Category Archives: christian growth

Spiritual Growth: (#3) Motivation/Necessity

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Bryan Hodge

Johnny Ramsey was one of the instructors when I attended Brown Trail School of Preaching. One of his classes was General Epistles (James – Jude). He taught us to remember each chapter by one key point. He provided the following … Continue reading →

Posted in be ready, Bible Study, christian growth, Textual study, Textual varients, Word Study | Tagged 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 2 Peter 3, 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:11-14, 2 Peter 3:12, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Peter 3:16, 2 Peter 3:18, 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Timothy 2:15, 25 animals that never stop growing, adam clarke, albert barnes, american bison, an oak tee doesn't get taller but bulks up like a body builder, animals that never stop growing, asv, blanding's turtle, book greek grammar beyond the basics, book treasures from the greek new testament, brian kenyon, brown trail school of preaching, chinese giant salamander, christians should continue to grow, coral, corcodile, cottonmouth, cs lewis, daniel b. walace, desert turtle, discovered, do trees stop growing?, earthsky, elements melt, esv, exposed, fervent heat, galapagos tortoise, godliness, goldfish, goliath bird-eating spider, green anaconda, grow in grace, grow in knowledge, h.g. wells, heavens pass away with great noise, heurisko, holiness, ignorant, imparative mood, Isaiah 2:12, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, Joel 1:15, Joel 2:1, Joel 2:11, Joel 2:31, Joel 3:14, johnny ramsey, kangaroo, katakaio, king crab, kjv, komodo dragon, labord's chameleon, laid bare, lobster, lubbock lectureship, lungfish, Malachi 4:5, Matthew 24:42-44, motivation for spiritual groth, nasb, necessity of spiritual growth, new heavens and new earth, niv, nkjv, no hiding place, npr, plants that never stop growing, quahog clam, reticulated python, Revelation 21:1, righteousness matters, rightly handling the word, rougheye rockfish, shark, small mouth bass, sothside church of christ lubbock, spiritual growth, stoicheion, studylight, tauatara, textual varient, the day of judgment, the day of the Lord, thecoldwire, thief in night, timber rattlesnake, tommy hicks, twisting scripture, unlearned, unstable, untaught, vine's, wayne jackson, wresting scripture, yellow-legged frog | 1 Comment

Spiritual Growth: (#2) Need/Opponents

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Bryan Hodge

The book of 2 Peter puts a premium on knowledge. The word knowledge appears in some form 16 times in this book. Why such an emphasis and value on knowledge? One source provides this answer, “Just as 1 Peter warned … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, christian growth, Christian Influence, Priorities, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged 1 John 4:1, 1 Kings 13, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 Timothy 6:15, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Peter 2:10, 2 Peter 2:10-11, 2 Peter 2:15, 2 Peter 2:18, 2 Peter 2:19-21, 2 Peter2, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 2Peter 2:3, Acts 17:11, allure through lewdness, authades, balaam, balak, being taught wrong is no excuse, book New Testament survey, covetousness, deceive heart of simple, desires, desires of ego, desires of flesh, desires of the ears, despise authority, Deuteronomy14:1-4, discern good and evil, don shackleford, Ephesians 4:14, Ephesians 4:19, Ezekiel 13:3, false prophets, false teachers, flatter to gain advantage, flattery, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:4, Galatians 5:7, Genesis 3, Guy N. Woods, harding university school of religion, Hebrews 5:14, Isaiah 30:10, Isaiah 9:15, itching ears, Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 6:13-14, Jeremiah 8:10-11, Jude 16, Jude 19, Jude 4, Jude 8-9, knowledge, Luke 12:15, Luke 22:42, Luke 9:23, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, lusts, material possessions, Matthew 15:14, Matthew 23:15, need for spiritual growth, opponents of spiritual growth, opposition to spiritual growth, pareisago, Philippians 3:19, pleonexia, presumptuous, pride of life, Revelations 2:14, Romans 16:17, Romans 16:18, self-pleasing, self-will, speak smooth things, speaking evil of dignitaries, spiritual growth, strabo, Titus 1:11, tolmetes, tossed to and fro, turn grace of God into lewdness, vine's, whose god is their belly, Zechariah 13:4 | 2 Comments

