The Well Community Church

Spiritual maturity is an elusive thing. It can be subjective and sometimes completely misunderstood. One sign of spiritual immaturity is only listening to the word from our favorites. This subtle shift causes us to connect to a person rather than to the Lord. Although we all have preferences, there should be a receptivity to connect and learn from whoever handles the word of God. A spiritually mature person looks for the content, regardless of who is speaking or the style in which it is communicated.

The Parable of the Sower is the first parable Jesus tells in Matthew. The seeds we sow can produce a harvest of 30, 60 or 100-fold. We are called to share the Gospel with our words and actions, but the harvest is not up to us. Not everyone will be prepared to hear the message, and God is the one who determines the level of influence we will have in the kingdom. What is the fruit of your life?

The key to building a life that will last is a foundation in Christ. It takes faith to build on the words of God even when there is no immediate reward, or it goes against your feelings or what other people may advise. Storms will come, and if you have built your life on Jesus, you will withstand them. But if your foundation is built on other things, you will not be able to withstand the immediate storms or the eternal storm of death.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. But who is your neighbor? Jesus answers this question with a parable we are all familiar with: The Good Samaritan. Our faith should lead us to action. This is not always comfortable and can sometimes be messy. Having pity on someone in need is easy. But the Samaritan had compassion on the man at the side of the road. He went out of his way to help, and took the time to show him mercy. Do you have that kind of compassion for the people you encounter each day?

Jesus used the Parable of the Widow and the Judge to show his disciples the importance of being persistent in their prayers. The unjust judge is compared to the just and loving God who gives us what we need, although it may not look the way we originally prayed for or wanted. Persistent prayer leads to faith in a just God. When God delays answering our prayers, He has a purpose for us. We need to pray persistently and never lose heart.

When we understand the true cost of our sin, the forgiveness God gives us increases in value. The parable of two debtors compares two people who were forgiven of "little" and "much." The one who was forgiven much should in turn be more grateful. The truth is, we have all been forgiven much, so our understanding, worship, and adoration of Jesus should be extravagant, like the woman. Sadly, most of us, just like the Pharisees, say we have been forgiven of much, but our lives show that we believe our sin is actually small and insignificant.

When we humble ourselves before God, becoming passionate about our walk with Him, He blesses us and equips us to be all He wants us to be. The kingdom of heaven was created for us to be with Him, but we must surrender everything we have and everything we are, to receive it.

How do we live for the kingdom of God, becoming content with where we are and what we have? How do we worship God with our wealth instead of worshiping our wealth? We must learn to refocus our hearts, repent of our selfishness, and take practical steps to be generous toward God and others.

How valuable are we to God! He cares about each and every person on this earth. When we are lost, He pursues us. When we wander, He pursues us. When we run, He pursues us. And He and all the angels rejoice when even one person comes to Christ.

Much is said about the nature of the Kingdom of God. Is it spiritual, physical, already in place, or still forthcoming? Regardless, our preparedness is essential. Christ will return and Matthew clearly communicates what our response should be in light of this reality. What is our response to the coming “not yet” Kingdom and how should we then live in the interim?