Signs of Spiritual Growth

Most Christians have a desire to grow spiritually, but desire and reality are two different things. A man may have a desire to be rich, but if he does not make any decisions that will move him in that direction all he really has is a dream.

I did a four-part series almost two years ago on “Signs You Are Growing Spiritually.”  In these next few articles I plan to share some thoughts from that series.  My desire is that they will be a help to someone.

First Point: A sign that you are growing spiritually is you will…

Respond to God’s Word.

It is one thing to be in church every time the doors are open, or read your Bible every day, it is another thing to assimilate and appropriate what God says in His Word.  James 1:23 says, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:”

As a Christian we should always do the best we can to make sure that we are adhering to what we read and hear. Otherwise, we are just going through the motions.  Hebrews 2:1 tells us, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

So, my advice to any Christian is this: Before and after you read your Bible, or listen to a message, say a simple prayer and ask the Lord to help you put into practice what you have received. I believe God will honor that and will help you “live out” what the Lord has given you through His Word.

Pastor Murphy

“TRUTH IT SHALL MAKE YOU FREE”

All I can say is “Praise the Lord” and Amen!

We had a great presentation of “Truth” written and directed by Brother Pat Halliday. Our cast and crew are all Open Door Baptist church members, who did an outstanding job memorizing lines and putting everything they have into such a great job, well done!

Our first service was Saturday night at 7pm and we had 281 in attendance, which is one of our largest Saturday night services. On Sunday we had 537 in attendance (over 100 came back from Saturday ) so really we had just over 700 with the 2 services. We had over 140 visitors in the 2 services (most of which were invited by the people of Open Door). We had 10 people indicates that they accepted Christ as their Savior, and 15 that renewed their commitment to Christ.

One man came to me personally to hand me his response card and said: this is the first time he heard the gospel so clear and Lord used that presentation to bring his guard down. He said to me “I prayed with you at the invitation and I know I am saved now”.

It was an Amazing day, we serve A Risen Savior!

John 4:34-37 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Just wanted to drop a note and say what a blessing the services were at open door today. We had a good number of visitors and another full house. This week we welcomed 24 new people into the membership of open door and we had 6 baptized as well. We praise the Lord for what He is doing at Open Door Baptist Church and the privilege to have a part in it.

Pastor Murphy