Christian Life Program

COUPLES FOR CHRIST

CHRISTIAN LIFE PROGRAM

TALK NO. 10 – GROWING IN THE SPIRIT

GOAL:

To teach the basic tools needed for our growth and maturity as Christians.

CORE MESSAGE:

The Christian life can be pictured as a wheel that has three components: the outer rim, the hub, and the spokes.
The outer rim represents the daily Christian life; the hub, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the spokes, the tools through
which the Holy Spirit is transmitted from the hub (Jesus Christ) to the outer rim (our daily life). There are five spokes
corresponding to the five tools that we can make use of to grow in the Holy Spirit: prayer and study, service and
fellowship, and the sacraments. Our prayer must be faithful, led by the Holy Spirit, and centered on Jesus. We
study to know more about God by reading the Scriptures and Christian publications and attending teachings. We
serve by making ourselves and our resources—time, talent, and treasure—available for God’s work. Fellowship
is the expression of the spiritual reality that we are brothers and sisters belonging to one family and doing things
together. The sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion,
are the most important means to grow in the Spirit. If we are faithful in using these tools, we will grow in the Holy
Spirit and be more blessed in our family life.

EXPANDED OUTLINE

A. Introduction

1. The prayer session last week for the release of the power of the Holy Spirit is only a beginning. Now we need
to grow in this new life in the Spirit.

2. In order to grow, we need to make use of the basic means of growth which the Lord provides
us. These are prayer and study, service and fellowship, and the sacraments.

3. The Christian life can be pictured as a wheel that has three components: the outer rim, the
hub, and the spokes.

a) The outer rim: This is the part of the wheel that meets and touches the road. This represents
daily Christian life, where we encounter the realities of daily living.

b) The hub: This is the part of the wheel from which the power emanates to the rim. It holds the
wheel together. The hub represents our Lord Jesus Christ, who is or should be at the center
of our lives. The power is that of the Holy Spirit.

c) The spokes: These transmit the power and direction from the hub to the rim. The spokes
are the means of putting our whole life in contact with Christ, so that our life can be
transformed by his power and direction. The five spokes represent the five tools or means
47
 for us to grow in the Holy Spirit, namely, prayer and study, service and fellowship, and the
sacraments.

B. Prayer and Study

1. The first tool is prayer. It is the primary means for establishing and maintaining a deep and
loving personal relationship between ourselves and God. A successful prayer life involves 3
important principles:

a) Our prayer must be faithful.

· Decide to spend time with the Lord every day.

· Adopt a prayer format to begin.
- Use ACTS: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
- Use daily prayer guides (e.g. In His Steps).
· Decide on the practical details.
- When? Decide on a specific time of the day, which you can protect.
- Where? Mt 6.6. Find a place where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
- How long? Begin with 5 to 10 minutes, and gradually increase.
b) Our prayer must be led by the Holy Spirit.

· Scheduled and structured prayer is helpful, but could make our prayer dry and
mechanical.
· Be open to changing the format of your prayer as the Spirit leads.

c) Our prayer must be centered on a relationship with Jesus.

· Prayer is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Our goal is not “to pray” or even “to
pray well,” but to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
· People can get wrapped up in techniques. While these can help, prayer is really very
simple. It is a matter of loving God and being loved by him.
· Concentrate not on the prayer but on the Lord. In prayer we talk with God and God
talks to us.

2. The second tool is study. It is a deliberate, focused exercise of the intellect, not referring primarily to scholarly or
academic endeavour but to the wider process of understanding more about God so we can love and better serve
him.There are three ways we can learn more about God:

a) Reading and reflecting on the Bible.

· This is the most important means to know more about God and his plan for us since
the Bible is the very word of God. It teaches us who God is, what he has done, and
what he wants us to do.
· We should read the Bible daily. Start with about 10 to 15 minutes and gradually increase.
Pursue a more deliberate study of selected portions of the Bible, particularly the Gospels.
Make it a goal to read the whole Bible.
b) Reading Church’s publications and other spiritual books.

