Welcome to the In Touch podcast with Charles Stanley for Monday, June 30th.

Is something blocking you from maturing in Christ?

Think about that as you listen to Part 1 of your spiritual growth.

When a child is born, we expect that child to mature physically,

and all the parts grow as they should and grow into either manhood

or womanhood. When they do not grow like that, then we know that something is wrong. And we would

say that they are stunted in their growth or something inside of them is not working right.

Because if it were, then they would just grow up like everyone

else. The same thing is true in a person's spiritual life. When a person is saved, they should

grow in their understanding of the things of God, grow in their relationship to him,

serve him in some fashion. That is, their life would be a continuous life of growing.

But oftentimes that's not true.

And when Paul wrote to the Ephesians in that fourth chapter, he talked about growing up

into Christ, that is growing up in our relationship with Him.

And in First Peter the second chapter, the scripture talks about

as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. And in 2nd Peter

the third chapter, in the 18th verse, he talks about growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord

Jesus Christ. A believer growing in their spiritual maturity

is the only natural thing. Now, a person can be saved and oftentimes begin to grow immediately.

They begin to read the Word of God. They begin to pray. They go to church.

They listen carefully. They take notes. In other words, they begin to grow. And there's an excitement

about their Christian life. And they just grow and grow and grow and God uses them in all different

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