Members Only Area 

JUNE 29TH 7-9PM AT THE GRACE PLACE

FREE CLASS! Learn about the vision and mission of Grace and how to get involved.

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To create your profile click the Enter Profile link and enter your information. You choose the information that you want to enter but you must enter a username (the username should be but does not have to be your email), your password and you must enter your first and last name - otherwise your profile will be removed. All the other information is optional - you choose what to include. Profiles can only be seen by people logged into the site.

 

 

 



 

SPIRITUAL ASSESSMENT TOOL

 

Your Spiritual journey as a follower of Christ began the moment you admitted personal sin and placed your trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. From that point, until death or the return of Christ, your life's call is to grow in Christlikeness. At GCC we are committed to encouraging your daily growth in Christ. This Spiritual Growth Assessment will help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your life so that you can better map out a plan for growing in Christ.

 

Why should spiritual Growth be so important to us?

?  "Let us search out and examine our ways." Lamentations 3:40

?  "Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: ?Think carefully about your ways.'" Haggai 1:5

?  "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24

?  "But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else." Galatians 6:4

?  "Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk?not as unwise people, but as wise." Ephesians 5:15

 

 

How will I know if I am growing in God?

1)      By the Fruits of the Spirit produced in our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [1] (Gal. 5:22,23)

2)      By the Love we show each other.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." [2] (John 13:34,35)

3)      My priorities are the same as God's priorities for my life.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,  12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. [3] (Eph. 4:11-13)

4)      We are following in obedience the mission and commands of Christ for all our lives.

Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. [4] (Mk. 16:15)

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." [5] (Lk. 19:10)

 

How do I get started?

 

1.   Complete the Spiritual Growth Assessment.

The assessment helps you think carefully about your spiritual development related  to six

specific spiritual disciplines; abiding in Christ, living in the Word, praying in faith,

fellowshipping with believers, witnessing to the world, ministering  to others. Before

completing your responses, ask the Lord to guide your evaluation.  Since most of these

statements require a subjective response, His guidance is the key to an accurate appraisal.

Also, resist the urge to compare scores with others. Self-condemnation or pride could

result from such comparisons. Trust God to help you grow spiritually by revealing heart

issues and empowering you to take action.

 

 

 

2.   Begin working on a personal growth plan.

The Annual Spiritual Growth Plan worksheet helps you formulate an intentional plan for

growth. Use the Recommended Actions for Spiritual Growth Guide to discover

suggestions for actions to include in your plan. As you discuss your plan with an

accountability partner, you may discover additional actions that more effectively meet your

needs.

 

 

As you complete this assessment process  the temptation might be to think your efforts are central to growing spiritually. Remember, becoming like Christ centers on His work in us and not our work for Him. God desires heart change over religious actions. Without question, God does the revealing, the renewing, the empowering, and the recreating. Your part as His disciple is to do the yielding, the submitting, and the obeying.

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Growth Assessment

As you complete the assessment, avoid rushing. Listen for God's voice to encourage and

challenge you. Consider this experience as one-on-one time with Him. Be intentional in

your growth towards Christlikeness. Use the scale below to respond to each statement.

 

Never - 1         Seldom - 2        Occasionally - 3           Frequent - 4              Always - 5

 

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

 

RESPONSE

 

ABIDE IN CHRIST

 

1.   I practice  a regular quiet time and look forward to that time with Christ.

 

2.   When making choices, I seek Christ's guidance first.

 

3.   My relationship  with Christ is motivated more by love than duty or fear.

 

4.   I experience life change as a result of my worship experiences.

 

5.   When God makes me aware of His specific will in an area of my life, I follow His

leading.

 

6.   I believe Christ provides the only way for a relationship with God.

 

7.   My actions demonstrate a desire to build God's kingdom rather than my own.

 

8.   Peace, contentment, and joy characterize  my life rather than worry and anxiety.

 

9.   I trust Christ to help me through any problem or crisis I face.

 

10. I remain confident of God's love and provision during difficult times.

 

Abide in Christ Total

 

 

LIVE IN THE WORD

 

1.   I regularly read and study my Bible.

 

2.   I believe the Bible is God's Word and provides His instructions for life.

 

3.   I evaluate cultural ideas and lifestyles by biblical standards.

 

4.   I can answer questions about life and faith from a biblical perspective.

 

5.   I replace impure or inappropriate thoughts with God's truth.

 

6.   I demonstrate honesty in my actions and conversation.

 

7.   When the Bible exposes an area of my life needing change, I respond to make

things right.

