Some people never grow up

1
Some people never grow up!

• In both the physical and spiritual realm we must
  grow or die.

2
Some people never grow up!

• In both the physical and spiritual realm we must
  grow or die.
• In the spiritual realm we must put off old
  characteristics and put on new.

3
Some people never grow up!

• In both the physical and spiritual realm we must
  grow or die.
• In the spiritual realm we must put off old
  characteristics and put on new.
• This is why Christians must posses a great
  humility so that God can mold and lead us in His
  ways. (Eph 414-15).

4
Some people never grow up!

• (Ephesians 414-15 NKJV) that we should no
  longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried
  about with every wind of doctrine, by the
  trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
  deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth
  in love, may grow up in all things into Him who
  is the head Christ

5
Some people never grow up!

• While immaturity will exist for a while in life,
  there must come a time when we put those things
  away. (1 Cor 1311)

6
Some people never grow up!

• (1 Corinthians 1311 NKJV) When I was a child, I
  spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I
  thought as a child but when I became a man, I
  put away childish things.

7
Some people never grow up!

• This change does not come by accident and it does
  not come without effort.

8
Some people never grow up!

• This change does not come by accident and it does
  not come without effort.
• Our lack of maturity will limit what we can
  learn. (Heb 511-14 1 Cor 26)

9
Some people never grow up!

• (1 Corinthians 26 NKJV) However, we speak
  wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the
  wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this
  age, who are coming to nothing.

10
Some people never grow up!

• (Hebrews 511-14 NKJV) of whom we have much to
  say, and hard to explain, since you have become
  dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you
  ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach
  you again the first principles of the oracles of
  God and you have come to need milk and not solid
  food.

11
Some people never grow up!

• 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is
  unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is
  a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who
  are of full age, that is, those who by reason of
  use have their senses exercised to discern both
  good and evil.

12
Some people never grow up!

• The path to maturity however will involve time,
  effort and suffering. (Jas 12-4)

13
Some people never grow up!

• (James 12-4 NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy
  when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing
  that the testing of your faith produces patience.
  4 But let patience have its perfect work, that
  you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

14
Some people never grow up!

• The impatient quitter will never mature.

15
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Matthew 182-5 NKJV) Then Jesus called a little
  child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3
  and said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you
  are converted and become as little children, you
  will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4
  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little
  child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

16
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• 5 Whoever receives one little child like this
  in My name receives Me.

17
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Simple Faith and Trust

18
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Simple Faith and Trust
• Children will believe what they are told and will
  trust their parents to the fullest. (Ex. Hard
  times come, no worry Dad will take care of me.)

19
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Simple Faith and Trust
• Children will believe what they are told and will
  trust their parents to the fullest. (Ex. Hard
  times come, no worry Dad will take care of
  me.)
• What worries will disappear when we have a mature
  faith in God? (Isa 122 Prov 35-6 1 Pet
  312-14)

20
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Proverbs 35-6 NKJV) Trust in the LORD with all
  your heart, And lean not on your own
  understanding 6 In all your ways acknowledge
  Him, And He shall direct your paths.

21
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Isaiah 122 NKJV) Behold, God is my salvation,
  I will trust and not be afraid For YAH, the
  LORD, is my strength and song He also has become
  my salvation.

22
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (1 Peter 312-14 NKJV) For the eyes of the LORD
  are on the righteous, And His ears are open to
  their prayers But the face of the LORD is
  against those who do evil. 13 And who is he
  who will harm you if you become followers of what
  is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for
  righteousness sake, you are blessed. And do not
  be

23
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Tender Heart towards others

24
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Tender Heart towards others
• Children are very compassionate, tenderhearted
  and quick to display sympathy.

25
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Tender Heart towards others
• Children are very compassionate, tenderhearted
  and quick to display sympathy.
• We must never loose this willingness to share the
  hurts of others. (Rom 1215 Eph 432)

26
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Romans 1215 NKJV) Rejoice with those who
  rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

27
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Ephesians 432 NKJV) And be kind to one
  another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
  just as God in Christ forgave you.

28
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Adults can be very cruel when the heart becomes
  hard.

