Personal Growth - Luke 2:52Sample

Jesus grew.

We all want to grow, but how often do we actually take steps in the right direction? Today, everyone seems to have an opinion about the best way to better ourselves and develop into the people we want to be, but what if we looked to Jesus as our ultimate example? Our theme verse, Luke 2:52, lays out a simple path to growing like Jesus.

Many would agree that teenagers and young adults are especially ripe for growth during these years. Yet the Bible interestingly only gives us one verse, to sum up, this entire season of Jesus’s life. What was Jesus doing during these years, and how was He preparing himself for a life of ministry? Luke 2:52 (NLT) tells us exactly that “Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with man.” What would happen if we focused on the same things that Jesus did?

This study will focus on the different areas in which Jesus grew by being intentional with His mind, choices, spirit, and community, but let’s stop right there for a moment. The Bible tells us that  Jesus grew. While Jesus is God, He was also man, with His human nature highlighted in this passage. How encouraging that the Son of God not only humbled Himself to face the life experiences we ourselves go through but also took steps to develop Himself. His example offers us a road map.

Jesus grew in four main areas; stature, wisdom, favor with man and favor with God. By studying each one of these through the life of Jesus and by diving into what the Bible says about them; we can start the journey of growth to become more like Jesus and ultimately the people God has called us to be in Him.