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Hello my friends. Welcome to the 30th Episode of the Ministry Encouragement Podcast. It is my prayer that this Episode will touch your life in wonderful ways and give you a sure path to growing spiritually in the next seven days of your life.
I’m Rev. Jim W. Hollis, the Executive Director of Proactive Ministries, who is the sponsor of this podcast weekly. Proactive Ministries works closely with congregations, pastors, clergy and leaders in ministries beyond a local church, small businesses, business leaders and other not-for-profit groups to provide ministry strategies, spiritual sharing and coaching. I encourage you to take a look at our Website:
www.proactive-ministries.org
In this Episode I want to give you a path to accelerating your own spiritual growth in the coming seven days, should you decide to follow the prescribed path. I will discuss:
3 Simple Actions for Spiritual Growth
1) Ramp up your personal praise experience and prayer life
- A personal praise session in your car, parked in your garage or a quiet place in which you won’t be disturbed, on display or interrupted
- Make a current prayer list in preparing for a powerful prayer experience built off your praise session
- Use the simple ACTS formula and pray your heart out loud, then listen as God communicates with you
2) Reach into your Holy Bible for new spiritual empowerment and leading from God
- The sinful ways we have cheapened God’s inspired book for us
- Experiencing tangible forgiveness through personal repentance
- These seven Biblical narratives God will use to speak passion for Scripture into your life over the next seven days
3) Open a simple door through which you can share what Christ means to you
- The working definition of a “fanatic”
- Plan your testimony with care as you prepare to share Christ
- Be intentional in your conversations and watch the Holy Spirit give you an opportunity to share your joy of Christ with another
Thank you so much for allowing me to share in your life through today’s Episode on 3 simple steps to spiritual growth. I promise you I didn’t give you these to hoard or store on a shelf. I am convinced that each one of you who hears this today will have at least three other friends, co-workers or persons you know who need encouragement right now to share this Episode with. You can email them a note to listen to the session. You can share with them your own experience of employing these three simple steps during your days and how it worked for you. Or you may want to share this with a group you are in of other Christ-followers who would love to accelerate their own spiritual growth.
I had one sister in the Lord who sang in her church’s choir for many years. She was devout at going to practices and always being in the choir loft on Sundays to share in singing. Then one day she realized that while she had been someone who brought beautiful praise and music to many worship services, she had never personally led another person to Jesus Christ as their Savior.
She asked me how she could add this spiritual reality to her life and move beyond “choir ministry only” as she had done for a long time. I suggested she employ these three steps that you have heard today. She did them and with a passion. Her walk with God was strengthened. She was seen by many as a lady with some health issues, older age restrictions and was consistently cautioned to be careful in not doing too much.
After accelerating her spiritual growth, she came out of her house and off of the “older and fragile saints in our church” list to become an amazing prayer warrior, a consistent sharer of Scripture stories with others and a spiritual magnet who drew young and old alike asking her about her walk with Christ.
I must warn you – should you do these 3 simple steps, you will not be the same spiritually. So if you feel that you are exactly where you want to be today and don’t want to grow any closer to Christ and increase your ministry effectiveness – please skip this Episode and don’t do the three simple steps. Let others know that you share this with the same fair words of caution.
Until our next Episode together in seven days, may God’s Holy Spirit fill you with grace, joy, spiritual power and a passion to share with others around you the unconditional love of Jesus Christ – requiring nothing from them in return.
* Suggested PRAISE SONGS, GROUPS and ARTISTS for Praise and Prayer Time in your vehicle:(ALL on Itunes for download to your computer or phone or any MP3 player) –
- Song: “Pray” by Kendall Payne (print the words to the lyrics off Google BEFORE you listen, read while listening)
- Album: “Revival In Belfast” by Robin Mark (Download from ITunes, great songs!)
- Artist who gave his life for Christ, now in Heaven: Rich Mullins (Any of his albums)
- Song: “Jesus, Take The Wheel” – Carrie Underwood (On ITunes or Amazon for download, print lyrics on Google)
- Group: Casting Crowns (albums are excellent, favorite song by them: “The Voice of Truth” – read lyrics as you listen)
- Artist: Micheal W. Smith – OFTEN sang for Presidents of USA – all albums excellent
- Album: “The Concert of a Lifetime” – Ray Boltz – My favorite song by him, “Watch The Lamb” read words about the day Jesus died in Jerusalem for our sins.
** The SEVEN SCRIPTURES FOR SEVEN DAYS: (Read and reflect deeply on one each day…)
- Day 1: Psalm 23 and Psalm 100 – Focus on hope and praise
- Day 2: Luke 5:1-11 – Am I Fishing in the Deep With Jesus in MY boat?
- Day 3: Jeremiah 29:11 – As I Reflect on My Plans for My Future
- Day 4: Luke 10:25-37 – Where Am I In This Story?
- Day 5: I Samuel 17:1-58 How Can I Face An Impossible Giant?
- Day 6: I Corinthians 13:1-13 – The Absolute Proof of My Authenticity as a Christian
- Day 7: Luke 23 – Luke 24:1-12 – This Jesus Did For ME – What Will I Do In Gratitude?
Would I love to hear how the coming seven days of your life went should you choose to practice these three simple steps? Oh yes! Email, call me or leave me a voicemail on the blog page for this podcast.
My email is: jim@ministryencouragementpodcast.com
My Voicemail button is just up on the right side of the blog page and you can click on it with your mouse and use the microphone on your PC or Mac to leave a voicemail which will come to me personally as an audio file.
If you would like to share your experience on the phone, or leave prayer requests, please call our offices in Georgia at: (770) 803-9988.
Blessings on your life! And I am,
In His Grace With You,
Jim
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