Grace Thoughts
Teaching Notes: How The Saints Grow (Part One)
Teaching Notes are Bible studies we taught before GraceLife Ministries began publishing articles online in 1995. Some were presented as sermons, others as group studies.
Our hope is that these older studies will be a blessing to you in your life and ministry. Please use them in any way God leads you.
These teaching notes are from a series about Church Growth taught over a period of several months.
[These notes are from a study from 40 years ago.]
Outline For Growth
A. Understanding of Growth: Defining Christian Growth
B. Direction for Growth: Goals of Christian growth
C. Training for Growth: What Christians Need to Grow
D. Assembling for Growth: What the Assembly is For
E. One-Anothering for Growth: How to Build Up Members of the Assembly
F. Structuring for Growth: How the Assembly Should Be Managed
G. Ministering for Growth: How the Assembly Should Impact Its Community
Part One: Defining Christian Growth
21 Greek words translated “grow, increase, add, spring, leap, come, arise, strengthen” in the New Testament in the context of natural or spiritual growth.
- ἀναβαίνω (anabainó) – go up, arise, ascend, grow – Mark 4:7 (example)
- αὐξάνω (auxanó) – increase, grow, enlarge – Ephesians 4:15; Acts 19:20; Colossians 1:10; 2:19; 1 Peter 2:2 (examples)
- ὑπεραυξάνω (huperauxanó) – to increase above ordinary degree – 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (example)
- συναυξάνομαι (sunauxanó) – to grow together – Matthew 13:30 (example)
- αὔξησις (auxésis) – growth, increase – Ephesians 4:16 (example)
- γίνομαι (ginomai) – generate, to come into being – Matthew 21:19 (example)
- μηκύνω (mékunó) – to lengthen, enlarge, grow up – Mark 4:27 (example)
- ἐνδυναμόω (endunamoó) – to empower, strengthen, increase – Acts 9:22; Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:1 (examples)
- πλούσιος (plousios) – to become wealthy – Revelation 3:17 (example)
- πλεονάζω (pleonazó) – increase, make or be more – 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (example)
- περισσεύω (perisseuó) – to superabound, be in excess – 1 Thessalonians 4:10 (example)
- προστίθημι (prostithémi) – add, give more, increase – Luke 17:5 (example)
- προκόπτω (prokoptó) – to drive forward, to advance, to grow – Luke 2:52 (example)
- φύω (phuó) – germinate, to produce, grow – Luke 8:6 (example)
- συμφύω (sumphuó) – grow with – Luke 8:7 (example)
- ἔρχομαι (erchomai) – grow worse (used with the word χείρων) – Mark 5:26 (example)
- ἀνατέλλω (anatelló) – to arise, spring up – Hebrews 7:14
- ἐξανατέλλω (exanatelló) – springing out of – Matthew 13:5 (example)
- βλαστάνω (blastanó) – to sprout, spring up – Mark 4:27 (example)
- ἅλλομαι (hallomai) – to leap, spring up – John 4:14 (example)
- ἐπιχορηγέω (epichorégeó) – to furnish besides, to add to – 2 Peter 1:5 (example)
Some of the words used for spiritual growth include these verses:
- “We grow in Christ”
- “the Word grows”
- “We grow in knowledge”
- “the body grows”
- “We grow in salvation”
- “We grow in faith and love”
- “Paul grew more powerful”
- “We grow in love”
- “Our love should grow in superabundance”
- “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature”
- “We need to mature”
Next Time
We will look at Goals of Christian Growth in the next part of our series.
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you and your life and ministry.]
Published by gracelifethoughts
Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts
