Playlist:

playlist Go to the Growth, Spiritual (topic) playlist

The Spiritual Hard Hat Zone

'Ready Answer' by David F. Maas

Christian's lives are constantly under construction. It is this point of view that makes it easier for us to deal with both setbacks and progress.


Spiritual Maturity

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Kingdom parables allude to the process of spiritual maturity, depicting a planted and cultivated seed becoming a sprout, eventually bearing fruit.


Patience With Growth

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Fruit maturation takes time. Waiting for the fruit is just part of the story; while we wait, we must also work, including thinning and pruning.


Spiritual Strongholds (Part Three): God's Intervention

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

In addition to dispatching the talent sized hail, God responded to Joshua's request to extend the day—requiring an infinitude of miracles.


Growth

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Western emphasis on growth has taken root within Christianity. 'Success' for a church is measured in income and membership, which are deceptive metrics.


What Is Real Conversion? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Some in Antioch believed the preaching of the persecuted Christians, and they not only agreed with the teaching but also changed or transformed their lives.


Like a Growing Seed (Part One)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Parable of the Growing Seed is unique to the book of Mark, the most basic of the gospels, perhaps due to it being so simple and its point self-evident.


Like a Growing Seed (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Like its physical counterpart, spiritual growth happens slowly. A newly baptized Christian will not produce the fruit of the spirit as easily as a mature one.


What Is Real Conversion? (Part Six)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Conversion must out in changed behavior, the fruit of God's Spirit accomplishing its miraculous work in us. The Corinthians provide a negative example.


Growing to Perfection

Article by Charles Whitaker

Spiritual growth mimics our physical growth to maturity. If we continue in the process, we will 'grow into' our potential as God's children.


The Patient Pineapple

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

The majority of the growth or maturation of a pineapple plant takes place from within. The same holds true for our calling and conversion.


Journey of the Monarch Butterfly

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

We must undergo a metamorphosis from a carnal, fleshly (relatively worm-like) existence to a glorious, dazzling offspring of Almighty God.


A Time to Grow

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

Horticulture is not so easy as merely planting a seed and watching it grow. Tending and keeping implies continually watering, fertilizing, and cultivating.


Perfection...Piece by Piece

'Ready Answer' by Mike Ford

What is perfection? Does God require perfection of us? The Bible defines perfection in a surprising way, and tells to what standard God holds us accountable.


Magic Doesn't Work (Part Three)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Magic is always used as some kind of weapon, but not to build or develop moral strength or character. God chooses a life-long process of sanctification.


Holy Days: Unleavened Bread

Bible Study by Staff

The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows the Passover. In it we see how hard it is to overcome and rid our lives of sin.


Responding to God's Pruning Is Not Passive (Part One)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Our Heavenly Father, the Vine Dresser, has provided His junior partners some valuable tools to assist in pruning and cultivating His emerging spiritual crop.


Do We Know God?

CGG Weekly by Pat Higgins

How can we build a relationship of such intimacy that God and Christ know it is a relationship that will last for an eternity?


Marriage—A God-Plane Relationship (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

When God introduces marriage, the first thing He does is to put it on a spiritual plane. Our relationships should include this God-plane quality.


God's Creation and Our Works

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like Joseph, we need to realize that God—not ourselves—is the Creator, engineering events that form us into what He wants us to become.


Choosing the New Man (Part One)

Article by Charles Whitaker

The Bible describes many men, but one of the most important is the new man, a creative effort of renewing our minds in cooperation with God.


Daily Overcoming

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Daily reflection helps to identify areas in our lives that need to be overcome. Without self-reflection, overcoming specific faults cannot gain traction.


Making the Cut (Part One)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Why should we think that God disdains requirements for entrance into His Kingdom? Spiritual growth is an intrinsic part of equipping the saints for service.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part One)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Misguided theologians have tried to create a false dichotomy between grace and works. We do works of obedience to build character, not to earn salvation.


Righteousness from Inside-Out

'Ready Answer' by David F. Maas

Many people fail to understand the kind of righteousness God is looking for. God wants it written on our hearts—not just a set of dos and don'ts.


God's Tools

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Spiritual maturity does not come about without difficulty, and suffering is one of God's tools to perfect us. Suffering refines endurance and character.


The Endurance of the Firstfruits (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The seven Sabbaths in the count to Pentecost represent the process of the firstfruits becoming spiritually complete, that is, perfect and blameless.


Adolescent Geriatrics

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The cultural phenomenon known as 'adolescent geriatrics' is when a senior citizen, ignoring the ravages of time, continues youthful styles, desires, and goals.


Five Teachings of Grace

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Protestantism unthinkingly presents grace as "free." However, Scripture shows that God expects a great deal of effort from us once we receive it—it is costly.


