Kara Lawson and April McDivitt understand the importance of applying God's Word to their lives.
FCA.org -
Kara Lawson and April McDivitt are both juniors at the University of Tennessee. Kara is a finance major, April an education major, both are honor students. These young women play basketball for the Lady Volunteers, striving for excellence in everything they do. Kara stands 5-feet-9, averaging more than 13 points and 5 rebounds per game. Last August she helped lead the USA to the gold medal in the World University Games in Beijing. At 5-feet-8, April rotates into a starting role when needed, and consistently has improved her performance. As exceptional as they are in academics and athletics, these activities are not all they share. Kara and April have a close friendship and an even deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. These godly women also share the desire to mature spiritually by studying and applying God’s Word to their lives. They diligently sought a church where they felt God wanted them to be. They actively take part in the college group at the church and participate in challenging Bible studies, so they can grow in their faith and witness for Christ on and off the court.
Principle: Reading the Barometer
Platform: Hebrews 5:13-14, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Process: There are three sets of opposites in the Scripture verses above. What are they? (infant vs. mature; milk vs. solid food; evil vs. good) Using these opposite pairs, how would you paraphrase this verse?
The Message, a modern paraphrase, puts it like this – “Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.”
Infants grow into toddlers, preschoolers, children, adolescents and adults. Their health and stamina depend a great deal on what they eat and how they exert themselves throughout their lifetime. They may never achieve full height and bone mass if their diet is missing certain nutrients. In the same way, they will not have strength and endurance if they never exercise. But, they will still look like adults when they reach 18. Inside they are a wreck, but the outside could fool anyone. When given a task that requires strength and stamina the truth would be made known.
DISCUSS: How do these same conditions apply to spiritual infancy vs. maturity.
Christians of all ages are instructed to grow up into Christ, our Head (Ephesians 4:15). We all come to Christ as newborn babes. We should crave—greatly long after—pure spiritual milk and solid food (1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:14). These will make us grow up in our salvation.
Whether we grow up spiritually or not, our bodies will keep maturing. What a sad day it would be to be asked how long we have been a Christian, and our answer not be anywhere near the number of years we’ve grown up in our faith! There are 50-, 60- and 70-year-old Christians everywhere who accepted Christ decades before, possibly in their teens, and have not matured past infancy because of choices that led to lack of spiritual food and conditioning.
Spiritual maturity is NOT a factor of age, but of choices. Kara Lawson and April McDivitt are no more than 21 yrs. of age, yet their lifestyles (choices) reflect a desire for and pursuit of God and His plans for them. They are excellent examples of growing up in Christ and in their salvation.
ASK and DISCUSS: What are the choices you think a Christian has to make in order to grow up into Christ? Consider these verbs and verb phrases: avoid, seek, cling to, put on, put off, love, hate, submit to, turn from, turn to. Look up verses with these words using a concordance and determine which ones have to do with choices leading to maturity in Christ.
DISCUSS: There are at least four barometers we can use to measure our spiritual maturity. They are:
1. How we control our Tongues
2. What we Treasure most – Are there idols in our lives?
3. Our Attitude toward and Time in the study and application of God’s Word
4. Our Integrity (who we are when we think no one is watching)
“Reading” these barometers will help anyone assess their growth in Christ.
DISCUSS: How is spiritual maturity demonstrated? How is spiritual infancy revealed?
Put the following verses on note cards, an overhead, or on the board.
1 John 3:18-22; Proverbs 4:4-8; Mark 4:18-19; 1 Timothy 4:12; Proverbs 15:3; Proverbs 23:12; 1 Timothy 6:9-11; 1 Peter 3:10; Luke 16:15; Luke 6:47-49; 2 Kings 17:36-41; Psalms 17:1-3; Hebrews 4:13; John 6:63; 1 John 2:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 6:21, 24; Proverbs 18:6-7.
Divide the group into pairs and have each pair read a verse(s) aloud. To which barometer do the verses belong?
DISCUSS the Scriptures using these questions:
1. How is this important for Christian growth?
2. What will result in my heart, home, Huddle and school if I ignore this instruction/example? If I obey it?
3. What do I need to change in order to obey this instruction/example?
4. How can I allow other growing Christians help me to mature in this area?
Close in prayer, asking God to help each person in the Huddle mature in all areas of his/her Christian life.
Personalize: Growing up into Christ and in your salvation is not a group activity. You cannot wait for or depend on others to go with you. It is not cool, popular or always fun. It is not easy, painless or quick. It is so radically different from the culture around you that you will be rejected, laughed at, persecuted. Read and meditate on 1 Peter 2:4-5; Hebrews 12:2-3; Joshua 24:15. Make your choice!