48
 Christian Life Program

· After reading what God has said of himself in the Bible, we can read what men have said
or written about God.
· This includes studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and reading encyclicals
(e.g. Lumen Fidei), apostolic exhortations (e.g. Evangelii Gaudium), spiritual books,
magazines, articles, etc. In particular, the Catechism will enable us to know better our
Catholic faith.

c) Attending teachings and listening to preaching.

· CFC has a teaching and formation program, including marriage enrichment retreats.
· The word of God is spoken during Sunday Mass homilies, parish conferences, etc.
· Begin the habit of taking notes.

d) In the Catholic tradition, the intercession of Mary and the saints is a powerful tool of prayer. “The
prayers of the Virgin Mary, in her Fiat and Magnificat, are characterized by the generous offering
of her whole being in faith.” (CCC 2622). A devotion to Mary and the saints is part and parcel of a
Catholic tradition. Reading books on the lives of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints is also a
good way to understand how the Holy Spirit acts in our lives.

C. Service and Fellowship

1. The third tool is service. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is at work in us, not just for our
personal development but also to equip us for effective service for him and his people. We
need to take on a mentality of service so that we see our whole life given over to God’s work.
We need to take on the heart of a servant (Mt. 20:26-28).

a) As we put the Lord first in our lives, he calls us to reach out also to others.

b) Service helps us grow because it touches the most basic attitudes we have of ourselves
and our independence. To serve others is to be humble.

2. There are many ways we can serve:

a) We can serve God by the way we live: through daily prayer and Scripture reading; through
the pursuit of righteousness and practice of holiness.

b) We also serve by performing the basic responsibilities God has given us in our daily lives,
e.g. doing our duties as parents, spouse, employee, etc.

c) We can serve others by recognizing and making use of the many opportunities for service
in day-to-day life, e.g., offering a ride, visiting the sick, helping to care for the children of
others, offering hospitality, etc.

d) We serve by making ourselves and our resources—our time, talent, and treasure—

49
 available for God’s work.

· Doing good work (James 2:14-17).

· Supporting through prayer and financial contribution authentic Christian ministries
that further the spread of the gospel.
· Looking for opportunities to give our time and energy to serve in a Christian group,
such as Couples for Christ, on a regular basis.

3. The fourth tool is fellowship. It refers to almost everything that Christians do together as a
body. It is the concretization of a spiritual reality that we are brothers and sisters belonging to
one family.

a) We do not become Christians by ourselves. We must be joined to others in order to

experience the fullness of Christian life. Fellowship is not an optional extra. We need the
support of others. We need their wisdom and strength. We need to do things together.

b) We can experience Christian fellowship in a number of ways: worship in liturgies, prayer

meetings, conferences; coming together for teaching and formation; serving together (like
the service team in this CLP); and social gatherings.

c) We can experience this Christian fellowship in Couples for Christ. Next week we will
explain what CFC is, its vision and mission, and what it does.

D. Sacraments

1. The fifth and most important tool for Catholics to grow in the Holy Spirit is the regular reception
of the sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Holy
Communion.

2. There are 7 sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance (or Reconciliation), Eucharist (or
Holy Communion), Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. The seven sacraments
are instituted by Christ and given to the Church to administer. They are necessary for our
salvation.

3. The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to build up the body of Christ, and to
give worship to God. The sacraments impart sanctifying grace.

4. For couples, they must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony.

5. Although the sacraments of Confession and Communion are required to be received by

Catholics only once a year, we should exert every effort to avail of these sacraments as often
as possible.

50
 Christian Life Program
E. Conclusion

1. This CLP, your commitment to Christ, the pray over for the power of the Holy Spirit—all these are
just the beginning of an exciting, new life. We are still “babies in Christ” and we need to grow. This will
happen if we make use of the 5 tools provided by God.

2 If you are faithful, you will grow in the Holy Spirit and be more blessed in your family life.

51