SOKM, SPIRITUAL GROWTH, & YOUR FRONT LAWN

Continued spiritual growth is important for every person. Our lives are a continual journey of becoming more and more the person that God made us to be, and this involves near-constant change. However, any of us who have ever had the responsibility of caring for a front lawn knows that growth isn't simply a matter of time + nutrients. Left untended, nature will grow in all directions and all manner of unwanted weeds will take root. Our spiritual walks can act in a very similar fashion. Just like the front lawn, we are responsible to steward growth in our own personal lives, and that requires intentionality.

So what does intentionality in spiritual growth actually look like?

How can we take responsibility and steward well the things God has given us to grow in?

Always start with a healthy intake of Spirit and Truth. Our physical bodies do not grow stronger if we don't take inadequate nutrition. In the same way, our spiritual lives do not grow without constant feeding on God's word (Truth) and presence (Spirit). A healthy spiritual walk requires daily renewing of our minds with God's truth and daily refreshing of our spirits with His.

That's the easy part. ;) The hard part is...well...hard. Human beings grow through resistance. Our spiritual lives will not grow without consistently putting ourselves into situations that stretch us and make us feel uncomfortable. This is also how we can determine the direction of our growth. We're all called to pray for the sick, minister healing, and speak God's word to others. So, if we want to grow in these areas, then we must find ways to stretch ourselves in doing those things!

For the past 8 years, the School of Kingdom Ministry has been doing just that in its students all around the world. This class has served as a growth cultivator for churches far and wide—people’s minds are being stretched, their beliefs are being challenged, and their faith is being called to action; and you know what? People are seeing transformational growth in their own lives, in their churches, and in their communities. As we get ready to start another school year, we couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds for these students who are setting aside the time and being intentional so that they can become more and more the person God made them to be.

Tim Sansone

The Vineyard Church

Urbana IL