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Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (I Peter 2:2) A healthy newborn searches for his or her next meal within minutes of birth. A baby’s survival depends on that God implanted instinct. Regular, consistent feedings are important for healthy growth and development, but sometimes babies arrive with problems that hinder those natural drives, and consequently threaten their wellbeing. Some babies won’t suck properly in order to ingest enough nutrition to thrive. They take a few swallows and fall back asleep on an empty tummy. Continued lethargy can result in weight loss and dangers to the infant’s survival. The concerned mother of such an infant will sometimes be told to gently flick the baby’s cheek or feet to arouse him or her enough to finish a feeding. Some babies gulp down their meals with gusto, but then turn into tiny fountains able to spew amazing amounts with surprising force back at their mothers’ faces. While they may still retain enough for growth, feeding becomes a messy, frustrating process for both mother and child.
Healthy babies don’t remain satisfied with milk forever. The smallest taste of “big people food” will whet their appetites to the solid, more satisfying options around them. Eventually they will refuse the milky diet and reach for more mature alternatives that are needful for continued growth. Taking in enough nutrition isn’t the only thing to concern new parents. The body needs to assimilate and utilize that nutrition as well as pack it in. It is important for babies to kick those legs and wave those arms, thereby building muscles that will soon become strong enough to crawl across the floor, and then eventually run out the door.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Are you a new babe in God’s family? New babies are a gift and a joy to the family. We are eager to see you cared for and thriving. Just as babies demand frequent and regular meals, your spirit begins to cry out to be fed regularly through personal Bible study, small group settings and the corporate teaching in a consistent manner as soon as you are born again. Going to sleep and neglecting those regular meals will leave you weak and stunted, soon in need of a gentle “flicking” from Pastor Mark to help you get on with growing in Jesus. Maybe you see yourself as a vigorous feeder on spiritual milk, but sometimes you don’t understand the meaning, or disagree with the way it strikes you and you throw it back out, undigested. Don’t become discouraged, you will certainly retain enough for growth, if you just keep on trying. It may seem a messy, frustrating business at times, but with persistence as you continue to feed, there will be the maturing that leads to blessing. Have you been in the family of God long enough to begin craving “big people food”? Are you still hanging onto your bottle and expecting others to meet your needs when there is a steak on the table just waiting for you to reach out for it? Healthy growth produces more mature aspirations. Paul was frustrated with the Corinthian believers because they kept to their childish ways (1 Corinthians 3:1-9). They were jealous and fractious when maturity should have produced love and unity in their lives. It is not enough to find ways to stuff your spirit. Just as a baby needs to work his muscles, believers who challenge themselves by sharing their faith with others soon reach out beyond the doors of the body and produce new babes. God doesn’t want overweight feeders; He looks for spiritual exercisers who get up and walk with Jesus.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Whatever stage of growth you have reached today, God has much more for you tomorrow. Take your eyes off yourself and focus on Jesus as you follow Him into the mature walk He has planned for you.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:6
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