A Christian life is like a newborn baby and it is only normal that the baby grows. If a child does not grow or is stunted, it could be due to physiological reasons or malnutrition. Likewise, if a Christian life is not growing, it maybe because one is unclear of his Christian faith or a decrease in spiritual appetite leading to not making the effort to pursue a better understanding of the faith. The Apostle Peter exhorts the believers, saying, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”(1 Peter 2:1-3) Life has changed for us Christians after we believe in the Lord. Once we have tasted the wonderful grace of God, we should actually desire more to pursue and appreciate a new and abundant life given by God. An indication of spiritual growth is a better understanding of the Lord and experience the walk under His shepherding. This develops a closer relationship with the Lord and we will be more like the Lord Jesus in the things we do and choices we make.

We cannot do without God’s Word to grow up in our salvation. As such, reading the Bible and Bible study are critical. We need to focus on God’s Word, spend more time thinking and meditating on God’s Word; constantly examining our way of life if it pleases God.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

Meditating on the Word of God is a spiritual exercise you can do on your own but fellowship is another exercise not to be missed. From the Church sermon, Sunday school or Bible study, and sharing with brothers and sisters, we have a better appreciation of the application of the Bible’s teachings. Healthy and regular church life is an important resource for our spiritual growth and is indispensable. In the church environment, we can remind and spur one another on We can also model after the exemplary behaviour of our brothers and sisters. Spiritual milk is essential for the growth in your salvation. However, we have only a few hours per week to meet our brothers and sisters for fellowship or just an hour to listen to the sermon. Can we find more time for our spiritual nourishment?

Christian books and recorded sermons! They are another resource for us to grow in our faith. Reading a good Christian book is almost equivalent to listening to several spiritual church sermons. The author typically puts in a lot of thought to organize the contents of the book. Thus, when we read a book, we are usually able to get a quite complete teaching on a subject matter. Reading spiritual books is like an exchange of thoughts with a spiritual elder and it is certainly beneficial. Although the church library does not have a big collection, we certainly have some very good books that you can borrow. On another note, the church has a collection of sermon recordings since 2009. To download or listen online, visit the church website www.tolcc.org. In this way, we can revisit the sermon anytime, anywhere and let God’s words fill our thoughts. Brothers and sisters, you are most welcomed to tap on these resources and may it propel your growth in salvation.