29
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Maturity is unselfishness -- responding to the
  needs of others, often at the expense of one's
  own desires or wishes.

30
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Willingness to Quickly Forgive

31
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Willingness to Quickly Forgive
• Children will often fuss, fight and threat and
  then 30 minutes later play as if nothing happened!

32
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• A Willingness to Quickly Forgive
• Children will often fuss, fight and threat and
  then 30 minutes later play as if nothing
  happened!
• Forgiveness is basic to genuine Christianity.
  (Col 313 Matt 612)

33
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Matthew 612 NKJV) And forgive us our debts, As
  we forgive our debtors.

34
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• (Colossians 313 NKJV) bearing with one another,
  and forgiving one another, if anyone has a
  complaint against another even as Christ forgave
  you, so you also must do.

35
Childish Traits We Should Retain (Mt 182-5)

• Some hard hearted adults play the game of the
  Pharisee, they say they forgive while harboring
  grudges and bitterness all the while.

36
Childish Things to Put Away

• Tattling and Gossip.

37
Childish Things to Put Away

• Tattling and Gossip.
• Children are quick to want justice. Sometimes
  however stories are told to get them into good
  standing with others.

38
Childish Things to Put Away

• Tattling and Gossip.
• Children are quick to want justice. Sometimes
  however stories are told to get them into good
  standing with others.
• Adults often try to hurt another in the
  background by whispers to selected people.
  (Psa 415-7 Prov 1627-28 Lam 359-64)

39
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Psalms 415-7 NKJV) My enemies speak evil of
  me When will he die, and his name perish? 6
  And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies His
  heart gathers iniquity to itself When he goes
  out, he tells it. 7 All who hate me whisper
  together against me Against me they devise my
  hurt.

40
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Proverbs 1627-28 NKJV) An ungodly man digs up
  evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.
  28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer
  separates the best of friends.

41
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Lamentations 359-64 NKJV) O LORD, You have
  seen how I am wronged Judge my case. 60 You
  have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes
  against me. 61 You have heard their reproach, O
  LORD, All their schemes against me, 62 The lips
  of my enemies And their whispering against me all
  the day.

42
Childish Things to Put Away

• 63 Look at their sitting down and their rising
  up I am their taunting song. 64 Repay them, O
  LORD, According to the work of their hands.

43
Childish Things to Put Away

• A mature faith will teach us the harm of gossip.
  (1 Tim 513)

44
Childish Things to Put Away

• (1 Timothy 513 NKJV) And besides they learn to
  be idle, wandering about from house to house, and
  not only idle but also gossips and busybodies,
  saying things which they ought not.

45
Childish Things to Put Away

• A mature faith will teach us how to end gossip.
  We must have an openness to correct an problems.
  Rather than roasting our brethren around the
  kitchen table, we will move quickly to end any
  bitterness.

46
Childish Things to Put Away

• A Desire to be the Center of Attention - Pride.

47
Childish Things to Put Away

• A Desire to be the Center of Attention - Pride.
• While children need a certain degree of
  attention, when they expect to be the focus of
  all it can create a brat. If attention is not
  achieved by bragging and cutting-up, then he may
  try to start a fight.

48
Childish Things to Put Away

• When adults demand attention they are falling
  into one of the most serious sins --- pride. (Gal
  63-4 Rom 123)

49
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Romans 123 NKJV) For I say, through the grace
  given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to
  think of himself more highly than he ought to
  think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to
  each one a measure of faith.

50
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Galatians 63-4 NKJV) For if anyone thinks
  himself to be something, when he is nothing, he
  deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine
  his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in
  himself alone, and not in another.

51
Childish Things to Put Away

• A mature faith will be humble because hid focus
  is upon God. He only wants the praise of God. (1
  Pet 56 2 Cor 1018)

52
Childish Things to Put Away

• (2 Corinthians 1018 NKJV) For not he who
  commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord
  commends.

53
Childish Things to Put Away

• (1 Peter 56 NKJV) Therefore humble yourselves
  under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
  you in due time,

54
Childish Things to Put Away

• Maturity is humility. It is being big enough to
  say "I was wrong." And when right, the mature
  person need not say, "I told you so.