 

8.   Generally, my public and private self are the same

 

9.   I use the Bible as the guide for the way I think and act.

 

10. I study the Bible for the purpose of discovering  truth for daily living.

 

Live By God's Word Total

 

 

PRAY IN FAITH

 

1.   My prayers focus on discovering God's will more than expressing my needs.

 

2.   I trust God to answer when I pray and wait patiently  on His timing.

 

3.   My prayers include thanksgiving,  praise, confession, and requests.

 

4.   I expect  to grow in my prayer life and intentionally seek help to improve.

 

5.   I spend as much time listening to God as talking to Him.

 

6.   I pray because I am aware of my complete dependence on God for everything in

my life.

 

7.   Regular participation in group prayer characterizes my prayer life.

 

8.   I maintain an attitude of prayer throughout each day.

 

9.   I believe my prayers impact my life and the lives of others.

 

10. I engage in a daily prayer time.

 

Pray In Faith Total

 

 

 

 

FELLOWSHIP WITH BELIEVERS

 

1.   I forgive others  when their actions harm me.

 

2.   I admit my errors in relationships and humbly seek forgiveness from the one I've

hurt.

 

3.   I allow other Christians to hold me accountable for spiritual growth.

 

4.   I seek to live in harmony with other  members of my family.

 

5.   I place the interest of others above  my self-interest.

 

6.   I am gentle and kind in my interactions with others.

 

7.   I encourage and listen to feedback from others  to help me discover areas for

relationship growth.

 

8.   I show patience in my relationships with family and friends.

 

9.   I encourage others  by pointing  out their strengths rather than criticizing their

weaknesses.

 

10. My time commitments demonstrate that I value relationships over

work/career/hobbies.

 

Build Godly Relationships Total

 

 

WITNESS TO THE WORLD

 

1.   I share my faith in Christ with non-believers.

 

2.   I regularly pray for non-believers I know.

 

3.   I make my faith known to my neighbors and/or fellow employees.

 

4.   I intentionally  maintain  relationships with non-believers in order to share my

testimony.

 

5.   When confronted about my faith, I remain consistent and firm in my testimony.

 

6.   I help others  understand how to effectively share a personal testimony.

 

7.   I make sure the people I witness to get the follow-up and support needed to

grow in Christ.

 

8.   I encourage my church and friends to support mission efforts.

 

9.   I am prepared  to share my testimony at any time.

 

10. My actions demonstrate a belief in and commitment to the Great Commission

(Matthew 28:19-20).

 

Witness To The World Total

 

 

MINISTER TO OTHERS

 

1.   I understand my spiritual gifts and use those  gifts to serve others.

 

2.   I serve others expecting nothing in return.

 

3.   I sacrificially contribute my finances to help others in my church and

community.

 

4.   I go out of my way to show love to people I meet.

 

5.   Meeting the needs of others  provides a sense of purpose in my life.

 

6.   I share biblical truth with those  I serve as God gives opportunity.

 

7.   I act as if other's needs are as important as my own.

 

8.   I expect  God to use me every day in His kingdom work.

 

9.   I regularly contribute time to a ministry at my church.

 

10. I help others identify ministry gifts and become involved in ministry.

 

Minister To Others Total

 

 

After you have completed the assessment and entered your totals you should have a clear picture of areas that need attention. In order to make the picture as accurate as possible with respect to what needs work in our lives it is important to seek the counsel of godly men and women around us. Set up an appointment with the pastor or one of the Elders to get their input and counsel as well for developing your spiritual growth plan.

Grace Christian Center offers a variety of opportunities throughout the year to assist in helping each member grow in God. Examples are: Weekly worship Service, Men's, Women's, youth, Children's Ministry meetings, Leadership Training, Discipleship classes, Christian Counseling, One on One mentoring opportunities, outreach training, Crown Ministries (financial) and much more. Take advantage of these opportunities as they present themselves.

Finally, never try to measure your personal spiritual growth by someone else. Spiritual formation is a process, not an event. Your walk with God is unique to you. Be patient with yourself. The key is to keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Invite Him daily into the activities of your life. He has great plans for you!

[1]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

[2]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

[3]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

[4]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

[5]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.