Growth

Having a belief in God is so important to the Christian faith. Jesus told us to believe in Him multiple times in scripture (John 20:29 & John 14:1)

Paul reminds us in Romans to confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts (Romans 10:9-10). Once we repent we must fully trust and rest in the saving grace of Jesus Christ for this alone is why we are qualified as saints in His Kingdom and not of our own works and good deeds.

Scriptures to meditate on:

• John 20:29
• John 14:1
• Romans 10:9-10

Tips:

• Write down areas where your belief in God is weak
• Turn what you’ve written down into prayer points.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to free you of past guilt and give you the strength to believe
• Research and recite other scriptures in the Bible that will help you grow in your belief in Jesus Christ.

 

To really grow as a Christian you will know that forgiveness is so important. So much so that it’s found in the Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught His disciples (Matthew 6:9-13).

It’s important as you make a fresh start to not only ask God for forgiveness for your sins, but also for God to grant you the strength to forgive those that have done you wrong. Thirdly you may also need to forgive yourself rather than wallow in self-condemnation. Remember, forgiveness is a journey, so don’t rush it but do remain intentional about it.

Scriptures to meditate on:

• Matthew 6:9-13
• Ephesians 4:32
• Romans 8:1

Tips:

• Write down areas where you need to ask God for forgiveness and people you need to forgive.
• Devote time to pray on this for the next 7 days.
• If you feel led to, reach out to those you may have hurt and genuinely say you’re sorry to them for any past hurt you may have caused.
• Meditate on God’s word and recite scriptures out loud of God’s mercy and forgiveness over your life.

The doctrine of Grace separates Christianity from the other world religions. Grace is God’s unconditional love and unmerited favour. We cannot earn God’s love and favour or gain heaven by our good deeds (Titus 3:7), but only by putting our full faith and trust in Jesus who has completed that on our behalf (Romans 3:24). Jesus alone was able to keep all the commandments as the standard to be in right standing with God was perfection.

Rest in the finish work of Christ and know that God has granted you grace to fulfil all that He has asked you to do here on earth. His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Scriptures to meditate on:

• Titus 3:7
• Romans 3:24
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• 2 Corinthians 12:9

Tips:

• Write down what you are grateful to God for
• What things do you think God has granted you grace to accomplish?
• Thank God for His grace over your life and turn them into prayer points.
• Find 2 stories in the Bible of people that God granted grace to.

The word of God tells us without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21) and Jesus was impressed with people that had bold faith (Matthew 8:10). We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own works and this is something we should always remember (Ephesians 2:8-9) as it keeps us ground, humble and grateful to all that God has done and is doing for us.

Scriptures to meditate on:

• Hebrews 11:6-12
• Matthew 17:20-21
• Matthew 8:10
• Ephesians 2:8-9

Tips:

• Write down 5 key things that are important for you to keep faith in this year.
• Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in bold faith
• Challenge yourself to do one thing every day for 7 days that would challenge you to use radical faith.
• Thank God for being faithful towards you when we’ve been faithless at times.

We must always remember that love conquers all things (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). We as humans have the ability to love because God loved us first (1 John 4:19) and in doing so reminds us to love not only our friends and family but also our enemies and those who have done us wrong (Matthew 5:43-45).

Lastly, remember the words of Jesus in John 15:13 that great love will lay down one’s life for their friend. Jesus did this for us and we should be willing to go the extra mile to love and serve our fellow neighbour.

Scriptures to meditate on:

• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• 1 John 4:19-21
• Matthew 5:43-45
• John 15:13-14

Tips:

• Write down 3 scriptures in the Bible that tell you about God’s love for you.
• Turn those scriptures into prayer points and thank God for His unconditional love.
• Write down 3 people to extend God’s love toward in your life.
• Challenge yourself to show love to 3 strangers or people you do not really know over the next 7 days knowing that they may not be able to reciprocate that love back to you.

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Jesus tells us that he is the light of the world and His light brings us life (John 8:12). We as Christians should walk in His light and shine His light into the world in all that we do and give God the glory (Matthew 5:16).

Light allows us to know the way to go, whereas darkness leads to distraction and destruction. As we bring this 7-day Bible reading plan to a close ask for God to direct your path (Psalm 119:105) and enlighten and renew your mind (Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8) with Godly and heavenly thoughts.

Scriptures to meditate on:

• John 8:12
• Matthew 5:16
• Psalm 119:105
• Romans 12:2
• Philippians 4:8

Tips:

• Write down 3 scriptures that inspire you to live in God’s light.
• What potentially dark areas in your life do you need Jesus to enter?
• Pray for the light of Christ Jesus to bring greater joy and peace into your life.
• Plan 3 ways you will let your light shine in the world and give God glory.