Spiritual Growth: (#1) Ingredients

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Bryan Hodge

The key word in the book of 2 Peter is “knowledge.” It appears in some form 16 times [knowledge (1:2, 1:3; 1:5; 1:6; 1:8; 2:20; 3:18); know(s) (1:12; 2:9; 3:17); knowing (1:14; 1:20; 3:3); known (1:16; 2:21 x2)]. Value is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, christian growth, Endurance, Faith, Love, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 1:5-11, add to your faith, agape, agape owed to christian brethren, agape owed to enemies, agape owed to family, agape owed to humanity, agsapao, arete, arndt gingrich, babes in Christ, book what is this thing called love?, brotherly affection, brotherly kindness, courage, diligence, egkrateia, Endurance, entrance supplied abundantly, esv, eusebeia, faith, faith and knowledge, gnosis, godliness, Guy N. Woods, heaven assured, hugo mccord's translation, hupomonen, ingredients of spiritual growth, knowledge, knowledge 16 times in 2 Peter, love, love of the brethren, manliness, moral fiber, neither barren nor unfruitful, nelson m. smith, niv, patience, perseverance, philadelphian, productive christian, reverence, rsv, self control, spoude, steadfastness, temperance, thayer, the christian graces, us v. you, vine's, virtue, wayne jackson, well devout, zeal, zondervan's parallel new testament | Leave a comment

The Testing of One’s Faith

Posted on December 24, 2021 by Bryan Hodge

Make no mistake about it. One’s faith will be tested, and tested again, in this life. James writes of “the testing of your faith” (James 1:3). These tests are common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). We should not be surprised … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, christian growth, Endurance, evangelism, Faith, God, God`s word, life, Man, Prayer, Priorities, Soul Winning, Suffering, Temptation, Textual study, Time, Tongue | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 john 2:15-17, 1 John 4:7-8, 1 Peter 4:12, 7 tests, 7 tests of faith, attitude, barometer, blaming others, blessed is the man who endures, book of James, brevity of life, care for weak, careful with tongue, count it joy, covering sin, crown of life, cursing men, day of slaughter, desires, difficulties in life, discouragement, do God's word, do not disrespect poor, do not hold faith with partiality, dont blame God, Endurance, endure, external trials, fair in business, fraud, friendship with world, God, God's word, godisnowhere, h.r. palmer, hear and do the word, hear God's word, Hebrews 12:14, Hebrews 4:15, heirs of the kingdom, holiness, honest, internal trials, james 1:1-2, james 1:12, james 1:13-14, james 1:13-18, james 1:19, james 1:19-22, james 1:2-11, james 1:2-3, james 1:26, james 1:26-27, James 1:27, james 1:3, james 1:4-8, james 2:1-ff, james 3:1-12, james 3:9-10, james 4:11-12, james 4:13-17, james 4:2-3, james 4:4, james 5:12, james 5:13, james 5:14-15, James 5:16, james 5:17, james 5:19-20, james 5:4-5, james 5:9, life is a vapor, life is difficult, Lord of sabaoth, love God, love one another, luke 12:20, lusts, m.a. kidder, matthew 4:4, Matthew 7:12, others, partiality, patience when tested, Philippians 2:4, poem The Tongue, prayer in James, priorities, pure religion, receive with meekness the implanted word, rich in fath, romans 5:3-4, saving a soul from death, saving souls from death, seek to convert sinners, seek to save others, self deception, song angry words, song did you think to pray, song ere you left your room this morning, song yield not to temptation, spiritual barometer, spiritual growth, swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath, temptation, temptations common to man, test, testing faith, the implanted word, the poor, the rich fool, the uncertainty of life and tomorrow, the use of the tongue in James, time, tongue, treatment of others in James, trials of life, wages of laborers, what is your life?, world, wrath | 1 Comment

The Truly Wise

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Bryan Hodge

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). The truly wise demonstrate their wisdom in two ways. (1) They demonstrate it by good … Continue reading →

Posted in christian growth, Christian Influence, Preachers, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged adam clarke, asv, bitter envy, christian living, demonic, diakritos, earthly wisdom, education, eirenike, eleous, envy, epieikes, epistemon, eritheian, esv, eupeithes, foy valentine, full of good fruit, full of mercy, gentle, good conduct, good fruit, good works, Guy N. Woods, hagne, how to show wisdom, hupokritos, IQ, James 1:22, James 3:1, James 3:13-18, jealousy, jj turner, Matthew 7:24, meekness, mercy, nasb, peaceable, poor teacher, pure, r.l. whiteside, rubel shelly, self seeking, sensual, sophos, teacher, thayer, unwavering, varience, vines, willing to yield, Wisdom, wisdom from above, wise teacher, without hypocrisy, without partiality, zelon | 1 Comment

7 Spiritual Tests

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Bryan Hodge

The book of 1 John was written for four stated purposes: (1) “that your joy may be full” (1:4); (2) “so that you may not sin” (2:1); (3) “concerning those who try to deceive you” (2:26); (4) “that you may … Continue reading →

