During the past months our

congregation has been working toward a plan for our next few years. I have been privileged to be able to follow the steps involved which has led to points of focus. My area is spiritual growth or Growth in Discipleship. What a title! Where does it lead?

Our whole lives we are on our discipleship path. Sometimes it is hard to see the path because it gets "over-grown" with distractions, evil, greed and other detractors which keep us from our way. What do we need to clear and strengthen our path? Is it more Bible study? Is it more Christian reading and discussion? Do we know how to pray? These are only a short list of possibilities.

Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life, says the New Testament often describes the Christian life as a battle against evil forces… . Christians are often compared to soldiers serving in enemy territory. He further states we must use the Word of God as our weapon against evil. Jesus modeled this for us. When He was tempted, Jesus quoted scripture. Warren suggests we must do the same. Satan fears the power of God’s Word. Warren tells us, "If you have no Bible verses memorized, you’ve got no bullets in your gun."