This has been on my mind for a while, but I haven’t said anything because I was afraid that I might offend someone by bringing up this very sensitive issue. So, if by chance you fall into this category, let me apologize in advance. I feel this needs to be said, and it’s not ever my intention to hurt anyone’s feelings.
If you’ve ever felt as you should, that going to church on Sunday may not be enough to feed you completely in your spiritual life, you are right! Once you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are born again, and just like a baby, you need to eat in order to grow. ”Eating” is a reference to the nourishment of the soul pertaining to the frequent intake of Bible doctrine. In the scriptures our Lord commands us to grow in “Grace and Knowledge” of Him. There are many people do not make time in their busy lives to do this very important thing.
None of us miss to many meals because if we do, we get tired and weak, and of course if we go to long we can die. Once saved we can never die spiritually, however, we can become weak and ineffective in our spiritual lives, and miss out on the peace and blessings that God is waiting to give us. As believers, we are not only commanded to grow in “Grace and knowledge” of God, but to use that knowledge to spread the gospel to the unbelieving world. If you feel you are not comfortable sharing your faith and the Gospel message with someone every time the opportunity presents itself, it could be that you are lacking the confidence because you have not spent the time to learn the principles of the spiritual life that God has given us in his word.
Making time to hear and understand God‘s word is the MOST important and probably the Hardest thing to do in one’s spiritual life. There is always something else we need or want to do with our time. But, without doing this it is impossible for us to grow spiritually, and actually benefit here on earth from our faith. As believers God is waiting to bless us, but in many cases may not because we have not taken the time to feed ourselves spiritually, so that we can grow in the understanding of Him and His plan for our lives. We are all working feverishly to meet the physical demands and obligations of our lives, but are we making any effort to give back to the one who has been so gracious to us? Are we just too busy for God? Many of us are to ashamed to ask ourselves this question, so we just avoid thinking about it. There is a simple solution if you are willing to try it.
By the way, congratulations if you have made it this far in my post. Good things are about to happen for you. I treat my Bible studies just like an audiobook. Something I do as a form of relaxation and instruction, or just a way to stimulate my mind in those little bits of time I have like when I’m driving in the car, or waiting in a doctors office, or late at night when I can’t get to sleep. You would be surprised at how much time you actually really have if you just try and get into the habit of listening when you have the opportunity, even if it’s only 15 minutes or 20 minutes a day. Believe me it’s a lot more beneficial than wasting time scrolling on your phone. In fact, phones with earbuds and Bluetooth are our greatest assets in this regard. Just pull up an app you like and listen. I am not saying you need to pay for a Bible app or anything. There are some good ministries that allow you to listen to quality, ACCURATE MP3 Bible teachings derived from the original languages of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek using their Free apps. These ministries do not only teach God‘s word, but they also teach you the everyday applications you need to live a fulfilling and happy spiritual life. I promise you will not be disappointed with the results you get once you start listening consistently, and begin applying accurate Bible teaching in your life.
If you have not found a church or pastor that completely fills you spiritually, try one of these. They are all free and doctrinally correct.
For people just getting started with their daily doctrinal intake try these:
Joe Griffin Media Ministries at joegriffin.org the basics study
or:
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries at gbible.org new believer series studies
For mature believers who don’t mind a hardcore dogmatic teacher try:
R B Thieme Jr. Bible Ministries at rbthieme.org
If you need a church here locally in San Antonio that can really help you grow in your spiritual life, I invite you to try Alamo City Bible Church. Along with a small friendly congregation, there is no band, no invitations, no visitors card, no guilt, no passing the plate, just good instructional Bible teachings and applications from a qualified Pastor Teacher, that you can use to improve your relationship with God, so you can begin utilizing all of the wonderful logistical grace blessings that He has waiting for you.