1. “The child is father of the man” ( Wordsworth) Child grows up learning to make excuses to avoid his duty; will be difficult to break that habit “A tumultuous adolescence most often leads to a tumultuous adult life” “A tumultuous adolescence most often leads to a tumultuous adult life” (Daniel Ofer, Northwest University)

2. I. The Recipe For Spiritual Maturity 1. Be Blameless  Not perfection; w/o reproach  Be free of habits that bring disrepute on your good name, Pro.22:1  A hypocrite damages reputations... His own His Lord’s The Church’s

3. 2. Choose a blameless marriage partner The wrong mate can:  Wipe out earlier years of training  Overrule your present training The right mate can:  Strengthen earlier years of training  Reinforce your present training

4. 3. Aspire to be a good steward Lk.16; 1 Co.4:1-2; 1 Pt.4:10 Properly manage your – TimeThingsTalents

5. 4. Do not selfishly insist on getting your way Do not put yourself first, Lk.14:7-11 Be considerate of others  Ph.2:4  1 Pt.5:3  1 Sm.18:…8

6. 5. Control your anger Overcome temper issues: Hot Temper Gn.4:5 Est.3:5 Short Temper Ec.7:9 Ja.1:19-20

7. 6. Just say no to alcohol and drugs Gn.9, Noah. 1 Pt.4:3 Drunkenness Revelries Drinking parties

8. 7. Do not be ready to strike Do not be contentious Mt.26:67-68 Use scripture, not fists

9. 8. Keep money in its place Two dangers: Greedy desire for money Lk.16:13-14 Greedy desire for filthy money Mt.28:12

10. 9. Love strangers Be hospitable 1 Pt.4:9 3 Jn.5-8

11. 10. Love what is good Ro.12:9, a love-hate relationship CarMoneyJob FriendSoulChurch

12. 11. Curb worldly desires and impulses Mk.4:19, thoughts, desires of the mind; be sensible; in control of oneself Ep.2:3, what they used to be

13. 12. Be upright Live righteously, Tit.2:11-12 Job 1:1, 8  Not detoured by… PossessionsLossesSuffering Family Misguided Friends Unanswered prayers

14. 13. Be religiously right It can be done! Doesn’t matter what you believe There are many ways to heaven Everyone is right; no one is wrong Who are you to judge others?

15. 14. Master your appetites Keep yourself under control, Ac.24:25; 1 Co.9:25 thought  Number 11: thought; desires of mind action  Number 14: action; bodily appetites Opposite: controlled by emotions, desires, fads, fashions, etc. “Hold yourself in”

16. 15. Let the Word be your guide Cling to gospel; make it your business Results:  Able to teach sound doctrine and to exhort others in way of truth  Able to convict those who stray from the word. Ac.13:…45

17. I. The Recipe For Spiritual Maturity II. Applications

18. These are qualifications for elders, Titus 1:6-9 Not every young man who prepares himself can become an elder. E.g.:  No children  Only man who is qualified, etc. BUT one who prepares will be more mature than one who doesn’t

19. If Cretan Christians could do it… so can you Cretans had many disadvantages to overcome… 1. A late start

20. Crete – Acts 27 Paul did not take gospel there during former preaching trips Visited after release from first Roman imprisonment (Ac.28) - Tit.1:5 They didn’t learn scriptures from childhood  Desire is the secret of success

21. 2. False doctrines / teachers, Tit.1:9-11 Contradict, 9 Rebel, deceive, 10 Upset families for gain, 11 Substitute myths for gospel, 14

22. Epimenides, 6th Cen. Philosopher (12) Polybius: “So much in fact do love of shameful profit and greed prevail among them that among all men Cretans are the only ones in whose estimation no profit is ever disgraceful” 3. Immorality, Tit.1:12-13

23. “Cicero: “Indeed (men’s) moral principles are so divergent that the Cretans…consider highway robbery to be honorable” “Plutarch: “…they were as devoted to his riches as are bees to their honey- combs”

24. Titus 1:12-16 12, Cretanize” = “to double deal”; “lie” 12, evil beasts = wicked person. Push everyone out of the way to gain an advantage 12, lazy gluttons = “all stomach”; they live to eat 15, defiled (like Jews, Jn.18:28) 16, hypocritical; their life denies what their tongue professes. Ezk.33:31

25. What Paul is saying “ I know how bad these people are, but the gospel can change the worst of men ” – Saul of Tarsus, Cilicia What is your disadvantage?