Tag: What the Bible says about maturing as a believer

Bible Verse of The Day – 9-12-24

1 Corinthians 3:1 (NKJV) 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

God wants to speak to us as spiritual people. But we may still be walking as a carnal person even after calling ourself a child of God for a very long time.

Are we still babes who can have only milk, when God wants to feed us solid food?

How do we know if we fall into this “milk babes” category?”

If we are still envious of others, fighting and causing division, we are acting as what Paul would call, “mere men”, and we need to recognize it as sinful behavior.

1 Corinthians 3:2 (NKJV) 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Here, Paul is saying we must get past this if we want to be able to go deeper with God.

Paul wanted to teach them much more, but because of where they were in their hearts, they couldn’t receive more.

We determine how much we want to learn individually; how close we want to get to God by our willingness to change in our heart.

We decide how disciplined we want to become in our walk. We determine if we are milk babies or solid food eaters.

You see, if we continue to walk in carnal ways, and not allow our heart to be taught, we will remain as babes in Christ, knowing just the basics; just getting by, and never growing.

We will continue to only be able to have “milk”, or light and easy basic teachings, just coasting as a believer.

But if we step it up in our walk and focus on trying to honor God with everything in us, pushing harder to go the extra mile, well then, we are on another level of growth.

For instance, if there is an argument, and you are the one willing to humble your heart, turn your cheek and walk away in love, putting aside all you emotions, you truly want God’s best for that situation.

God will guide us and give us the strength and discipline if we are set on seeking unity, working things out and leaving peace where we have walked.

The most important thing to remember when faced with controversy is that kindness and respect will be your best friend. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries 
49 N Lamplighters Walk 
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-25-24 – A Work in Progress

Please click to watch the video now.Greetings in the name of Jesus! 

There is a phrase that Jesus spoke in which He referred to specks and planks. 

In our new video, we also refer to that phrase as we teach about being careful not to judge others because we are all “A Work in Progress” as God teaches us and molds us. 

This is a great lesson for all of us, to remind us that not even one of us is perfect. 

We hope you enjoy it! 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

We love you all! 

Enjoy your day. 

Sincerely, 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443  

401-439-3780 

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-4-24 – Yahweh Our Redeemer

Please click to watch the video now.Greetings in the name of Jesus! 

We serve a God who is beyond our comprehension. 

He is mighty, graceful, merciful, and loving. And the closer we draw to Him, the more we understand His ways. 

We have a new video for you today; Yahweh, Our Redeemer. 

In this new video, we teach about God’s sovereignty, and how growing older and wiser impacts the way we see things and the way we understand God and His truths. 

We hope this video will give you assurance, hope, and strength. 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

We love you all and want nothing but God’s best for you! 

Sincerely in Christ, 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443  

401-439-3780 

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-3-24

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Many of us may have heard Christians state that they are just a sinner saved by grace.

Most times this is referring to the fact that we occasionally slip up and are not perfect in our walk with God.

While there may be some truth to that, this phrase fails to account for the scripture above, which states that if we are in Christ, washed by His blood, we are a NEW creation!

No, we are not expected to be perfect. God knows that we will sin.

But this is never an excuse for us to sin. It does not give us a license to willfully, freely sin and expect God to simply forgive us because of His grace and the blood of Christ.

Romans 6:15 (NKJV) 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

You see, sin does not just happen involuntarily. It comes by the choices we make.

To brush it off, sometimes jokingly, saying that we are just a sinner saved by grace, we are dangerously close to making light of what Christ did on the cross.

This is not to scold anyone. It is meant to give us a gentle nudge, a soft reminder, that we do not forget the seriousness of our commitment to Christ.

The key to this is to change the perspective with which we look at this topic.

Before Christ, we were sinners, dirty and unwashed.

After Christ, we are new creations, made clean by the washing of His blood.

We are no longer that same person.

We are each a new creation. God’s word says so!

When the blood of Jesus is applied, the old things have passed away.

His blood is better than the most powerful soap. It does not simply remove the dirt and stains, dressing us up and making us look better.

It brings us from a past life of sin and darkness into a new life in Him.

He is worthy of the effort that we must make if we wish to honor Him with our lives.

Let us walk each day as the new creations that He died to save.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 6-6-24

Acts 9:35 (NKJV) 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

These people who turned to the Lord had just witnessed a man named Aeneas be healed. To them it was a sign.

The healing of this man would bring many to Christ.

We may have no idea why many things happen, but God uses things like this for a purpose.

