Welcome to the Victory Blog

Today, I want to talk about the most powerful force in the history of the world – more powerful than nuclear weapons, though it lies behind every war. What is it? Well, it’s religion. I also want to address an issue that has become very prevalent in our society, that is, the belief that there are many ways to God and many or all religions are valid.

I, like many people, grew up believing that there are many paths to God. However, the more I grew up in God, the more I came to realize the error of this belief. In fact, God’s Word has quite a different take on the matter. John 14:6, Acts 4:11-12 and 1 John 5:12 are just a few of the many passages, including some of Jesus’ own words about himself, that say the same kind of thing: there is only one way to God and that is Jesus.

Yet, a lot of people in our culture insist that many, or even all, paths lead to God. They see all religions as essentially the same. But frankly, that’s a ridiculous statement. When you start looking into the beliefs of other religions, it is readily obvious that they lead in different directions and directly contradict each other at many points. As a case in point, there is one thing which nearly all religions share in common: each one holds that it is the one and only “true” path. They can’t all be right. (For a discussion about the beliefs of the world’s largest religions, listen to or watch last weekend’s message here.)

So, why should we believe Jesus is the only way? Well, to answer that, let me point out three different aspects of Jesus life that provide powerful and convincing EVIDENCE in this case:

1. Fulfilled Prophecy – in His short time one earth, Jesus fulfilled over 100 prophecies concerning details about His birth, life, death and resurrection that had been given over the course of several thousand years and recorded in the Old Testament long before He was born. The mathematical odds of fulfilling just eight of these prophecies – not to mention 100 – are one in one trillion!
2. History – while all historians may not agree on every point about Jesus life, virtually all agree on the following documented historical facts:
   • Jesus died on a cross
   • Jesus buried in a tomb
   • Three days later the tomb was empty
   • Jesus followers saw Him alive again (515 eye witnesses)
   • 11 of 12 apostles (and many others) died a martyr’s death for their belief
3. Grace and Truth – It comes down to this one question that everyone of us has to answer: Can you save yourself? Every other religion aside from Christianity is a religion of works – trying to attain some sort of salvation through people’s own efforts. Christianity alone says none of us can save ourselves – we can’t be good enough to get ourselves into heaven. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory and need something or Someone to help change us. And, it’s precisely because of this Truth and God’s Grace that Jesus came to earth, lived as a man, suffered, died and rose again. Being both God and man, He had the authority and power to deal with sin once and for all.

For me, the fulfilled prophecy alone is very compelling EVIDENCE, but taken together, these three elements make a rock solid case that there is only One Way to God the Father and that is through Jesus. The question is…do you believe?

Today, I want to talk about something that will be a little challenging. There are a lot of things going on in the world today that are of great significance. Too many of us, even in the church, don’t understand that significance, failing to recognize the Signs of the Times.

This lack of understanding causes many to live either in fear of their circumstances or in ignorant and dangerous carelessness. We must be sober and recognize the EVIDENCE of the fulfillment of God’s Word.

In both the Old and New Testaments, there is a lot of prophecy that points towards the future. Much of it concerns the end of time and of the world as we know it. Jesus Himself talked a lot about it. Because of this, it’s been a growing concern to me that, despite this emphasis, it’s become very rare in recent years to hear this subject being preached from American pulpits.

Over the course of my lifetime, and even looking back over the last 2,000 years of history, I have never seen as many things coming together that point to a fulfillment of biblical prophecies about the “end times” as there seem to be currently. And, if we’re going to be a “full-Gospel” church, we need to know and talk about the Good News concerning these bad times, as well as the good times.

Now, just as Jesus said, no one knows exactly when He is going to return, but He did say that there will be signs that the end is near. Briefly, these include:

1. The Rise of False Prophets – Matthew 24:5, 11
2. The Escalation of World Wars – Matthew 24:6
3. An Increase in Economic Warfare – Matthew 24:7a; Revelation 18:3, 9-11
4. Increased Natural Disasters – Matthew 24:7b
5. The Reestablishment of Israel – Matthew 24:32; Ezekiel 36:24; Matthew 24:33-34 (You can learn more about these signs by listening to or watching this past weekend’s message.)

