The next step is to enter a time of Growing.  The scripture is clear that we are to grow in our knowledge and love for Jesus.  This is also what it means to become a disciple.  Remember, a disciple is a student; he or she is one who seeks to be more and more like the teacher.   In fact, the disciple does not want to be simply like the master, but desires to be a reflection of Him.  This does not mean we lose our own identity.  Instead it means we want our thoughts to become His thoughts and our ways to become His ways.  The believer desires to be Christ in this world.  This has to be our goal.  A believer who is practicing this Growing, along with Glowing, is a G2 believer.  There are several disciplines we need to engage if we are going to see Growing happen in our life.

Bible Study: 

In Arlington Baptist Church there are two ways to experience Growing through Bible study.  First, there is Sunday School.  Every Sunday morning hundreds of people come together to study the Word of God in a small group setting.  They are led by called and well-trained teachers, who have as their goal your spiritual growth and development.

A second growth mechanism is our Wednesday night Christian Growth Institute (CGI).  These classes go deeper into God’s word as they apply the scriptures to current life issues.  I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to Grow in your knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Daily Devotional Study and Prayer:

As wonderful as corporate Bible study is, it does not take the place of our daily devotion and prayer time.  Earlier I mentioned this as a part of our Glowing, here we see its function in our Growing.  When we spend time alone in the Word and prayer our understanding of God will develop and deepen.  This is a key part of our Growing experience.

Living Out Our Faith:

Practicing what we are learning is another extremely important part of Growing.  Like in every area of life, we need more than learned knowledge; we need experiential knowledge.  When we discover that Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, we then need to go and do this very thing.  Our learning is not complete until we have practiced biblical principles in our everyday life.  We cannot Grow without living out what we have discovered in the scriptures and prayer.   

Fellowship with God’s People:

The final part of Growth is developing meaningful relationships with other believers.  The Church fellowship inspires us as we watch others live for Jesus, and gives us confidants and counselors as we deal with life together united in Christ.

Conclusion: As we move forward in Christ becoming a G2 believer is essential.  In Matthew 11:29 Jesus calls us to take His yoke and to learn from Him.  The expectation of Christ is for us to Grow deeper and deeper in our knowledge of Him.  He desires for us to see the fullness of His love and our salvation.  There is so much to know and learn about Jesus, and we will spend the rest of our lives discovering these truths.