{"id":1205,"date":"2014-03-23T14:41:09","date_gmt":"2014-03-23T18:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=1205"},"modified":"2014-05-10T16:41:44","modified_gmt":"2014-05-10T20:41:44","slug":"fruitful-living-3-of-5-intentional-faith-development-32314","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=1205","title":{"rendered":"Fruitful Living (3 of 5): “Intentional Faith Development” (3\/23\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The sermon on Sunday March 23 introduced practice #3 of our five part series on the “Five Practices of Fruitful Living”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 During this season of Lent, we are following the companion devotional guide by Robert Schanase entitled in \u201cForty Days of Fruitful Living.\u201d<\/em> The sermons introduce the week\u2019s topic, and we discuss and study these topics during our small group meetings that\u00a0 week.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Intentional Faith Development<\/span><\/h3>\n

This week’s\u00a0 \u201cpractice of\u00a0 fruitful\u00a0 living\u201d is entitled \u201cIntentional Faith Development.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor Larry\u2019s scripture passage was Ephesians 3:14-21.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Jerusalem, archeologists have uncovered the ruins of steps which used to ascend to the Temple Mount.\u00a0 Pilgrims seeking to fulfill a once in a lifetime chance to worship at the Temple had to end their long journey by climbing these steps.\u00a0 Psalms 120-134 (“Psalms of Ascents”) speak to the pilgrim’s anticipation as they made the long and dangerous journey from their homes to the Temple.\u00a0 These Psalms are full of anticipation, joy, praise, and awe.\u00a0 But when they reached the end of their journey, they had to endure a long climb up a long difficult set of stairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Temple

Temple Mount Steps<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0These stairs weren’t the type of stairs we’re used to.\u00a0 Today’s rough appearance of these stairs can’t be attributed simply to their age; they were built to be difficult to climb<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 The varying rise between each step was intended.\u00a0 Some steps were only a few inches above the previous one.\u00a0 Others were several feet.\u00a0 Ascending these steps took effort.\u00a0 You couldn’t go on “autopilot” and bound up them as if you were walking up to your front porch.\u00a0 You had to be careful and deliberate with each step.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t
Eph 3:14-19…<\/span><\/p>\n

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,\u00a0 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. <\/span><\/p>\n

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge \u2014 that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. NIV<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

\u00a0To grasp the “full measure of God’s love” takes effort.\u00a0 We have to be deliberate.\u00a0 Just as in the careful attention needed to climb these steps, we need to be deliberate in our day by day step by step living in order to grow from each step.\u00a0 To climb the Temple Mount steps we need to use our eyes and look down at each step to ensure that our feet are securely positioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

But climbing in this life takes faith.\u00a0 We need to be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner being.”\u00a0 Some of the steps may be short and easy.\u00a0 But some may be high and difficult and cause us to stumble or struggle.\u00a0 And in doing so we bow before the Father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t
Elton Trueblood wrote…<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

“Faith isn’t belief without proof.\u00a0\u00a0 Faith is trust without knowledge”<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

Climbing the steps in faith means that we must pause at each step and ask ourselves questions like the following:<\/span><\/p>\n