All of these things have been happening and accelerating. And, I think we’d all agree that the first four of these signs aren’t good, at least in the natural, BUT there’s Good News! For those who are sober – aware of the Signs of the Times- and who have put their trust in God, we have this great promise:

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:7-11 NKJ)

Everywhere you look, there are signs pointing to the truth of God’s Word. The EVIDENCE is plain to see for anyone who is looking. The evil that is so prevalent in the news today can be a source of fear or of great hope. The question is, in whose word will you put your trust – man’s or God’s?

What can you say about the most important day in the history of Christianity? It’s a day many call “Easter,” but like Pastor Dennis echoed on this glorious day, at Victory, we prefer to call it what it is: Resurrection Day. On that famous day, Jesus Christ rose from the dead and soon thereafter ascended to the right hand of His Father, victoriously culminating His work on earth commissioned by God, resulting in a free gift of salvation for us.

At Victory, one word summed up the significance of this day: EVIDENCE. From intense tones of the song “All I Need is You”… and a thought-provoking poetic recital about the universe…through a video presentation on the millions of amazingly arranged parts of our bodies… to a sea of wisdom from Pastor Dennis’ lesson on God’s miraculous creation of the world, the EVIDENCE of God Himself was revealed.

Every seat available at Victory was taken, in all overflow areas and buildings, as thousands listened and experienced a unique Resurrection celebration. We considered the millions of galaxies God created, each of which includes billions of stars; one of these being our sun – perfectly balanced at the precise distance to keep us from burning or freezing on earth, a mere speck amidst God’s masterpiece. Yet, that speck is our home. And the best thing about it all is that God actually pays attention to us – we humans, whose lives are but vapors compared to His vast creativity – and cares for us in great detail.

It was a day that filled our minds with interesting facts about everything from our universe to our bodies. Resurrection Day at Victory lifted our spirits with new awe and reverence for our Maker. It was not a day full of fluff and fanfare; just plain EVIDENCE…of God, of Jesus Christ our resurrected Lord and Savior and of the very power we have within ourselves as the prize creation of the Master.

Lately, I’ve been asking God why I believe what I believe. Why, for instance, do I believe that God created the universe and all living things as opposed to the theory of evolution? Why do we believe the things we believe about who God is and what He has done? As I’ve looked into this, I’ve been amazed (though not surprised) at just how much EVIDENCE there really is to support what we believe.

There is evidence of God throughout the world we live in and the entire universe has God’s fingerprints all over it. In Psalm 19:1, David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” This could not be truer. For, our universe has been created in such a way that even the slightest change in its makeup would cause it to cease to exist. Things such as the ratio of electrons to protons, the expansion rate and mass of the universe and thecosmological constant must all be exactly where they are. The slightest deviation would cause it all to collapse.

I don’t have time to go into it here (you can learn more about it by listening to or watching this past weekend’s message), but the universe is so finely tuned that it is impossible for it to have come about by mere chance. The complexity, perfect harmony and balance of our world and universe are powerful evidences of a Creator.

It stands to reason, then, that if there is a Creator, we need to get to know Him. But, from the beginning of history, we humans have continually turned away from our Creator, trying to do things our own way and separating ourselves from Him. All of us have done this and we’ve gotten ourselves in a lot of trouble. We need to be rescued.

Amazingly, God, who holds the earth in His hand and the heavens in the span of His arms, loves us so much that He left the glory of Heaven and come down to rescue us. He came as a man, Jesus, to save us from ourselves. He sacrificed Himself for us. Think about the vastness of the God who created the universe. Now, think about how much He must love us in that He came down, became a man, took all of our sins upon Himself – in fact, actually became our sin – went to the cross and died. He absorbed all of the judgment against sin in Himself and went to the grave.

But, that wasn’t the end. On the third day, His followers discovered that the tomb was empty – He was no longer dead! Now, He is risen and EVERYONE can come to the One who gave His life for us! We can know and experience the love of the Creator of the universe. As Psalm 103 says, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

So today, let me ask you, what is your relationship to the Creator? What do you believe? Do you accept the EVIDENCE of God’s love for you?

