Throughout most of church history, conferences didn’t exist. The closest you ever got to them were various councils to which the majority of people never went. Just a bunch of bishops who apparently had long faces, halos behind their heads and two fingers strapped together that look like they want to do a v-for-victory sign but can’t be prised apart. Those same people who never went to conferences generally couldn’t read either. And that’s before we reckon with the fact that books were very much luxury items. Given that blogs have only existed for the last 20 years or so, and podcasts even less so, their significance for our growth probably can’t be understated. Given all of that, none of these things can be deemed vital.

We all have so many ideas about what we need to grow. Conferences abound – they’re good aren’t they? – and there are all the worthy books you might read, they’re surely helpful? Some people are into blogs and podcasts too. Such vital media are surely valuable, are they not?

But, honestly, no. Not ‘no’ as in, they’re not valuable. All these things might be valuable. But no, you don’t need them to grow.

Throughout most of church history, conferences didn’t exist. The closest you ever got to them were various councils to which the majority of people never went. Just a bunch of bishops who apparently had long faces, halos behind their heads and two fingers strapped together that look like they want to do a v-for-victory sign but can’t be prised apart. Those same people who never went to conferences generally couldn’t read either. And that’s before we reckon with the fact that books were very much luxury items. Given that blogs have only existed for the last 20 years or so, and podcasts even less so, their significance for our growth probably can’t be understated. Given all of that, none of these things can be deemed vital.

So, what is required for your growth? What are the things that the Lord has given to us that are needed for us to grow?

Holy Spirit

Number 1, the one thing you cannot do without, the most vital of all vital things for your spiritual growth is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without the third person of the Trinity dwelling in your heart, without his work of sanctification upon you, there will be no growth. There can be no growth. If we are discussing whatever is vital for growth, the Holy Spirit is fundamentally the one you absolutely cannot do without.

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