Growing Your Faith: How to Mature in Christ

by Jerry Bridges, Eugene H. Peterson

When we are gripped by the astonishing fact of Christ’s love for us, we want to draw close to Him and worship Him. But what can we do to deepen our relationship with Jesus? What does He expect of us? And how can we be more like Him? Navigator author Jerry Bridges presents the essential elements of Christian life in a highly readable, practical form that men, women, and teens can enjoy. Learn how These essentials of the Christian faith can help you disciple others.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Discipleship, Christian Non Fiction

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2004

About the author

JERRY BRIDGES was an author and conference speaker. His most popular book, The Pursuit of Holiness, has sold over one million copies. Jerry was on the staff of The Navigators for over fifty years, and currently served in the Collegiate Mission where he was involved primarily in staff development, but also served as a speaker resource to the campus ministries.

Reviews

[Jami Balmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tagline to this book is How to Mature in Christ and I think that's a very accurate description of the book! This book is a collection of the very best advice that Jerry Bridges (one of my very favorite authors) has on the subject of growing and maturing in your faith. It's a very quick and easy read and I highly recommend it as one of my newest favorite books on Spiritual Disciplines and Christian living in general.

[Isaiah Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fresh and helpful reminder of the basics truths of spiritual growth for the Christian. If you are not growing in your walk or do not regularly reflect upon your growth as a believer then you should read this book. The many different areas of our life require reflection and intention all trying back to the truth of Gods word and our worship of Him. This is one that you can go back to periodically for encouragement to help you refocus your walk with the Lord.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book is a wonderful guide for younger believers in Christ, in that it outlines some basic truths about walking with Christ and growing in faith. One of the things I appreciate most about this book is the focus on GOD being the one who grows us, who sanctifies, who promises that we will grow in faith and Christ-likeness as we walk with Him. Bridges cites dozens of Scriptures to make that point right up front, so that his book is not perceived as a "self-help" book, or a "5 things to do to make sure you grow." Instead, it is a call to focus on the indwelling Spirit, the instruction in His Word, and ALWAYS to remember what he calls the "bookends" of growth: the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ by which you are fully accepted by God, and the POWER of the indwelling Spirit through whom you will grow, as God has promised. He maintains well the tension between full dependence upon God for our sanctification, and our choice to obey and walk in what Christ has told us in the Bible. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you..."
Recommended reading for newer believers or for those who want a Scripturally based refresher on what our sanctification is really made of.

[Jeff Brawner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I assumed this was another classic from a renowned Christian author that would be theologically sound, but repetitive and unhelpful.
I was wrong.
I think I’m going to use this as an outline in discipline others, and as a reminder of the grace God has for me.
Easily deserving of five stars for both its helpful descriptions of terms all the way to practical application.

[Nikkira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beneficial book to my faith. It provided necessary and practical ways to give devotion to Christ. He drew on his own experience effectively.

[Davi Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

O livro "Crescimento Espiritual" do escritor Jerry Bridges foi um presente especial de uma tia muito querida por mim. Essa leitura me surpreendeu positivamente, uma vez que já havia lido há pouco tempo 2 livros desse mesmo autor "A busca da santidade" e sua continuação "Exercita-te na piedade". Apesar da possibilidade de ainda estar sensível ao término da leitura, atrevo a dizer que esse supera os livros que citei há pouco. Vou deixar 2 trechos dessa obra e espero que sirva de encorajamento a todos nós:

"Eu o incentivo a depositar todos os dias sua confiança primeiro na justiça de Cristo, pela qual o Deus infinitamente Santo nos aceita com alegria e, segundo, no poder de Cristo, que nos capacita a viver a vida cristã com confiança, a medida que crescemos para a maturidade. Essas verdades envolvem e mantêm coesa a totalidade da nossa experiência cristã. [...] Lembre-se de que a justiça e o poder de Cristo são verdades maravilhosas, vivas. São o dom contínuo de uma pessoa viva, o Cordeiro de Deus, que é o único digno da nossa adoração pérpetua." [Jerry Bridges]

"Senhor, estou disposto a receber o que o Senhor der; a carecer do que o Senhor retiver; a renunciar ao que o Senhor tomar; a sofrer o que o Senhor infligir; a ser o que o Senhor pedir." [desconhecido]

A todo Cristão desejoso em conhecer melhor nosso Deus e viver de maneira agradável a Ele, tenho certeza que esse livro pode ajudar.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful because it is very clear, easy to understand, and practical. Jesus' righteousness and His power, plus grace and The Holy Spirit, are our "bookends". Oh, and to remember that the Bible teaches that "God is completely sovereign, God is infinite in wisdom, and God is perfect in love.

So "God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom, He always knows what is best. And in His sovereignty, He has the power to bring it about".

[Rod Innis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a truly great book. Every Christian who wants to have a closer walk with God, find more joy and purpose in their Christian walk, seeks truly to serve and glorify God should read this book. It is full of Scripture that show us how to grow in our faith and truly find joy in our relationship with Him.