During the month of March, Pastor Colleen invited us to join her in learning about and experiencing God’s healing power through a three-week teaching series called Acquire. The experience is best described in the words of a couple of people who attended:

How many of us have gone to the doctor only to be told that we have a life threatening disease or illness? The first question that comes to mind when we are given the bad news is “why me?” In Part 1 of her three-part series, “Acquire: Experiencing God’s Healing Power,” Pastor Colleen outlined what is necessary for God’s healing power to become effective in our lives. Here are some key ingredients to achieving supernatural healing:

1. Healing starts in the soul or the “heart.” When the soul rejoices, it brings healing to the body. The soul is the strongest link to your healing.
2. Think positive – choose to believe that the Word of God is the Truth, and that God wants to heal you.
3. Take possession of your healing. In other words, chase and seek God for clarity. \
4. Never allow the disease to define you. For example, you may have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have you.
5. Don’t get caught up in the “Why?” Stay in the place of assurance where you can see the works of God being worked out in your body.
6. Speak the word of healing over your life, and talk to God about what His word says.

About 75 people attended the first session on Saturday night, including Sandy Serrato. It took being diagnosed with HIV, for Sandy to believe God for a healing. As of 2008, he wasn’t a believer. He says after hearing Pastor Colleen preach about having a Vision for Your Health, he realized that he needed Jesus. To date, Sandy is not on any HIV medication and is seeking the Lord for a full recovery. He says, “I expect to be fully healed from HIV by October 2009.”

Pastor Colleen spoke passionately and truthfully about the healing power of God. She says the Lord healed her of several addictions and diseases. She says healing is so important in the body of Christ because “it’s one of those promises that God wants us to have. It’s an area where there is a lot of ignorance. People have said from pulpits that God isn’t healing in the world today. It becomes more important to me because of what I’ve experienced personally and what I know is possible.”

Pastor Colleen explained that healing is a process, and that we need to take the necessary steps in order to experience fully God’s healing power. “We get sick so that God’s glory and power can be demonstrated in our lives.” – Tonette Underwood

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Tonight was the last night of Acquire. Pastor Colleen talked about communion and receiving Christ’s “broken body” into ours for our restoration. She spoke about the connection between sin and sickness and thus, forgiveness and healing.

Before we took of communion, we had a time of consecration and repentance before God. Paul makes a charge in 1 Corinthians 11:29-31 that we are to rightfully receive communion and examine ourselves before we take of it. Our notes from tonight’s Acquire message had a prayer of thanksgiving for the communion experience. They also included prayers of repentance from sins such as unbelief, un-forgiveness, un-confessed sin, pride, apathy, involvement with occult, negative confessions and a religious mindset. We were encouraged to examine ourselves for the areas of sin we had in our lives and pray the accordingly using the prayers that we received.

Our communion experience was very personal. Leaders took their place at the right side of the sanctuary, and each person walked up to a leader. Each leader ministered the love of God to the person standing in front of them, explaining the significance of the communion elements before we took of them and reminding us that Christ sacrificed Himself for us individually. The cup represents forgiveness – the blood of Jesus, which cleanses us and washes us of all our sins. The broken bread represents healing – Christ’s body was broken for us, and He bore all our sicknesses and diseases so that we may be healed. Isaiah 53:5 states “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.“He bore the punishment for our sins so we would not have to, and through Him, we are forgiven. He endured many stripes on to His body so that our bodies would be made whole.

After receiving communion, we returned to our seats. Then we corporately prayed for healing for our bodies. Then, the leaders once again took their positions to the right of the sanctuary and each leader prayed individually with each person who needed healing.

God is mighty to save. He is alive, well and living in us and in our midst. He is so personal and near to us in our time of need. In His grace, He reminds us of His immense and undying love for us. Halleluiah! – Tosin Yusuf

Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28, 2009

WOW! Did you get it? If you didn’t get it, then let us tell you! Ladies, what a Chat-acular weekend we shared! Although it was raining and gloomy outside, you would’ve thought the sun was shining inside. From the door, calmness came over your spirit. Whatever troubled you that day troubled you no more. Smiles and laughter filled the church. There was total peace. What more could you ask for?!

Day One of ChickChat Unplugged introduced us to the event theme of, Women Who Get It – in the home, in the workplace, in life. By the end of the night we’d be asking ourselves whether we find ourselves over-promising and then killing ourselves to deliver; laughing at Pastor Colleen’s accurate portrayal of a chemical addiction most of us didn’t know we had; and throwing colorful beach balls high in the air as we sang, danced and got a little closer to becoming Women Who Get It!

