1. Focus on Christian Maturity
Graeme Sterne
2005

2. God’s Purposes: Designed for fellowship with God
Designed for relationship
Designed to be like Christ
Designed for service
Designed for mission

3. Let us make human beings in our own image
- We are spiritual beings
- We are intellectual
- We are relational
- We have a moral consciousness
But we will never be God or even a god
even though we attempt to
by trying to control our
circumstances, our future, other people
around us

4. What is Christian maturity?
Is it being able to do miracles?
Is it knowing the end times?
Is it prophesying?
Is it being a bold evangelist?
Is it being able to teach the Scriptures?
Is it being able to win arguments?
Is it graduating from Bible School?

5. God’s ultimate goal for our lives is character development
Romans 8:28 -30
Ephesians 4:13
He is far more interested in
what we are like
than
what we can accomplish

6. We want God to make our life easy
- Perfect health
- Relief from problems
- Constant happiness
- Comfortable lifestyle
- Fulfillment of our dreams

7. But God wants to transform us
He transforms us over time
- through the truth
- through trouble
- through temptation
- through the team
It takes time because we can only give to God what we understand at the time

8. How does this transformation happen?
Through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives 2 Corinthians 3:18
When we have a humble, teachable attitude I Peter 5:5
Through a deliberate commitment on our part Ephesians 4:22 – 24
Nothing shapes your life more than
the commitments you make
You become whatever you are committed to

9. We have to deliberately
Choose to let go of old ways
- Every change involves a loss of some kind
Change the way we think
- Rom 12:1,2
Develop new habits
- Character is the sum of our habits
- Repetition is the mother of character I Tim 4:12
Stay committed
- There is no pill, prayer or principle that will
instantly undo the damage of many years

10. Summary: We are designed to be like Christ so
We need to surrender to His agenda
Deliberately commit ourselves to transformation
Listen to the team that God has given us for growth