55
Childish Things to Put Away

• Malice and Envy.

56
Childish Things to Put Away

• Malice and Envy.
• Sometimes children will destroy the things of
  another. (Ex. Step on new shoes of another.)

57
Childish Things to Put Away

• Malice and Envy.
• Sometimes children will destroy the things of
  another. (Ex. Step on new shoes of another.)
• Envy is a product of pride. It is so sad to see
  brethren try to destroy another because they
  think they can do it better. (Gal 526,15)

58
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Galatians 515 NKJV) But if you bite and devour
  one another, beware lest you be consumed by one
  another!

59
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Galatians 526 NKJV) Let us not become
  conceited, provoking one another, envying one
  another.

60
Childish Things to Put Away

• In this atmosphere some will justify anything in
  their war to destroy another. Nothing will
  satisfy them short of destruction of another. Who
  ends up being destroyed? (Prov 1430 Matt 2718)

61
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Proverbs 1430 NKJV) A sound heart is life to
  the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.

62
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Matthew 2718 NKJV) For he knew that they had
  handed Him over because of envy.

63
Childish Things to Put Away

• A mature faith will keep ones heart clean from
  these sins of the heart. (Rom 1221)

64
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Romans 1221 NKJV) Do not be overcome by evil,
  but overcome evil with good.

65
Childish Things to Put Away

• Maturity is the ability to control anger and
  settle differences without violence or
  destruction.

66
Childish Things to Put Away

• Instability.

67
Childish Things to Put Away

• Instability.
• Children are very changeable and inconsistent.
  They often run from responsibility and cannot
  finish a job. It is sad to see parents like this.

68
Childish Things to Put Away

• Instability.
• Children are very changeable and inconsistent.
  They often run from responsibility and cannot
  finish a job. It is sad to see parents like this.
• It is easy to zealous and active in the Lords
  work for a period of time, but a mature faith
  will be active for a lifetime. (1 Cor 1558)

69
Childish Things to Put Away

• (1 Corinthians 1558 NKJV) Therefore, my beloved
  brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always
  abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
  your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

70
Childish Things to Put Away

• Maturity is perseverance, the ability to sweat
  cut a project, or situation in spite of
  opposition and discouraging setbacks. (Heb
  1035-36)

71
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Hebrews 1035-36 NKJV) Therefore do not cast
  away your confidence, which has great reward.
  36 For you have need of endurance, so that
  after you have done the will of God, you may
  receive the promise

72
Childish Things to Put Away

• Maturity is the ability to make a decision and
  stand by it. The immature spend their lives
  exploring endless possibilities, then nothing.

73
Childish Things to Put Away

• We need a mature faith to deal with all areas of
  our lives, especially our homes.

74
Childish Things to Put Away

• We need a mature faith to deal with all areas of
  our lives, especially our homes.
• Maturity means dependability and keeping one's
  word.

75
Childish Things to Put Away

• I'm going to be forty this month, but I
  approached thirty with more apprehension, I
  think, and the sense of time gone by. I've had
  more time to learn about myself, ten more years.
  I no longer fool myself, not easily anyway. I
  know when I'm making excuses and when I'm making
  choices, and the difference between the two.

76
Childish Things to Put Away

• I no longer look into my mind expecting wisdom,
  or my mirror expecting perfection. That thing
  about growing old gracefully? I think now I just
  might be able to manage it. --- anonymous

77
Childish Things to Put Away

• Sullenness and hyper-sensitivity

78
Childish Things to Put Away

• Sullenness and hyper-sensitivity
• Children are excellent pouters. Some adults are
  too.

79
Childish Things to Put Away

• Sadly there are some who have more joy over an
  oversight than of the blessings of God. In time
  these complainers will live for their hurts.

80
Childish Things to Put Away

• Sadly there are some who have more joy over an
  oversight than of the blessings of God. In time
  these complainers will live for their hurts.
• How many people have withdrawn and quit the
  service of the Lord over hurt feelings? Ex. So
  and So did not speak to me.