The evening began as the ChickChat Worship Band led us in Praise and Worship, they rocked! We could have sung all night long, but we had to clear the stage for Ms. Nicole Michelle our guest fashion and make-up artist, or Fashionista.

Nicole’s presentation began with a video where she showed us how to take a piece of clothing most of us already have in our closets, the black and white dress, and create three, very simple but very different looks for three very separate occasions. She showed us how to add a pink scarf at the waist for a casual look, a jacket and accessories for a day at the office, and some black leggings and silver accents for a night on the town.

Following the video, Nicole took the stage dressed in a trendy black and turquoise outfit that looked like a million bucks. We all were surprised to find out that nothing she was wearing cost more than twenty dollars. Then, she concluded her presentation by showing us how to create affordable jewelry, bath salts, creative gifts and more, proclaiming that she too was a “diva on a budget.”

At the end, we were introduced to a book by author Ginger Garrett called, Beauty Secrets of the Bible: The Ancient Arts of Beauty & Fragrance,  that is based on Queen Esther’s (from the Bible) beauty regimens used prior to going before the king. The book is full of healthy and affordable alternatives that women can make at home to promote healthier skin, healthier hair and a healthier lifestyle over all.

Following Nicole was the main speaker for the evening, our very own, Pastor Colleen Rouse. Her segment was Women Who Get It…In Life. Pastor Colleen’s personal mantra, “I am most responsive to who or what I am most responsible for,” encompassed what she wanted to teach us that night.

She began by relating a personal struggle, a chemical addiction that she discovered she had…one that she knew most women everywhere struggled with too – addiction to adrenaline. At first, it seemed that not everyone was quite sure if they, too, were affected by this addiction. Coffee, Diet Coke…maybe, but adrenaline?…not so much. That was until Pastor Colleen began asking some very relevant questions like, how often we find ourselves over-committing to things for our children, our friends, our spouses. She told stories about being afraid to show up at her daughter’s school in the past with “Kroger cupcakes” instead of ones she baked from scratch on her own. She shared a story about trying to redecorate her home three days prior to hosting the neighborhood cookie exchange. Most importantly, she shared a revelation that she got a few years ago: Life is meant to be enjoyed.

The hard truth was that for most of us, life isn’t always enjoyable. Instead we impose deadlines and demands on ourselves we can’t meet, procrastinate to get the thrill of waiting until the last minute and lose sleep because our adrenaline is on full blast all of the time. With that, she urged us to pick up the remote and find a small button with immeasurable benefits. PAUSE. Pastor Colleen said, “In life, we need moments to pause and reflect, on God’s goodness, on his love, on the gift of our life.” She then led the us through an ancient exercise called, “Palms Up, Palms Down” where we closed our eyes, turned down our palms, and gave all of our burdens and cares up to God. Then, we turned our palms up, eyes still closed, as we said a prayer to receive God’s grace.

Finally, Pastor Colleen encouraged us to also take moments to celebrate something – an accomplishment, a new found peace, a new testimony. She then stood up and announced that it was time for all of us to celebrate as she introduced the Victory Vida Worship Band. As they played upbeat songs, women danced in the aisles, twirled around with friends and hit beach balls into the air that had been released into the crowd. It was very fitting that the lyrics to one of the songs were “I am free,” as free was what everyone was in that moment.

Day One of ChickChat Unplugged ended with an invitation for us to attend do-it-yourself stations for creating jewelry, potpourri and bath salts. So, everyone dismissed, ready to fellowship with new-found friends and then return home for a night’s rest, looking forward to what was in store for Day Two.

The next morning it was time to get out our notebooks, as author Shaunti Feldhahn empowered us with some interesting facts about our men. We also got to question a panel of men…and actually get some answers! Who knew this day would come?!

Shaunti was refreshing, really had her facts together and cleared up a lot of the misunderstandings we have about our men. For instance, did you know the song, Respect, was originally written by a man asking for respect from his wife?! The panel of men was pleased with that fact, and overall, the men did an excellent job giving us feedback on our questions.

Finally, we heard from Pastor Cheryl Hill, and she’s was hilarious while speaking the truth. Pastor Cheryl gave us a breakdown of the Six Kingdom Callings, and shared with us how she prayed about every career choice she made, and how the Lord always made a way. She encouraged us to seek God in all we do in the workplace, and to be of good service, that we may glorify Christ while we’re there!