Posted in christian growth, Fellowship, Forgiveness, Humility, Love, Repentance, salvation, Sin, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 1 Hohn 1:4, 1 John 1:10, 1 John 1:6-7, 1 John 1:8-9, 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:26, 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 2:3-5, 1 John 2:6, 1 John 2:9-11, 1 John 3:14-15, 1 John 3:18, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 4:17-18, 1 John 5:13, 1 John 5:3, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter1:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, 2 Corinthians 6:6, 7 spiritual tests, abide, Acts 8:22, badge of discipleship, beloved, bill lockwood, blood of Jesus, book questions and answers, brother, Christian behavior, christian living, confess sin, continued obedience, do you love God?, Ephesians 5:1, Ephesians 5:8, favorable knowledge, fellowship, fervent love, following His example, Forgiveness, God is love, Guy N. Woods, hammer and tongs, hate, hatred, hiding sin, homologeo, humility, imatators of God, increase in love, John 13:35, John 14:15, John 14:21, John 14:23, John 15:1-8, John 15:17, John 8:12, John 9:40-41, justifying self, keep commandments, keeping peace, knowing God, life style, light and darkness contrasted, love expressed in action, love of brethren, love one another, Luke 17:3-4, Luke 18:9-14, making God a liar, Matthew 18:15, Matthew 18:21-35, Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 7:21-23, menein, mistake of baptist, more than words, one another, Philippians 1:9, pride, Proverbs 28:13, reasons why 1 John written, recognizing sin, reconciliation, repent, Romans 12:9, roy lanier jr, self righteous, seven spiritual tests, simon the sorcerer, sincere love, spiritually related to God, state of grace, the Christian life is possible, the christian walk, the example of Jesus, vine's, walk in darkness, walking in light | Leave a comment

Do We Have Absolute Truth?

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Bryan Hodge

We do not know all things. In the physical realm, not all has been discovered (Proverbs 25:2 cf. Job 38 – 42). In the spiritual realm, not all has been revealed. We do not know when the Lord will return … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, christian growth, Doctrine, God`s word, Plan of salvation, truth | Tagged 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Timothy 3:15, agnosticism, can we understand the Bible, children can learm, common people heard him gladly, desire and effort, desire wrong things, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ezra, God desires all be saved, ignorant, IQ, Jesus, Mark 12:37, Mark 16:15, mensa, moses, must one be a scholar, one heart journal, paul, peter, the gospel is for all, truth, unstable, vincent's word study, why some do not understand, wrest to own destruction | Leave a comment

What Does Your House Say About You?

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Bryan Hodge

Whether you realize it or not, your house, car, and personal items may reveal much about you. Malcolm Gladwell writes, “Imagine that you are considering me for a job. You’ve seen my resume and think I have the necessary credentials. … Continue reading →

Posted in christian growth, Christian Influence, Example, God`s eye | Tagged behavior residues, book blink, feeling regulators, friends, God sees, house inspection, identity claims, job interview, malcolm gladwell, Proverbs 15:3; Psalm 139:1-4, samuel gosling, what does house say | Leave a comment

The Investment of Time

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Bryan Hodge

Have you head of the “10,000 hour rule”? The theory is that to excel in a thing (e.g. sports, music, technology, business, etc.) 10,000 hours need to be invested in that thing (e.g. study, experimentation, practice). This theory was popularized … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, christian growth, evangelism, Priorities, Soul Winning, stewardship, Time | Tagged 1 Peter 2:9, 10000 hour rule, 2 Peter 3:18, Acts 8:4, berlin's academy of music, bill gates, bill joy, book outliers, business, Colossians 4:5, engineers, Ephesians 5:16, grow in grace and knowledge, Hebrews 5:12, investing time, John 9:4, johnny ramsey, k. anders ericsson, lawyers, malcolm gladwell, Matthew 5:13-16, mozart, music, physicians, pratice makes perfect, redeem time, salt and light, specialists, sports, SWAT team, technology, the beatles, time, veternarians | Leave a comment

Don’t Be A Ring-tailed Monkey

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

The Zulu people of Southern Africa have an effective way to catch the ring-tailed monkey. “Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are the favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, … Continue reading →

Posted in christian growth, Nature, Priorities, Repentance, Temptation | Tagged 1 corinthians 15:33, 1 Peter 2:12, africa, anger, colossians 3:8, ephesians 5:31, evil company, family, hatred, john 12:42-43, lust. pride, material possessions, matthew 10:37, matthew 10:38-39, matthew 19:21-22, matthew 5:29-30, monkey, physical life, praise of men, proverbs 13:20, proverbs 16:18, ring tail monkey, sinful lust, southern africa, temptation, zulu | 2 Comments

Category Archives: christian growth

Spiritual Growth: (#3) Motivation/Necessity

Spiritual Growth: (#2) Need/Opponents

Spiritual Growth: (#1) Ingredients

The Testing of One’s Faith

The Truly Wise

Do We Have Absolute Truth?

What Does Your House Say About You?

The Investment of Time

Don’t Be A Ring-tailed Monkey

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