And that purpose is to help people see God in a way that they cannot deny it is Him. And this is the very thing that often causes us to turn to Him.

Some of us may state that we have given our heart to Jesus Christ. But have we actually turned to Him?

Have we allowed Him to help us make those necessary changes in our lives that will make a difference in our relationship with Him?

The word “turn”, used in the opening verse, means to change direction; To move so that we are in a different position.

Some Synonyms would be: change course, swing round, wheel round, veer.

Change direction or change course; two very important steps.

This is exactly what should happen to us when we have been convicted in our heart, and we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This “turn towards Him” is a must.

There has to be a change of direction in our walk. And a very noticeable one at that.

Whether it’s the words from our mouths, our habits, our thoughts, our entertainment choices, our friends and family that we spend time with. Whatever we are convicted of and we now know better, we must turn from. And doing so will cause a change of direction.

We do not want to be apart from His peace that comes when we turn to Him.

1 Peter 3:11 (NKJV) 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries 
49 N Lamplighters Walk 
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-26-24

Luke 21:19 (NKJV) 19 By your patience possess your souls.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He began warning them of some things that were to come that would signify “the end of the age”.

His first warning was that no one fall victim to the deceptive tactics of the false messiahs who would come.

He went on to tell them of numerous signs and events that would take place that would be very difficult for those who had to endure them.

There will be great earthquakes, pestilences, fearful sights, and great signs from heaven.

He then expounded on the great persecution that His followers will be subjected to during that time.

Part of this persecution involves “them laying their hands on you” and “delivering you up to synagogues and prisons”.

And “they will put some of you to death” for your faith.

Why will this happen?

Because His followers will be hated for His name’s sake.

These are not easy things to talk about or to imagine having to endure.

But Jesus was speaking truth that we must all embrace the reality of.

None of us knows if we will face these things. But we must all understand that it is a real possibility, and that we must be prepared for it should it happen.

Jesus didn’t speak of this to scare His disciples. He spoke of it to prepare them!

But after all His warnings, He reassured them that “not a hair of your head shall be lost” if they stood firm, patiently enduring and persisting in their faith.

What would they gain by their patient endurance?

Here is what 4 different translations say:

NKJV – By your patience possess your souls.

NLT – By standing firm, you will win your souls.

AMP – By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

NIV – Stand firm, and you will win life.

These 4 translations each state this truth a bit differently. But the meaning is the same. Stand firm and protect our eternal destiny.

Faith in Christ is not for the weak or the faint of heart.

It is not something we should approach flippantly or lightheartedly.

Let us all do whatever is necessary to make our calling and election sure.

2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 4-26-23

Philippians 3:10 (NKJV) 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

As I have grown and matured as a believer, this verse has become very personal for me.

As the apostle Paul penned these words, he was sharing the deepest possible expressions of His love for and dedication to his Savior, Jesus Christ.

Paul, having previously been a persecutor of “followers of The Way”, was now a Christian himself.

The zeal with which he had pursued and persecuted Christians was now being funneled into his newfound faith in Christ.

Paul was an all-or-nothing kind of person. When he did something, he did it with everything in him.

So, as He worked out his relationship with the Savior, he wanted to know Christ in every aspect. He wanted to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.

Paul didn’t just want to know the power that had raised Christ from the dead. He also wanted to know and understand the pain and struggles that Jesus had walked through to get to His ultimate goal; crucifixion and death on the cross.

Paul undoubtedly knew that his faith in Christ might eventually cost him his life. And ultimately it did.

So, this leads me to ask the question, “do we also want to know the fellowship of His sufferings?”.

Are we (you and I) willing to do whatever it takes to walk out our faith, even if it means suffering for it?

This is a question that we need to ask ourselves and give an honest answer to.

Let us seek God and the leading of the Holy Spirit on this most serious topic.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-31-22

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…

God has created and given us everything and everyone we need to thrive as the body of Christ.

Above, He listed the people who equip the body, raising her up and teaching her everything that’s needed to live a life that’s worthy of the name of Jesus and that’s strong for the kingdom of God.

These five “offices” are responsible for training up and equipping the saints of God from the moment they put their faith in Christ until they breathe their last breath here on earth.

Thinking about this reminds me of a parent raising a child, trying to strike that delicate balance between love, discipline, nurturing, exhorting, edifying, etc.

Sometimes this requires saying or teaching things that might not necessarily be popular or easy to say but are required for “proper nutrition” of those who hear.

