Growing Spiritually

We are often asked at New Life about how to grow spiritually. I have to admit, the answer to that question is both simple and yet so difficult.

You see, the basic process of developing any relationship (in this case with God) is to spend time and communicate with the person. The challenge is how can you do that with the God of the universe with whom you cannot sit down at Starbucks and chat about your life. The short answer is to listen to Him (options include listening to sermons, reading the Bible and quietly praying listening for Him to speak to your soul), to commune with other believers (small groups), and to serve the one you love (either at New Life or in the the community or both).

So the first questions are: Do you regularly attend worship services? Are you in a small group? Do you read the Bible on a regular basis? Do you talk to God in prayer? Are you serving Him and His cause?

If you can't answer yes to each of those I would encourage you to do what you aren't sooner than later. They pay off can be huge. As we interview people who feel distant from God we find those key things to be missing. Rarely do we find someone who is consistently doing them feeling distant from God.

Okay ... so by now you are thinking, thanks for the "church answer"... but really, how do I do those things?

• Find a small group. These are informal groups that meet in people's homes, often with dinner, that talk about God and how He is working in our lives.
• Read the scripture listed in the program each week (it is also sent out in our twitter feed - www.twitter.com/nlcc)
• Pray. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just find a quiet spot and tell God what you are thinking.
• Find a place to serve. We always need people to help as we impact the community around New Life, and many people find serving others the most therapeutic way to deal with their own lives and grow closer to God as they act as His hands and feet.
  

If you need help doing any of these please call or email us. If any of those make you nervous, queezy, or otherwise hesitant, rest assured, like all things New Life, it doesn't have to be this big, formal, scary deal. Trust us, the groups are safe, and serving can be real fun.


Pat Furgerson, Utility Guy