homes. Their circumstances were difficult. Yet they continued telling people about Jesus. Sometimes we think, “When life gets easier, then I’ll serve God. When things settle down, then I’ll share my faith. When I have more time, then I’ll get serious about growing.”

6. Do you believe God can use difficult circumstances to advance the Gospel? Why?

7. What makes sharing your faith difficult?

8. Have you ever treated evangelism like another item on your spiritual checklist?

Spiritual growth requires teaching and time. The church in Antioch was growing, but the leaders understood something important: New believers needed to be taught. When the church in Jerusalem heard what was happening in Antioch, they sent Barnabas. Barnabas arrived and saw the grace of God at work. And Scripture says that he encouraged them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.

Barnabas then went to Tarsus and found Saul. Together, Barnabas and Saul spent an entire year teaching the church. Think about that: a whole year. God could have instantly made these believers spiritually mature, but He chose to grow them through consistent teaching, relationships, encouragement, and time.

That’s important for us to remember. We live in a culture that wants instant results. We want instant answers, instant transformation, instant maturity. But spiritual growth usually doesn’t happen that way. Growth takes time. A child doesn’t become an adult in a week, and a new believer doesn’t become spiritually mature simply because they prayed a prayer or attended a church gathering. We grow as we continually receive God’s Word, learn from mature believers, practice what we learn, and allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

Ask yourself: Who is teaching me? Who am I learning from? Who challenges me to grow? Who encourages me when I struggle? But there is another question: Who am I teaching? Spiritual maturity isn’t just about receiving. Eventually, those who are growing should begin helping others to grow.

9. Why do you think God often chooses to grow us over time rather than instantly?

10. Who are you intentionally learning from? Who are you intentionally helping grow?

Warren Wiersbe wrote: “When the saints are grounded in the Word, they will have a strong witness to the lost, and there will be a balance in the church between edification and evangelism, worship and witness, teaching and testifying.” That is a beautiful picture of a growing church. We need both. We need teaching and sharing. We need worship and witness. We need to receive God’s Word and live God’s Word. We need to be discipled and make disciples. We need to grow and help others grow.

The church at Antioch wasn’t simply a church full of people who had checked the right boxes. It was a church full of people who were turning to the Lord, being taught the Word, growing in faith, and sharing Christ with others. And eventually, their lives were so identified with Jesus that they were called Christians.