Sunday's Message: Spiritual Growth for the Height Challenged - Study

When it comes to spiritual growth, have you ever felt “height challenged”? If you’ve ever felt somewhat short in the spirituality department, this sermon series is for you. For five Sundays starting January 15, at 10:00 am, we’ll discuss how we might grow in our faith and in our relationship with God. Specifically, we cover the following growth-related topics:

• January 15 – Study (Psalm 19)
• January 22 – Prayer (Colossians 4)
• January 29 – Stewardship (Ephesians 5)
• February 5 – Worship (Revelation 4-5)
• February 12 – Evangelism (2 Corinthians 5)

There's no reason to feel like a dandelion in the midst of spiritual sequoias. Join with us at Sligo Cove Presbyterian Church and grow into everything God created you to be.

Below is a copy and recording of the first sermon in this service, You can stream the series by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.

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Now, y’all may not know this, but I was a big kid when I was around eleven-years-old. And when I say big, I don’t mean heavy; I’m talking about tall. And I’ll tell you, that was kind of a surprise to mom and dad, because all my relatives, whether they be Rudigers or Watkins, McClannans or Prices, well, they were all pretty short. Good night nurse, my grandmother was 4'10", although she said she was 4'11". But not me, I was 5’8½" in sixth grade. At Crossroads Elementary School, I was huge. And so, when I played football in the Norfolk Community Leagues, I was on the line and in basketball, I was the center. I think you could say that, among those other eleven-year-olds, man, I was a force to be reckoned with. 

But then something happened; I stopped growing. Now my teammates didn’t, but I did. And I’ve got to tell you, that was pretty traumatic. I mean, in football, I moved from the center of the field to outside the hash marks to the sidelines to the bench to the stands. I guess you could say, I changed from being a “big man on campus” to someone who was, well, who is height challenged. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s going to be our focus for the next five weeks. But of course, we’re not going to be dealing with physical shortness. Instead, we’ll be talking about being spiritually height challenged but more importantly, what we can do about it. In other words, we’re going to look at things we can do in order to grow spiritually. For example, during the next five messages, we’ll look at topics like prayer and stewardship, worship and evangelism. And for each one, we’ll focus on both the why and the how, you know, why it’s important for spiritual growth and how we might actually do it. Now that’s the plan. And hopefully, by the end of the series, we’ll all be closer to becoming the men and women God called us to be, but maybe even more important than that, we’ll feel more comfortable and confident being God’s children at school or at work or at home, you know, within our families and community and church. You see, this really is about spiritual growth for the height challenged.

And we’re going to start this morning by spending a little time talking about study, you know, how study can help us grow. And to do that, we’ll be answering two questions about which I sort of alluded a little while ago. You see, first, we’re going to consider why, why is studying God’s word important for those who want to grow spiritually? And then, second, we’re going to look at how, how might we become better students? Now, that’s what we’re going to do for the next ten minutes. 

And so, with that in mind, let’s consider that first question, why is knowing God’s word important for folks who might feel as though they’re a little spiritually height challenged? Now, for me, that’s a pretty good question, because I believe the more we know about God’s word, the more comfortable we’ll feel in our relationship with him, and the better we’ll be able to do the things he’s called us to do. And you know, that’s why I think study is important. 

And I’ll tell you, I think we can see that in the nineteenth Psalm, you know, the passage that I offered with this topic. You see, in this passage, I think we can find three reasons why studying and learning and knowing God’s word is important for folks who want to grow spiritually. 

For example, first, I think studying can just plain improve our lives. I mean, listen to what the Psalmist wrote:

The Law of the Lord is perfect;

    it gives us new life.

His teachings last forever,

and they give wisdom

    to ordinary people.

The Lord's instruction is right;

    it makes our hearts glad.

His commands shine brightly,

    and they give us light. [Psalm 19:7-8, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote, and think about what it means. Just knowing God’s word, his law, his teachings, man, it can make us wiser. It can improve our judgment, and it can give us that wonderful ability to separate what’s true and right from all the nonsense and lies that seem to bombard us every day. But that’s not all it can do, because it can also offer us instructions that we can follow and commands that can enlighten our minds and clarify our choices. And in that way, studying God’s word can improve our lives. Now that’s one reason why it’s important.

And second, it also can help us better understand God. I mean, instead of just blindly buying what some folks are selling, when we take the time and make the effort to learn, we’ll have a better understanding of who God actually is and how he relates to us, his children, right along with how we can approach him. And again, I think we see that in the nineteenth Psalm:

Worshiping the Lord is sacred;

    he will always be worshiped.

All his decisions

    are correct and fair.

They are worth more

    than the finest gold

and are sweeter than honey

    from a honeycomb. [Psalm 19:9-10, CEV]

Now again, that’s what he wrote. And I think that’s really important for us to remember, because it reminds us that God really is sacred, in other words, he’s not like us, because he’s set apart and he’s holy; therefore, he’s not bound by all our limitations and our assumptions. But that’s not all he is, because he’s also just, he’s correct and he’s fair in what he decides and does. It’s just part of his nature. But maybe most important of all, he’s also loving. As a matter of fact, if we take a step away from what we think and want and if we simply trust God, we’ll be able to see that his will really is precious and sweet. Now that’s who God is and how he relates to us, and we can see this in his word. But we’re only going to understand that when we choose to study, and that’s another reason why it’s important.

