The Effective Christian Life - 2 Peter 1:8

What are you willing to do to become an effective, productive Christian?  Will you go to school?  Will you take training classes on how to serve the Lord?  Will you, as some have done, spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on a spiritual "coach" who will help you see the mistakes you make and corrections to take?  School is good, training is important, and having someone to "coach" you has some value.  But, did you know that God has already given you what you need to become an effective Christian?  God wants you to be effective and productive – but remember that His view of effectiveness is not from a worldly, pragmatic understanding.  God's view of effectiveness is built on one thing – your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Today, we're going to take a look at four important dynamics for an effective Christian life.  Let me encourage you to read 2 Peter, chapter one.

First - Character Counts
At a conference in Spokane, WA--several years ago--Pastor and author, Henry Blackaby, said this: "You can have a Ph.D. in skills, but your character will ruin you."  Ultimately it will be the quality of your character that will open the doors of effective Christian living.   Like the punctuation of your life, your character will either leave an exclamation point or a question mark on your faith.

Second - Growth is Imperative
If you're not growing... your dead.  Truly, the Christian faith is not a static experience that has a limit to growth.  Psalm 84 says that the faithful will go from "strength to strength."  But for how long?  "Until each appear before God in Zion."  That is - you are meant to be in a growth mode until the day you stand on the streets of Heaven itself.  Remember - it is the stagnant pool that becomes septic and unfit for use.

Third - Results Matter
 This may surprise some people, but God wants His church to be productive.  However, God does not measure results by worldly standards.  God does not have a quota as if He is some supreme foreman demanding that the production line get into gear!  God's sights are set on your faithfulness - that is what He is after.  And, if you add the qualities of character to your faith, then you will become productive.

Fourth - Have the Right Information
Your effectiveness hinges on your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Like having a road map of Berlin won't help you navigate the highways of Los Angeles, so having the wrong knowledge of Jesus Christ will devastate your effectiveness.

When your life takes on the quality of Christ, you will discover that you are becoming effective in your faith.  Jesus called us to follow Him - and in so doing, He promised to transform us to become fishers of men - that is, effective and productive.

Be blessed!