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You Can’t Grow Spiritually in Isolation - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - January 23, 2017

You Can’t Grow Spiritually in Isolation
By Rick Warren

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT, second edition).

Some of us hesitate to commit ourselves to developing an intentional plan of growth that requires accountability or relationship with others because we believe spiritual growth is a personal and private matter. We choose to believe each person develops in his or her own way at his or her own rate.

This is an aberration from the truth. The idolatry of individualism has influenced even the way we think about spiritual growth. So much of the teaching on spiritual formation is self-centered and self-focused without any reference to our relationship to other Christians.

This is completely unbiblical and ignores much of the New Testament. Christians need relationships to grow. We don’t grow in isolation from others. We develop in the context of fellowship.

Over and over again in the New Testament we find this basic truth: Believers need relationships with each other to grow! Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (NLT, second edition).

God intends for us to grow up in a family. 

Play today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

  • Where in the Bible do you see people modeling authentic biblical community?
  • How does accountability help you grow spiritually?
  • What do you need from your spiritual family? What do you have to offer your spiritual family?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!


Transformed Study Kit

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 Is there a positive change you want to see in your life in 2017? If so, we want to send you a study kit Pastor Rick Warren has put together called Transformed to help make it happen!

Pastor Rick teaches 7 biblically based lessons in Transformed that will help you experience a real transformation from the inside out this year.

The Transformed study kit includes a 7-session DVD and a leather-bound workbook. And it’s our gift to thank you for your financial support of Daily Hope, so please request it when you give.

This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.