Maybe you
have had experiences in times past around Lent and Easter that felt negative to
you or full of guilt-inducing “shoulds”. I’ve prepared my plan because I “want”
to grow in Christ. I share the plan with you in case you’d like to similarly
engage these weeks in what I expect to be a powerful season.
I’m going to
prayerfully respond to the items below by making fresh commitments to Christ,
asking for His transforming power, and then I’m going share those commitments
with trusted others with whom I do regular accountability.
1. Describe your sense of connection with
God. Do you feel close or far away? Do you have meaningful conversation with God
or are your prayers dry? Is God pleased
with you? Are you pleased with God?
2. Describe your sense of connection with your
family. Is there closeness or distance?
Is communication strong or lacking? Are
you enjoying one another or are you strained?
3. Describe your sense of connection and
involvement with your church family. What is fun and/or exciting to you about
your involvement? In what ways is your
small group meaningful to you? How does
the Sunday gathering provide a quality worship experience and study of the
Bible for you?
4. What do you understand your spiritual gifting
to be? In what ways are you using your
spiritual gifting to serve God and His church?
Is your service satisfying and energizing?
5. Do you estimate your financial giving to be
below, at, or above the 10% tithe that the Bible teaches? Does this reflect growth in giving? Does this reflect generosity in giving? Does this reflect faith in giving? Do you believe that God is pleased with your
giving?
6. Describe how you are building relationships
with non-churched friends. In what ways
have you been able to share your faith?
Have you had influence or impact upon a friend in the last year so that
they chose to also follow Christ? In
what ways are you discipling and/or mentoring another believer?
7. Galatians 5:22-26 teach what the "fruit
of the Spirit" are and how a believer lives when bearing fruit. In what area of Christlikeness have you been
especially "fruitful"? With
what area of Christlikeness have you especially struggled?