I think that I highlighted about a third of the book. Some very important insights!

[Jeffrey Thouron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some really good chapters.

Some borderline heresy. The bible is not God. The bible is not the Holy Spirit. Ones interpretation of scripture does not equal god's will, desire or word. Chapter 5 was especially problematic.

[Franklin Lucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our brother Jerry gives us the biblical path to maturity in Christ. An easy read that will bless the true believer.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book. The writing is both profound and easy to understand. I will be reading more of his books in the future.

[Caitlin Lyttle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read, confronting and encouraging and will probably read again in summer

[Majuchan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly reminded and taught me new things on how to mature in my Christian faith and life.

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this a twenty out of five star rating I would. I LOVE this book. I immediately am going to re-read it. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple yet solid work. If you've read any of Bridges' other books then this won't be a huge surprise as much of his earlier material (Pursuit of Holiness, Practice of Godliness, The Discipline of Grace) finds its way into "Growing Your Faith". The book is divided into three main sections: 1. the necessity of spiritual growth; 2. the means of spiritual growth; 3. the marks of spiritual growth.

The main thing I took away from this book comes out of section 1 and is what Bridges calls the bookends of the Christian life: on the one end "the righteousness of Christ by which the infinitely holy God accepts us with joy", and on the other end "the power of Christ that enables us to live confidently as we grow toward maturity in Him", 20&ff.

Instead of focusing on our performance as a means to maturity (though the author addresses spiritual disciplines in section 3) the focus is on what Christ has already accomplished for us in salvation and continues to work out in our sanctification through the Holy Spirit. In the chapter on the Holy Spirit's role in our maturity Bridges explores the idea of monergism (the action of a single agent working alone) vs synergism (the action of two parties working together). The idea here is that monergism describes the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives solely as a work of grace apart from our effort. Synergism therefore describes His work enabling us to participate, 49.

Another concept explored by Bridges that caught my attention is "the imperative always follows the indicative". If you're like me you're saying, huh? The idea makes sense though as Bridges explains it here, "the fact that what God requires of us (the imperatives) must follow the announcement of what God has done for us through Christ Jesus (the indicatives)", 63. In other words, we can't please God in any way nor grow in maturity (the imperatives) before we've first tasted of His grace in Jesus (the indicative).

I'd encourage all new believers to read this book, and even those of us who have forgotten all that Christ has already accomplished for us in sanctification as well as salvation. The only drawback I saw in "Growing Your Faith" was Bridges' reliance on his prior material, a lack of index and more exegesis of supporting passages would've been helpful too.

[Michelle Padrelanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a person becomes a Christian, his goal is to become more like Christ everyday. It’s not an easy task, in fact, it takes more than a lifetime to achieve this goal. In order to achieve spiritual maturity, we have a guide to follow in Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges.

Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges can also be entitled Spiritual Maturity 101 because that is what this book literally is. Jerry Bridges discusses with great wisdom the many disciplines that we should take on if we want to grow our faith. Disciplines such as reading the Bible, praying, fellowship with other believers, Bible study are discussed in this book.

When I first began to read it, I read through the first three chapters straight. I decided to stop and reread it again but this time with pen and notebook at hand. I was learning so many things about growing in faith, reading my Bible and dependent living that I realized I should take notes so that I can remember it all.

Jerry Bridges writes with compassion and wisdom, full of encouragement for the reader who is seeking growth in his relationship with Christ. The content is very meaty but is not hard to read and understand. However, I would recommend stopping after every chapter to digest what has just been taught by the author.

I highly recommend Growing Your Faith to all Christians whether young or old in faith. If you are still a new believer in Christ, you would learn what it takes to grow your faith. If you have been a believer for so many years, there is still much to learn about growth in this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Casey]

"What does your mind turn to when it is free to turn to anything? Do you begin to meditate on scripture?...Do you think about your problems, or do you engage in mental arguing with someone else, or perhaps even allow your mind to drift into the wasteland of impure thoughts? Thinking is our most constant activity. Our thoughts are our constant occupation. We are never without them. But we can choose the direction and content of those thoughts... We must be alert for those times during the day when we can turn our minds to the Word of God, and then we must do it. Even the practice of daily Bible reading is insufficient if we go the rest of the day without meditating on some truths of Scripture... If we do not actively seek to come under the influence of God's Word, we will come under the influence of sinful society around us." P75

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book. I love reading books on spiritual development and spiritual growth. This one was really solid and practical. Jerry has a great knowledge base of scripture and does an excellent job with communicating what that means for our everyday lives and our walk with Christ. Excellent read

[Leesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i do love jerry bridges and how jerry bridges talks abt the gospel. i really loved his book "the discipline of grace," too.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introductory book for new believers. You can never cover the basics enough. Be dependent on the Holy Spirit, Read your bible and pray.

[Clansmitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent foundational book to read with new Christians. We used this as a Bible study with many of our teens.

[Judy]

Great help to growing my faith.