And third, and I think this one is really cool, studying God’s word can keep us from being stupid. In other words, if we listen and learn, it can steer us away from doing some of the dumb stuff spiritually height challenged folks often choose to do. And once more, I think the Psalmist understood this, and that’s why he wrote, 

By your teachings, Lord,

    I am warned;

by obeying them,

    I am greatly rewarded.

None of us know our faults.

Forgive me when I sin

    without knowing it.

Don't let me do wrong

    on purpose, Lord,

or let sin have control

    over my life.

Then I will be innocent,

and not guilty

    of some terrible fault. [Psalm 19:11-13, CEV]

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the last sixty-five years. Of course, most of them have been small potatoes, and those are the ones I don’t mind talking about; in fact, I’ll even joke about them. But there are others that I don’t talk about; because I know they really hurt some people who didn’t deserve to be hurt. I’ll tell you, they’re the ones that I believe God has forgiven but that I’ll never forget nor should I. Now, maybe, if I’d had a better understanding of God’s word or a greater appreciation of why it’s important, maybe I’d avoided some of the stupid decisions I’ve made. And along with improving our lives and helping us better understand God, that’s another reason why I believe study is important, the answer to our first question.

But I’ll tell you, although I think answering the “why” is important, the rubber really hits the road with the “how”, doesn’t it? I mean, when you get right down to it, paraphrasing Vice President “Catcus Jack” Garner, the why really ain’t worth a bucket of spit, if we don’t know how, how can we better study God’s word? Now that’s the question, and even though I’m sure there are all kinds of techniques and strategies, I’m going to offer three suggestions that are actually pretty simple. 

You see, in my opinion, if we’re serious about studying God’s word, we can decide to read it. That’s one. Now, I recognize that’s kind of a “dah” suggestion, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m always amazed by folks with very specific opinions about what the Bible says who have never read it. I guess they base their ideas and assumptions on what they’ve found on the internet or heard from someone else who may or may not have read it either. But let’s get real, reading is really the first step in learning what it has to say, isn’t it? And that’s why it’s important. And I’ll tell you, that’s probably why, right before he went up on Mount Sinai, Moses did this:

Then he read aloud the Lord's commands and promises, and the people shouted, “We will obey the Lord and do everything he has commanded!” [Exodus 24:7, CEV]

And this probably also explains why, right at the end of his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, 

In the name of the Lord I beg you to read this letter to all his followers. [1 Thessalonians 5:27, CEV]

I guess you can say that, when it comes to studying the Bible, reading really is fundamental. And that’s certainly the first thing we can do.

And two, after reading it, we can then ponder it, you know, think about what we’ve read. And I’ll tell you why that’s important. Although we can’t do much of anything if we don’t know what the Bible says, if we never get pass the English words that were translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, man, we’re going to be yanking Scripture out of context and applying it to situations that couldn’t have been envisioned or imagined two thousand years ago. You see, if we want to study the Bible, I think we need to dig deeper. For example, we need to think about the context in which it was given, you know, who the people were and what they were facing. And we need to think about the reasons why specific things were written to specific people living at a specific time. And then we need to think about how we can take those ideas, those truths, and apply them in a world that’s radically different from the one faced by Moses and Paul. You see, after we read it, man, I believe we need to ponder its meaning, something that we can do on our own, but maybe better, with other Christians who are also seeking out meaning. And you know, I think this was something that Joshua, way back in the Old Testament, understood. I mean, before he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, God said this to him:

Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. [Joshua 1:6-8, CEV]

You see, after reading it, we can ponder God’s word, and that’s the second thing we can do.

And you know, once we’ve read it and pondered it, we can decide to live it. And as it relates to studying, that’s number three. In other words, we can decide to take God’s word, and we can integrate what we’ve heard and what we’ve learned into our words and our actions. And isn’t that the ultimate test of whether we actually understand it or not, our ability to live it? And you know, maybe that’s why James wrote this in his letter:

Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget. [James 1:22-25, CEV]

And you know, Paul wrote about the same kind of thing to his young protégé Timothy:

Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds. [2 Timothy 3:14-17, CEV]

I’m telling you, right now, we can take what we’ve read and pondered, and then we can live it. And that’s the third thing we can do to study God’s word. And that’s the answer to our second question.

You know, although I seriously doubt that it’ll add one iota to our stature, I believe that, when we study, we grow. And when you’re talking about our relationship with God, that’s pretty important, because study can improve our lives and it can help us better understand God and it might even help us avoid being stupid. And I’ll tell you, in my opinion, we can effectively study it when we decide to take God’s word and to read it and to ponder it and to live it. And for men and women who feel as though they may be spiritually height challenged, this just might result in some genuine and profound growth.