GROW PLAN
March 10-16, 2025
Day One
Matthew 6:19-24
Focus on Eternity
Jesus wants us to have a proper perspective. He’s talked about pleasing God instead of men. In these verses, he talked about the value of the eternal rather than the temporary. We spend so much of our lives trying to make sure we have what we want in this life. We need to focus more on what we will have in eternity. What we have in this life is fleeting. It doesn’t last. But what He gives us in eternity will never disappear. If we are focused on Heaven and value the eternal in our lives, if we are motivated to grow closer to the Lord and to grow more Christlike, then our heart will be in Heaven as well. Verses 22 and 23 are easier to understand if we know that in Jewish writings a good eye was a metaphor for generosity and a bad eye was a metaphor for a stingy attitude. In verse 24, Jesus says that we can’t serve money and God, but we are mistaken if we think this passage is just about money. Jesus wants us to focus on eternity, on spiritual things, not on this world. That’s about more than money. It’s about anything that competes with the Lord for our attention. Sometimes, the treasures we try to accumulate in this life are relationships, experiences or reputation.
How much of your time and energy is focused on the things of this world and how much is focused on eternity? Someone once said that you can tell what’s really important to someone by looking at how they spend their time and money. What do those things say about you?
Day Two
Matthew 6:25-34
Don’t Worry
Jesus doesn’t change the subject here, He builds on what he has said, which is why verse 25 starts with therefore. He had been telling the crowd to focus on the eternal rather than the earthly. Why do people focus on accumulating treasures in this world? Because they are afraid of going without. Fear leads us to accumulate and to worry about our success in accumulating. Instead of worrying about what we have in this life, we are to trust God to take care of our earthly needs and focus our attention on growing closer to the Lord and more like Him. As the Father takes care of the birds and the lilies of the field, He will take care of us. So often we think of this part of the Sermon on the Mount in terms of God taking care of our physical needs. But the fact that the Lord will take care of our physical needs is simply a precursor to the more important part of the lesson. That is that we are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Jesus does tell us not to worry about physical things because the Lord will give us what we need, but He tells us this so that we will be free to focus on Him, His kingdom and His righteousness.
Consider the things you worry about. Are these things of this world or eternal matters? Pray about them, put them in the Lord’s hands, submit to His will and thank Him for the ability to stop worrying that He gives you.
Day Three
Matthew 7:1-6
Don’t Be Critical
Jesus doesn’t want us to have a critical attitude toward others, constantly evaluating them, judging them in our minds and maybe gossiping about them to others. He gives us three reasons why we should avoid this attitude. First, the way we view and treat others is the way that we are likely to be viewed and treated by them. Someone who is always criticizing others is likely to be the subject of complaints as well. Second, we should keep busy enough just keeping track of our own faults. In fact, Jesus brings up the speck in the brother’s eye and the plank in our own eye because the faults we are quick to see in others are often the faults we have in ourselves. We should see others from a perspective of humility, recognizing that we are all hopeless sinners in need of our Savior. Approaching others from a perspective of humility prevents a critical, judgy attitude. Finally, if others don’t share our values and don’t value our criticism, they are likely to react badly when we criticize them. Jesus uses the illustration of throwing pearls to pigs. The pigs don’t care about pearls and may turn on you. This is especially true in evangelism. We cannot expect those who don’t follow Jesus to act like they do follow Jesus. And when we criticize them for not acting like a follower of Christ, they may not be willing to hear the gospel we need to share with them.
The Lord doesn’t judge us according to our faults but according to His mercy. Ask the Lord to give you humility and mercy in your relationships.
Day Four
Matthew 7:7-12
Keep Praying
Jesus tells us not just to ask but to keep asking, to keep seeking and to keep knocking. We are to have an active, constant and persistent prayer life. Rather than judging others, we should pray for them. We should also pray about our own faults. We don’t take something to the Lord once and then forget about it. Why? Why isn’t it enough to pray about it once? Because prayer isn’t about letting God know something He didn’t know. It isn’t telling God what we want, which He also knows. Prayer is about strengthening our dependence on God. We don’t submit to His lordship and His will once and let it go. We need to constantly remind ourselves that He is in charge and His plan is best. Prayer is the way that we align our will with His. We don’t pray over and over to badger the Lord into answering our prayer. We pray to remind ourselves over and over again that His will is to be done and we rely on Him. Jesus points out that we can approach these prayers with confidence. God loves us and seeks to give us good gifts. We don’t pray to convince the Lord to take care of us. He desires to give us an abundance of blessings. In Verse 12, Jesus gave us the Golden Rule: “do to others what you would have them do to you.” He wants us to love others. This is the attitude the Law and the Prophets tried to instill in us.
