Series: All In

Message: Reaching Your God Potential

THINGS YOU MUST KNOW:

A. It’s not possible without GOD’S WORD.

(Romans 10:17)(NIV) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

(2 Timothy 3:14-17) (NLT) 14But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught… 15…the Holy Scriptures…. have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

B. It’s not possible without KNOWING JESUS.

(2 Corinthians 5:17)(NLT) …. “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

C. It’s not possible without GROWING IN CHRIST.

(John 15:5)(NIV) JESUS SAID, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

(2 Peter 3:17-18) (NLT) 17I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

(Luke 2:52)(NLT) Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

5 THINGS GOD USES TO GROW YOUR FAITH

1. PRACTICAL TEACHING.

(Luke 8:10)(NLT) Jesus replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.”

(Matthew 7:28-29) (NLT) 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29for he taught with real authority— quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

(Matthew 7:24, 26) (NLT) 24“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.

2. PRIVATE DISCIPLINES.

(Matthew 6:6)(NLT) But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

(Luke 5:16)(NIV) Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

(Psalm 1:1-3) (NLT) 1Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

3. PERSONAL MINISTRY.

(Romans 12:4-8) (NLT) 4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If

your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

(1 Peter 4:10)(NIV) Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.

(Matthew 20:28)(NLT) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give h