Overcoming (Part 2): Self-Justification

Bible Study by Staff

A great impediment to overcoming our sins is self-justification. We tend to excuse ourselves for what we do, and this only makes it harder to become like God.


Basic Doctrines: Going On to Perfection

Bible Study by Staff

Most of our Christian lives will be spent going on to perfection. But how do we do it? This Bible Study helps explain this broad, yet vital subject.


Of Living Dogs and Dead Lions

Sermonette by Austin Del Castillo

Guilt from failure to overcome is a dangerous distraction. When we consider God's profound pity, we realize that He is able to cleanse us, too.


Hebrews (Part Fourteen): Chapter 2, A Mind Bending Purpose (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Without a meaningful relationship with Christ, God's people cannot possibly bear fruit. Our responsibility is to yield to God's creative work in our lives.


Invisible Algorithms

CGG Weekly by Steven Skidmore

Using data such as website history, social media friend lists, and click behavior on news headlines, algorithms make guesses about what content to show us.


We Are Part of Something Special

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

As we mature, our rough edges become smoothed, and we become thankful for the bond between us, looking for ways to edify one another.


A Seed of Highest Quality

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God calls Israel a seed of highest quality, but she turned into a degenerate vine, bearing bitter fruit, rejecting God and relying on her own resources.


Ask and It Will Be Given

'Ready Answer' by Staff

Many people hit a plateau in their spiritual growth and go little further. Have we have overlooked the simple principle of 'ask and it will be given'?


Joy and Trial

'Ready Answer' by Mike Ford

What does the Bible mean when it says we should count it all joy when you fall into various trials? What is this joy we must experience, and how do we come by it?


The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nine)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Satan has attempted to obliterate the sanctification step from the conversion process. Sanctification is produced by doing works pleasing to God.


The Beatitudes, Part Four: Hungering and Thirsting After Righteousness

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

It is quite rare to see a person who truly hungers and thirsts after God's way, but this is the kind of desire God wants us to have.


The Purpose of the Ministry

Sermon by John O. Reid

The purpose of the ministry is to train members for service to God, edifying them, equipping them for their job, and bringing them to spiritual maturity.


Line Upon Line

Sermonette by Levi W. Graham

Peter has given us an incremental set of building blocks (II Peter:1-5), describing God's direction for mankind, moving from easier to harder steps.


Godly Training and Admonition

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Godly training forewarns a child of danger or faults in human nature. The Scriptures do not contain many examples of exemplary child rearing.


Producing Fruit

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

To be made clean only prepares us for producing fruit. If we stand still, simply resting on our justification, the dark forces will pull us backwards.


God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part Seven)

Sermon by David F. Maas

God has generously given us a set of tools that we must use for overcoming and building character, as well as edifying our spiritual siblings.


Job and Self-Evaluation (Part Three): Attitude

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Job had not achieved spiritual maturity, but had assumed the arrogant stance of attempting to debate the Creator on his own level.


Desire Earnestly to Prophesy

'Ready Answer' by Bill Cherry

Paul's admonition to the Corinthians to desire to prophesy has confused some due to a fundamental misunderstanding of what prophesying really is.


The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nineteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The spirit of the law does not do away with the letter of the law; without the letter, there is no spirit because there is no foundation. Examples show God's will.


Conviction, Moses, and Us

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like Moses, we have to develop conviction, a product of a relationship of God, established by being faithful day by day in the little things of life.


Am I on the True Path of Conversion?

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Observing oneself in the mirror is useless unless one makes appropriate changes based on the observed image. We must do a thorough self-examination.


Like a Tree

'Ready Answer' by Mike Ford

Trees provide living illustrations of godly behavior that will prepare Christians to partake of the Tree of Life in God's Kingdom.


The Endurance of the Firstfruits (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Parable of the Sower and the Seed exemplifies a number things that can happen to prevent us from having a place in God's spiritual harvest.


Creator, Sustainer, Head (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The One who sent forth His Spirit to create and breathe life into the physical world, also breathed on His disciples and endowed them with spiritual life.


Without Me, You Can Do Nothing (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Producing fruit is not simply a matter of having Jesus Christ or being forgiven. He says we will not produce anything unless we go on growing in Him.


Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God is pleased to save those who humble themselves, allowing Him to perform a mighty work through them, and putting everyone in debt to Him.


From Rubble to Utopia

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The World Tomorrow is not going to happen because of an instantaneous miracle. God takes His time to produce both physical and spiritual changes.


The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Justification is not the end of the salvation process, but merely the opening to sanctification, where we bear fruit and give evidence of God's Spirit in us.


Abraham (Part Nine)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

God helps us to overcome our problems in an unraveling process, sometimes taking us back through the consequences of the bad habits we have accumulated.