So, did you get it? Well we did, and we can’t wait until the next women’s conference! Don’t miss it!

~ Quianna C. & Renee J.

(You may view the entire gallery of photos taken at this event by clicking on any of the photos in this post or here.)

Recently, we kicked off another year of our Synergy Women’s Mentoring Program. The mission of Synergy is: To gather seasoned women of God, modern day Deborah’s, who will answer the call to mentor, provide leadership, activate, teach and inspire the younger women to be mighty women of God …women reaching women.

In order to give you a glimpse into that kickoff and the Synergy program as a whole, here are the perspectives of both a mentor and a mentee who are participating this year:

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Mentor ~ Gladys T.

I arrived to the Synergy Launch with much excitement. You see, I was part of the original pilot program two years ago. Upon arriving at the venue, I was amazed to see how much Synergy has grown in such a short period. To see it from birth to now having over 170 women, all of which either had a mentor role, mentee role, or a coach role was exciting.

The atmosphere was full of excitement and curiosity. The mentee’s and mentors did not know with whom they would be paired. However, once that was revealed, the atmosphere was full of electricity and charged up as mentors and mentees started to break new ground by getting to know one another, taking photos together and discussing goals while enjoying a tea and hors d’oeuvres.

Synergy is a nine-month commitment in which the mentors and mentees enter into a covenant to be part of each other’s lives for the coming months. As a mentor, I am excited that I have been given this opportunity to share my experiences in life and to be transparent with someone else whom God has placed in my life for this season. In that, I pray our relationship will grow deep, that we’ll be connected to one another from a heart level instead of just a head level.

This is an exciting time as we carry out the things that our Lord instructs us to carry out as spiritual mentors. Tit 2:4: “That we may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

This is an opportunity to speak into someone’s life, to help them unlock the gifts that are within them. It’s a chance to lead, to guide, to practice the presence of God together. It is a season in which to encourage, to uplift, to advise, to correct gently with a spirit of love. It’s a time to share a cup of coffee or tea with a godly friend that will listen, and one in which we can help others in practical ways.

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Mentee ~ Shannon K.

After arriving and checking in, I walked into the auditorium. The whole room was set up beautifully. There were 20 or so tables, all of them matching the Synergy colors of pink and brown. I found my table, which was all the way on the other side of the room, and took a seat. It was nice to see many people I know from the church or Fusion.

Catherine Bachman and Pastor Colleen, welcomed us and talked with us about Syne

rgy. They then had us play a game at our table. We were to talk amongst ourselves and come up with three to five things that we all had in common. It was a lot harder than I imagined it would be. However, we did manage to come up with five things. It was a nice way to get to know the ladies we were seating with. I had the pleasure of meeting my Synergy Coach, who was also seated at the table.

Then, it was time for each of us to be introduced to our mentor. Our mentors stood, handed us a rose and asked if we would accept them as our mentor. Of course, I accepted. I then had the pleasure of talking with my mentor and getting to know her a little. We discussed goals, boundaries and meetings with our mentor and the other mentees. This was avery nice way to start off our relationship.

Overall, I had a great time at the Synergy Launch. I felt very welcome and important. The team that set up the event did an awesome job! I am so excited to see what will come in my relationship with my mentor! I know that God will continue to grow me and do amazing work in me!

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We live in a generation that is very unclear about who or what God is, and the majority of which does not have a relationship with Him. For the last several weeks, we’ve been discussing the importance of having a 20/20 vision for every area of our lives. As Proverbs 29:18 says,”Where there is no vision my people perish.” (KJV) This week, I would like to turn that around and say,”Where God’s people have no vision for the lost, the lost perish.” If we don’t have a vision for people who don’t know Christ, they will perish because we won’t tell them about Him.

Almost nothing is more important than our vision for lost people. Yet, very few people wake up in the morning thinking about that. Most of us inside the church don’t think much at all about those outside of it. Yet, this was the number one purpose of Jesus’ ministry – to seek and save that which was lost. In addition, He commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel – to be His witnesses. Wherever we go, we are supposed to be sharing our faith.

