How People Grow: A Gospel-Centered Path to Spiritual Maturity
Published: Mon, 07/28/25
Updated: Mon, 07/28/25
Sessions Include:How People Change, Lesson #1 How People Change, Lesson #2 How People Change, Lesson #3 How People Change, Lesson #4 How People Change, Lesson #5 How People Change, Lesson #6 How People Change, Lesson #7 How People Change, Lesson #8 How People Change, Lesson #9 How People Change, Lesson #10 How People Change, Lesson #11 How People Change, Lesson #12 How People Change, Lesson #13 How People Change, Lesson #14 How People Change, Lesson #15 How People Change, Lesson #16 Why Study Books?My church recently transitioned to using books as curriculum in our Sunday School. The reason is simple. My life has been profoundly influenced by the reading of books. I don’t think my life has ever been changed by any curriculum piece I have ever read. Ever. I have actually surveyed a number of groups I have taught over the years, asking: Has your life ever been changed by any curriculum? The most common response is for people to laugh out loud. Our first study was the Bless book by Dave and Jon Ferguson. It is a great study on relational lifestyle evangelism. About half-way through the the study, we did a survey to help determine what we would study next. No one wanted to go back to the curriculum. Not. One. Person. The #1 choice for what to study next was a tie:
We will be studying these two books over the next year and a half or so. Here is what Amazon says about Ortberg’s book: The Me I Want to Be will help you discover spiritual vitality like never before as you learn to "live in the flow of the spirit." Why does spiritual growth seem so difficult? God's vision for your life is not just that you are saved by grace, but that you also learn to live by grace, flourishing with the Spirit flowing through you. And this book will show how God's perfect vision for you starts with a powerful promise: All those who trust in God "will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Pastor and best-selling author John Ortberg first helps gauge your spiritual health and measure the gap between where you are now and where God intends you to be. Then he provides detailed tasks and exercises to help you live in the flow of the Spirit, circumventing real-world barriers - pain and sorrow, temptations, self-doubt, sin - to flourish even in a dark and broken world. As you start living in the flow, you will feel:
God invites you to join him in crafting an abundant and joy-filled life. The Me I Want to Be shows you how to graciously accept his invitation. I have just completed a new, 22-week study of John Ortberg’s book, The Me I Want to Be that we will be using in my church. (I had previously done a 7-week study.) I have always thought that using books as a curriculum would be a good idea, and I have written a lot of book studies over the years. One of the things that actually using books as curriculum caused me to realize has to do with cost. By writing a study on every chapter of this book, instead of my previous study that had a lesson for every section, the cost drops to below what we were paying for curriculum. Better curriculum. Cheaper cost. Win. Win.
|
How People Grow: A Gospel-Centered Path to Spiritual Maturity In How People Change, Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane not only explore the process of change but also focus on how people grow spiritually. Growth, in the context of Christian living, is not about merely improving behavior or adhering to rules. True growth is a deep, gospel-centered transformation that reshapes the heart, reorients desires, and equips individuals to live in a way that honors God. In their book, Tripp and Lane explain that the gospel is at the core of this process—it’s not just a message of salvation, but a continual source of power and motivation for every step of growth in the Christian life. One of the main themes of How People Change is that growth begins in the heart. The Bible teaches that the root of all human behavior is the heart, where our desires, beliefs, and motivations reside. If we want to see lasting change or true growth, we must address these underlying heart issues rather than merely focusing on outward behaviors. Growth in the Christian life is about aligning our hearts with the truths of the gospel. When we grasp who God is, what He has done for us, and what He promises, our desires begin to change, and from those desires, our actions follow. Tripp and Lane make a powerful point that many Christians approach growth by trying to modify their behavior. They try to stop a particular sin or start a new discipline, often relying on their own willpower. While these external efforts may result in short-term changes, they don’t lead to lasting growth. True transformation happens when the gospel penetrates our hearts. It’s the gospel that frees us from the power of sin, restores our identity in Christ, and enables us to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is the key to true growth: recognizing that we cannot change ourselves, but God’s grace through the gospel has the power to make us new. The authors also address the idea of "heat" and "thorns" as they relate to growth. Heat represents the pressures and difficulties we face in life—trials, temptations, and stressors that often expose what’s in our hearts. Thorns are the sinful reactions that emerge in those moments, such as anger, fear, or selfishness. Instead of allowing these thorns to rule our hearts, the gospel empowers us to respond with fruit—godly characteristics like patience, kindness, and humility. In this way, growth is not about avoiding heat, but about learning to respond in ways that reflect Christ, all by the power of the gospel. Community also plays a crucial role in the process of growth. Tripp and Lane emphasize that growth is not meant to happen in isolation. The church is God’s appointed context for growth, where believers encourage, challenge, and hold each other accountable. Growth involves being known by others, confessing sin, and receiving grace. The gospel not only transforms individuals but builds up the body of Christ as a whole. Ultimately, Tripp and Lane remind readers that growth is a lifelong journey. There are no shortcuts, and it’s not an instantaneous process. But the gospel assures us that God is committed to completing the good work He started in us. Growth may be slow and sometimes painful, but it’s also purposeful and rooted in God’s promises. In How People Change, Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane provide a gospel-centered framework for growth, showing that true spiritual maturity doesn’t come from self-effort but from trusting in the power of the gospel to transform the heart. For anyone desiring to grow in Christ, this book offers the path forward: a continual reliance on the gospel, an openness to God’s work in the heart, and a commitment to grow in community. If you would like to explore this new study, it is available on Amazon, as well as part of Good Questions Have Groups Talking |
