Introduction

God chooses various means to pour His grace upon our lives. It is grace alone that can enable us to be the kind of person He wants us to be and to do His will. Without grace, we cannot accomplish anything. This is the reason why we should be intentional in making abundant use of the various means of grace like prayer, bible meditation, and participation in sacred activities. But there is one means that most of us are not using as much as we should: spiritual relationships. There are FOUR REASONS why we are not using it as much as we should.

Four Reasons

1. We do not realize the power of deception (2 Peter 2:1-3; James 1:13-18). No one is exempted from deception. The problem with deception is that we are not aware of being deceived. That’s why we need others to see beyond the deception and to speak the truth in love to us. Otherwise, we will be left on our own to figure out what is true or false in our way of thinking.
2. We do not understand the value of wisdom (Proverbs 2:1-8). Most people value knowledge more than wisdom. That’s why we all love teaching and gaining new information. But knowledge is only the starting point. Without the ability to see how knowledge applies in various situations of life, which is what wisdom is all about, we will only be proud of our knowledge. We will not grow toward spiritual maturity.
3. We do not appreciate the effectiveness of modeling (2 Timothy 3:10-17). We think the only way to learn is to listen to lectures. This is how we were educated. We assume that this is the only way and the most effective way. But we are wrong. The most potent way of learning is through modeling and imitation. This is what Jesus and His early followers practiced. This is why they succeeded.
4. We do not practice the discipline of multiplication (2 Timothy 2:1-6). Most of us see ministry as an end in itself. We want to find the best ministry that fits us and then we want to stay there for the rest of our lives. We do not think in terms of multiplication. This is the reason why spiritual relationships are sometimes hard to find because those who are serving in the ministry, especially leaders, do not see multiplication as a priority in their lives. It takes commitment to mentor others.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “Discipleship can only be accomplished through spiritual relationships.“
2. We cannot grow and become mature if we don’t have spiritual relationships in our lives.
3. Don’t wait for others. Take the initiative to build spiritual relationships.

Discussion

1. Why are spiritual relationships important in our lives as disciples?
2. How can you be more intentional in pursuing spiritual relationships?
3. What would you do this week to make it happen?