Spiritual Growth / Sanctification and Growth

  • Honoring God’s Holy Name

    Isaiah 8:13

    Fundamentally, revering God as holy means trusting His promises and obeying His commandments. In other words, we must recognize first that He is holy and that we are unholy, and we must rest only in His Son, Christ Jesus, in ...Read More

  • House of the Wise

    Proverbs 14:1; 31:10–31

    If you are a married woman, how committed are you to keeping the house, raising your children (if you have any), and caring for your husband? Discuss with your husband ways in which you can improve your efficiency within the ...Read More

  • How do You Spell Joy?

    Romans 12:9–21

    How do you spell joy? “J” stands for Jesus. “O” stands for others, and “Y” stands for yourself. The secret to joy is to put Jesus first, others second, yourself last. This is a child’s lesson, but it is ...Read More

  • How to Pray

    James 5:16

    Martin Luther’s advice on prayer is found in the handy booklet titled A Simple Way to Pray. Many people, including Dr. Sproul, have found this work to be very helpful for their prayer lives, but even if you do ...Read More

  • How to Study the Bible

    2 Timothy 3:14–17

    Many people find the study of Scripture to be an intimidating, if not impossible, endeavor. But God encourages us to put His Word on our hearts (Deut. 6:6), and He will open His Word to us if we are ...Read More

  • Idolatry Defined

    Philippians 3:19

    Anything or anyone can become an idol in our lives because whatever we love more than the Lord is, by definition, an idol. Because our hearts are idol factories, as John Calvin taught us, we are all continually tempted to ...Read More

  • Illegitimate Children

    Hebrews 12:8

    A wise man once said that we are not really mature Christians until we look at how the Lord may be disciplining us and thank Him for it. Discipline may be as simple as conviction for sin or may manifest ...Read More

  • Increasing Our Guilt

    Galatians 5:2–4

    Coming to terms with the extent of our sin takes a lifetime. Even those of us who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation understand how easy it is to think that God loves us because of something that we ...Read More

  • Instruments for Good

    Romans 6:12-14

    Does your eye stray to sinful images? Does your tongue use unedifying language? Does your stomach drive you to consume too much? Think about the sins to which you are most prone and then identify the body parts that are ...Read More

  • In the Midst of Suffering

    James 5:1–12

    Look back over the book of James. Notice how he weaves together the themes of suffering and the tongue. Observe how he brings them together. Consider carefully what this means and what changes you should make in your life. Recommit ...Read More

  • Is Faith Blind?

    Hebrews 6:13-20

    Do you believe that all sin is, at its root, unbelief? When we sin, we are disbelieving God’s testimony in His Word that sin brings grief, pain, and separation from Him. By contrast, obedience is rooted in trust that ...Read More

  • Issachar’s Servitude

    Genesis 49:14–15

    What do you desire for yourself and your family? Are you looking to maintain a comfortable existence? Are you unwilling to take a risk by sharing Christ with friends and neighbors? If you have children, will you be disappointed if ...Read More

  • James and Jesus

    James 5:13–20

    Think of ways that God, through this study of James, has been challenging you in the areas of testing, wealth and generosity, and wisdom and speech. Find a way to implement concretely a couple of the things you have learned ...Read More

  • Jethro’s Advice

    Exodus 18

    The passage here deals with the subject of the state, therefore we cannot limit such teaching as only applying to the church. We are to select noble, God-fearing men to serve in public office. When you vote, do you consider ...Read More

  • Judgment Begins

    1 Peter 4:17

    The history of God’s people indicates that judgment always begins within the covenant community. For example, the Israelites were sent into exile before the wicked Babylonian empire was judged. Today’s passage expressly states that judgment begins with the ...Read More