81
Childish Things to Put Away

• A mature faith will make allowances for others
  and solve any problems of the heart quickly. (1
  Cor 134-6 Eph 426)

82
Childish Things to Put Away

• (1 Corinthians 134-6 NKJV) Love suffers long
  and is kind love does not envy love does not
  parade itself, is not puffed up 5 does not
  behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
  provoked, thinks no evil 6 does not rejoice in
  iniquity, but rejoices in the truth

83
Childish Things to Put Away

• (Ephesians 426 NKJV) Be angry, and do not
  sin do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

84
Childish Things to Put Away

• Maturity is the capacity to face unpleasantness
  and frustration, discomfort and defeat,
  without complaint or collapse.

85
How do we Reach Maturity?

• By keeping God in view. (Matt 58 1 John 31-3)

86
How do we Reach Maturity?

• (Matthew 58 NKJV) Blessed are the pure in
  heart, For they shall see God.

87
How do we Reach Maturity?

• (1 John 31-3 NKJV) Behold what manner of love
  the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be
  called children of God! Therefore the world does
  not know us, because it did not know Him. 2
  Beloved, now we are children of God and it has
  not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we
  know that when He is revealed, we shall be like
  Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

88
How do we Reach Maturity?

• 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him
  purifies himself, just as He is pure.

89
How do we Reach Maturity?

• To have unquestioning reliance upon a pastor or
  other spiritual leader can lead to embarrassment
  and even bitter disillusionment. I was reminded
  of this recently when I came across an
  interesting item about President Coolidge. Once
  he invited some friends from Vermont to dine at
  the White House.

90
How do we Reach Maturity?

• They were worried about their table manners, so
  they decided to do everything their host did.
  All went well until coffee was served. Coolidge
  poured his into the saucer. The guests did the
  same. The President added sugar and cream. So
  did the visitors. Then Coolidge leaned over and
  placed his saucer on the floor for the cat.

91
How do we Reach Maturity?

• By never withdrawing or quitting. (Heb 1035-38)

92
How do we Reach Maturity?

• (Hebrews 1035-38 NKJV) Therefore do not cast
  away your confidence, which has great reward.
  36 For you have need of endurance, so that
  after you have done the will of God, you may
  receive the promise 37 For yet a little
  while, And He who is coming will come and will
  not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith
  But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure
  in him.

93
How do we Reach Maturity?

• By learning from mistakes. (Jas 15)

94
How do we Reach Maturity?

• (James 15 NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let
  him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and
  without reproach, and it will be given to him.

95
How do we Reach Maturity?

• With the help of God we can continue to press on
  to heaven!

96
How do we Reach Maturity?

• With the help of God we can continue to press on
  to heaven!
• We must watch our hearts and stay the course.
  (Phil 313-14)

97
How do we Reach Maturity?

• (Philippians 313-14 NKJV) Brethren, I do not
  count myself to have apprehended but one thing I
  do, forgetting those things which are behind and
  reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
  14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the
  upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

98
How do we Reach Maturity?

• You've heard, "Warning This show contains adult
  language. Viewer discretion advised." Adult
  language? Okay. Here goes! Character!
  Integrity! Commitment! Forgiveness! Sacrifice!
  Determination! Moral Values! That is grown up
  talk!

99
How do we Reach Maturity?

• You've heard, "Warning This show contains adult
  language. Viewer discretion advised." Adult
  language? Okay. Here goes! Character!
  Integrity! Commitment! Forgiveness! Sacrifice!
  Determination! Moral Values! That is grown up
  talk!
• Maturity will take time! Let us not despise those
  we deem as immature but help each to grow in
  their service to God.

100
How do we Reach Maturity?

• High in the Alps is a monument raised in honor of
  a faithful guide who perished while ascending a
  peak to rescue a stranded tourist. Inscribed on
  that memorial stone are these words HE DIED
  CLIMBING. A maturing, growing Christian should
  have the same kind of attitude, right up to the
  end of life.

101
How do we Reach Maturity?

• John R. W. Stott once admitted the truth that
  many of us have felt but failed to confess "The
  thing I know will give me the deepest joy --
  namely, to be alone and unhurried in the presence
  of God, aware of His presence, my heart open to
  worship Him -- is often the thing I least want to
  do."