Why aren’t most of us doing this? Well, some of us have gotten caught up in our own little church world and forgotten about the lost. Others of us are strongly influenced by society, which puts a lot of pressure on us to keep our faith private and not share it with others. However, the main reason we don’t often (if ever) share our faith with others is that we love ourselves more than them.

In John 15, Jesus talks about abiding in Him, bearing fruit and loving one another. Jesus was so anointed and spoke with such authority because He was motivated by love. Abiding in the Father will cause love – for Him and others – to become our primary motivation.The more we love people the more their hearts open to the Gospel. On the other hand, when we stop abiding in God, our love for others decreases, our love for ourselves takes the front seat and people’s hearts are closed.

The key of love is laying down our lives for others. That means:

1. Laying down our desires. The journey that we’re on is all about losing the life of our own desires in exchange for the life of His desires.
2. Laying down our time. How much of our time is dedicated to the lost? More than for anything else, Jesus got the most criticism for spending so much time with the lost.
3. Laying down our reputation. We don’t like to be embarrassed – especially when we share our faith with people and they reject it. But, which is more important: our reputation or people’s souls?

We carry the answer for every person on this planet – Jesus Christ. It doesn’t do any good if we just keep Him for ourselves. We’ve got to share Him – through our actions, first and foremost, but also with our words as people open up. God has specifically placed people in our lives so we can love them and share Christ with them. I urge you; seek to build genuine, loving relationships with those around you. Invest in them – out of love, not just to “get them saved.” I guarantee that the seeds of love you sow into people’s lives will bear fruit as the Holy Spirit moves in their hearts. We have to get a Vision for the Lost. People’s eternal lives are at stake!

(Learn more about Vision for the Lost by listening to or watching this message.)

On Saturday, April 18th, all the different Hispanic leaders from VWC, Victory Vida, ESL, Translation and Matrimonio para Siempre went to a leadership Summit at Stone Mountain Park. With close to 70 people in attendance, it was a total success!

We had a lot of fun hiking up the mountain, learning about leadership along the way through a series of team-building games and discussions. We learned and put into practice many of the teachings that we experienced during and after each game. Once we got everyone to the top, Pastor Emilio Schumann gave a 10-minute talk in which he recast our vision/mission as we continue to love and serve our King Jesus in the Hispanic Community here in Atlanta. Here are a few pictures of the event:

Every human being is made up of three parts: body, soul (mind) and spirit (the inner essence of our being). Our spirits are different than the other parts of our being. You see, while our bodies and souls may mature, it’s quite possible that our spirits may not. Our spirits are the center of our being, the core of who God intended us to be. They’re where God speaks to us, moves in us, fellowships with us and dwells with us. They’re the key to connecting with Him, finding His will for our lives and walking with Him. While the first two parts of our being grow naturally, our spirits don’t. Our spirits need to be grown, developed, cultivated. If we’re not intentional about this, our spirits stagnate.

So, we need to get a vision for growing our spirits. Once we have that vision in place, we will start moving in the right direction, growing our spirits and drawing closer to God. What does that vision look like? Well, spiritual growth starts with hunger for God, His righteousness and things of the Spirit. Our lives generally revolve around that for which we’re hungry. We can tell what we’re hungry for by what we feed our lives.

Hunger for the right things will lead to discipline. No, this isn’t a fun word, but it is one of the greatest principles in the Bible. Just as we don’t just wake up one day with big strong physical muscles without discipline, so also is discipline required to build up our spirits.

Discipline is part of a process. Growth doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. Even Jesus grew through life’s processes. Spiritual growth is a process that requires a change in our daily routine and living in a growth environment, which means:

• Interacting with others who are beyond us spiritually
• Living outside our comfort zones
• Feeding our spirits daily
• Being accountable to others

All of these things will result in works. Works are the things we do that are the natural, outward evidence of what is going on inside of us. When our spirits are growing, we will do the kinds of things Jesus did and much more (see John 14:12). Now, plenty of people do works out of religious duty or obligation. That’s not what I’m talking about. In and of themselves, works do not prove spiritual growth. However, they will always be present in the lives of those who are alive and growing spiritually.

So, here’s the truth: If we want to connect with God, hear His voice and enjoy the life He has for us, spiritual growth is essential. And, that starts by getting a vision for it and then living it out! (Learn more about this by listening to or watching last weekend’s message.)