Do you have an active, constant and persistent prayer life? Do you pray to align your will with the Lord’s? Create an actual list of what you want to take to the Lord. Pray every day. Keep track of how the Lord answers your prayers.
Day Five
Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow, Difficult Way
Our natural human impulse is to go with the crowd. If most people are doing it, we think, it’s probably the right thing to do. So, we follow the broad way. It’s mostly downhill and well-paved. There are signs along the way telling us: “You’re perfect just the way you are,” and “If it feels good, do it,” and “You do you!” It’s a comfortable road to travel, and we figure all the people on it can’t be mistaken. Jesus tells us that this is literally dead wrong. The road that the crowd takes is wide, and it looks easy. At the end is a big, wide gate that leads to death. But the road to life is difficult and it leads to a small gate taken by few that leads to life. Pastor Chris recently taught about how it can be hard to be willing to give up everything to follow Christ, but the benefits greatly outweigh anything we might lose. Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy life, but He promises us eternal life, His kinship and an eternal joy. The world hates the fact that the road to life is narrow. It is so narrow that Jesus is the only way to life. Only Jesus died for our sins. Only He can give us His righteousness so that we can be reunited with the Father and have life. The world wants to think that people can get to God any way they want. The world insists that there are many spiritual paths to enlightenment. Jesus tells us no. God has only given us one way, His way. Jesus is the only way to life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. All other paths lead to that broad, easy way that ends in death.
We know the truth about which path leads to life. We must tell others. Who do you know who is headed down the wrong path headed to death? Make a plan to talk to them about Jesus and His offer of life. Pray that the Lord would open the door and prepare their heart.
Day Six
Matthew 7:15-23
Look for Good Fruit
We are not to have a critical attitude toward others, but we are called to choose our spiritual leaders wisely. Jesus tells us to watch for false prophets. False prophets have tried to turn the Church away from the gospel throughout its history. We must be wary because not everyone who claims to follow Christ is actually following Him. Jesus tells us that we will recognize good prophets and bad prophets by their fruit. And in Verse 22, we learn that the fruits we are to look for are not prophecies, demons driven out or miracles. The world would consider those spiritual proof, but Jesus said evildoers who don’t know Him could do such things. So how do we tell? We look for genuine spiritual fruit. We look for people being saved and lives being changed. We look for the fruits of the Spirit in the lives of prophets and in the lives of those they are discipling. Jesus has been telling us how people who follow Him live and behave. Our spiritual leaders should have a full, rich and private spiritual life. They shouldn’t be hypocritical. They should be concerned with spiritual rather than material things. We have to choose our leaders well and choose to whom we listen.
As a spiritual leader in your home and workplace, how well can people see good fruit coming from you?
...GROW GROUPS - These groups focus on understanding and applying the daily grow plan for the week.
Men’s Group @ The Journey - Sundays at 9:15am
Adult Groups @ The Journey - Sundays at 6:00pm
Home Group - Saturdays at 6:30pm in Boiling Springs
OTHER MINISTRY GROUPS
Next Gen Student Group @ The Journey - Sundays at 6:00pm
Women’s Group Study @ The Journey - Sundays at 9:15 am (no childcare available)
Men’s Group at Miracle Hill - Mondays at 6:00pm
Women’s Chapel at Miracle Hill - Tuesdays at 9am
Women’s Chapel at Miracle Hill - 1st Tuesday each month at 6:00pm
Men’s Chapel at Miracle Hill - 2nd Thursday evening each month
Sidewalk Hope at Crescent Hill (Mobile Kids Church) - Thursdays at 4:00pm
Women’s Starting Over Recovery Group - Sober Living America participants only. Saturdays at 4:00pm
JOURNEYKIDZ
Sundays at 10:30am @ The Journey
Nursery 0-2
Preschool 3 - 5k
Elementary 1st - 5th grades
* Development of each child and the most appropriate classroom setting is considered as part of the placement process.