Wallace SC&W
Rev. Stephen C. Wallace
SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Implementing Spiritual Disciplines
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
2 Peter 3:18
Learning:
1. How do you learn: (check all that apply)
___ Book/Video/Audio lessons
___ Meditating on materials
___ Memorizing
___ Attending Lectures
___ By talking with others
___ By doing something or experiencing it
___ Reading Books
___ Just being with God
___ By Observing God’s creation
___ Through the message of symbols and rituals
___ Other: ________________________________
2. What do you seek to achieve out of learning:
___ General Knowledge
___ Personal Insights
___ Direction for personal situations
___ A message of instruction from God
___ Connection with God
___ Connection with the world
___ Historic Insights
___ Encouragement
___ Strength
___ Peace
___ Joy
___ Other: ____________________________________
3. What of the Bible have you studied in the last year?
___ Old Testament book:__________________________
___ New Testament book: _________________________
___ Topical Study: _______________________________
___ Other: ______________________________________
4. What resources do you use to help you learn about and know God?
___ Bible
___ Commentaries
___ Study Materials (workbooks, etc.)
___ Devotionals (e.g. from authors like Max Lucado/ Beth Moore/etc.)
___ Bible Dictionaries, Atlas, Concordance, History books
___ Small Group or Classes
___ Books on specific topics
___ Prayer
___ Meditation, and/or Reflection
___ Friends
___ Online Lessons or Blogs
___ Other ___________________________
5. How do you apply what you learn about God and God’s desires?
___ Changed (or am changing) attitudes
___ Changed specific actions (stopped or started actions)
___ I didn’t make any changes
___ I persevered in something
___ Changed what I thought/believed about something
___ Other: _________________________________________
6. What % do you focus on learning:
___ for head knowledge (knowing about God, etc.)
___ for life application & transformation (knowing God)
7. What issue or topic do you most want/need to learn about? Why?___________
_____________________________________________________________
8. What % of the time in your learning do you find yourself saying:
___ “people should do that” or ___ “I know someone who needs to do this”
___ “I should do that” or ___ “I need to know this”
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The Next Step: How to Grow in your Spiritual Maturity
(specific suggestion to questions in the inventory are labeled Q +
the number of the question)
Learning:
Q.1 – How can you best use the method of learning most powerful for you (e.g. identify people
Who stimulate you and plan time to be with them, regularly take time to be in nature to observe
It, select books to read over the next 6 months, pick commentaries and other resource books to
Help you study and understand the Bible).
Go to a bookstore or library and look for other study possibilities. Watch for seminars
on topics of interest or need.
Q.2 – Spend a week on a passage of Scripture with day 1 just reading it, day 2 reading for historic
knowledge, day 3 reading for personal message/application, day 4 reading for God’s call to you
for action, day 5 reading for God’s promise or gift, etc.
Q.3 -Use a Read Through the Bible in A Year program to fully experience the Scripture material.
Or pick a part of the Bible that you rarely/never have studied…why haven’t you studied it?
Choose a week to look over it. ________________________________________________
If you don’t feel comfortable reading from the Bible, Why not? What would make you more
comfortable? Would an introduction course on the Bible help (e.g. from a College or a study from
a bookstore)? Use the internet or a commentary so that another’s ideas can challenge, push or
encourage you (e.g. go to http://bible.christianity.com, or another site where you can read other
people’s notes or thoughts on passages)
Q.4 –If you are not familiar with Bible resources, find a person to help show you these. Spend
some time familiarizing yourself with them so that you know how to use them and what they
offer you. If you want a person to help you learn about them, ask your Pastor or go to a local
bookstore and ask the staff to explain resources and what they provide.
Q.5 –If you focus mostly on head knowledge work to personally apply lessons. Perhaps by
placing yourself in the role of various persons in the story and then searching for the connections
to your life (e.g. similar feelings, situation) or by rewriting the story as if it were happening to you.
If you limit the knowledge element then read noticing the setting, lifestyles, historic details, etc.
Use a Bible Dictionary or Study Bible to help identify and clarify these so that you better grasp
the issues and message.
Q.7 -Seek out studies on the topic/issue of interest (e.g. forgiveness, death, healing). Or do a
theme or word study using a concordance (e.g. Strong’s) search for where and how the word is
used in the Bible (e.g. Chosen-Matt 12:18, 20:16, 22:14, Mark 13:20, Luke 10:42, John 6:70,
13:18, 15:16-19, Acts 1:2, 1:24, 9:15, 10:41, 15:22, 15:25, 22:14, Romans 16:13, 1 Corinthians
1:27-28, 2 Corinthians 2:19, Ephesians 1:4. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 2:4, James 2:5, 1
Peter 2:4, 2:9, Revelations 17:14)
Q.8 –Refuse to ‘remove’ yourself from the focus of passage or lesson. When studying
continually ask how God is working to challenge, confront, or encourage you personally by it.
Always ask: “So what does this call me to do?”
Other resources: Saddleback Church’s 201 Class which gives methods for meditation, study,
memorization and more. Gary Thomas “Sacred Pathways”, Myra Perrine “What’s your God
Language”, Richard Foster “Celebration of Discipline”
