God Helps You Grow

[God Helps You Grow]( Current Teaching Series [God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [God Helps You Grow]( By Rick Warren — 12/06/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son.” Romans 8:29 (TLB) God’s goal has always been to make you like himself. He wants you to become like his Son. In other words, he wants you to grow up spiritually. The Bible says, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son” (Romans 8:29 TLB). As a pastor, the number one question I’m asked is this: “Why is this happening to me?” I’ll tell you why: It’s to help you grow. In fact, everything in life can help you grow up spiritually—the good, the bad, the ugly, the things you bring on yourself, and the things that other people do to you. God is not the author of evil. But God can bring good out of bad things. Every situation in life will either make you bitter or make you better. It’s your choice how you choose to respond. Instead of asking, “God, why is this happening to me?” ask, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Every problem has a purpose: to help you grow up spiritually and be more like Jesus Christ. So, if one of the purposes of your life is to grow up spiritually and to become like Jesus, what is Jesus like? Just look at the fruit of the Spirit. The Bible says, “He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 TLB). These are the qualities God wants to develop in you. How does God produce those qualities and help you grow up spiritually? He teaches you these qualities by putting you in the exact opposite situations. He teaches you love by putting you around unlovely people. He teaches you joy in the middle of grief. God teaches you peace when you’re surrounded by chaos. He teaches you patience when it seems like the line you’re standing in goes on forever. God will teach you these qualities throughout your life—and the process will take the rest of your life. But you can trust that, whatever you face today, he will use it to help you develop spiritual depth and become more like Christ. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - In what kinds of situations has God made you more like Christ? - Why do you think so many Christians remain spiritually immature? - What priority does spiritual growth have in your life? How might your priorities need to change? The post [God Helps You Grow]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get the brand new Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( God has an adventure for you—and every day is an invitation to say ‘yes’ to his plans. We want to help you hear from him, follow his lead, and see his hand at work in your life with the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal—our way to say thanks for your gift below. And thanks to a generous $100,000 Matching Grant, your gift will be DOUBLED to bring the hope of Jesus to even more people! This soft, vegan leather prayer journal features... - Beautifully designed pages filled with stunning artwork - Inspiring Bible verses to encourage you each day - Special sections to help you keep track of your prayers It’s the perfect way to connect with the Lord through a consistent daily prayer time. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Choosing Your Future Message 2: Learning to Live Wisely Message 3: Embracing the Vision Message 4: Why You Need a Church Family Message 5: Enabling the Vision Message 6: How to Get Ready to be Used by God [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States