Most of us would much rather hear something that’s joyful and uplifting vs. something that’s serious and somber.

This is akin to trying to get your children to eat their fruits and vegetables when there is a freshly prepared dessert right in from of them!

But God is faithful, and He guides each of us every day as we seek to serve Him and worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

And as we learn to “eat” those things that are harder to swallow, along with the things that are more pleasant, we will be balanced, strong and ready to answer the call when God places something in front of us that He wants us to do.

So, let’s be prepared to eat what God serves to us, whether it’s a platter of spinach, kale and broccoli or a plateful of brownies and chocolate cake (or whatever our favorite dessert might be).

We may or may not like it at that moment, but if God is serving it, we know that it’s beneficial for us.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-8-22

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

This verse is short, simple and to the point. Despite it being so short and succinct, there is much we can learn and glean from it.

And if we heed what it says, it can be life-changing for many.

Let’s look at this scripture in reverse, from the end to the beginning, so we can better understand the depth of what it says.

First, it addresses a problem that so many struggle with; fulfilling the lust of the flesh.

What exactly does that mean?

There are two pieces to this; lust, and the flesh.

Lust is most often associated with sexual desires. But it can also be used to indicate or describe a strong desire to have something that someone else has; this is also referred to as coveting.

You can have lust in your heart toward a person, indicating a sexual desire or attraction toward that person.

But you can also lust after a physical item, as in wanting it very badly.

The flesh refers to our mind and our will, not our fleshly body. It is in our mind and our will where sin is birthed, then it is carried out physically.

The scripture above tells us that if we walk in the Spirit, we won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. What does it mean to “walk in the Spirit”?

It means that we do not make our choices and decisions by our own understanding or based on our desires.

In its most basic form, walking in the Spirit means that we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in our decision making.

Walking in the Spirit indicates an ongoing growing and developing process, not just a one-time or occasional effort. It means increasing our understanding and maturing, not stagnating and remaining a spiritual infant.

It is in this growing and maturing process that we develop the strength and discernment needed to thwart temptation and the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh. And as we continue to grow and get better at this, the devil will flee, knowing that he is wasting his time.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-15-21

John 13:9 (NKJV) 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

As Jesus was spending His last hours with the disciples, He shocked them by washing their feet. This is something that only servants did during that time period.

The fact that their Master would lower Himself to wash their feet was beyond their comprehension.

What’s more, though, is that Peter flat out refused to let Jesus do so. He didn’t feel worthy to have Jesus perform such a seemingly menial task on his behalf.

When Peter refused, Jesus rebuked him, telling Peter that if he wouldn’t allow Jesus to wash his feet, then he couldn’t have any part with Him.

At that, Peter proclaimed, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”.

And so it should be with you and I.

Not that Jesus is standing in front of us offering to wash our feet, but that we would allow Jesus to “wash” our whole selves, cleansing us and making us vessels that are worthy of His name, by the power of His Spirit and through our complete submission to Him.

This is the only way we will ever fully develop our relationship with Him, allowing us to grow into mature believers who serve God wholeheartedly, shining His light brightly to bring glory and honor to Him.

Jesus, wash all of me.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 10-29-21

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NKJV) 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

There is something very important implied here for all believers to pay close attention to.

That something is our growth and maturity in Christ.

When we first put our faith in Christ, we are mere children in our relationship with Him.

But as time goes by, we need to make sure that we’re doing our part to mature and grow.

Everyone grows at different rates. This is a given. The important thing is that we do grow!

Thankfully, God is patient, and He gives us grace as we learn to crawl, then move on to walking and, ultimately, running.

Some of us might get stuck at crawling. There are usually a couple of reasons for this.

1. A lack of time and effort put into it on our part.

2. A lack of understanding.

There is a solution for both of these. Let’s take a look.

For the first problem, we need to be sure we’re disciplined enough to set aside the time needed to build and grow our relationship with God. It’s critical to growth as a believer.

If we’re not doing this, many times it’s because we haven’t taken the relationship seriously enough. The cure for that is to grasp and understand what Christ did for us on the cross, literally taking our place, dying as a substitute for you and for me.

To fix the lack of understanding, there are usually two different issues we need to look at.

The first would be making sure that we’re spending the time needed in God’s word to get that understanding. And if we’re having trouble understanding what we’re reading, it’s a great idea to get some help from someone who can help us understand it better.

Lastly, if we are already learning from someone else, but we’re still having difficulty, we may need to sit under a different teacher or organization in order to get taught in a way that helps us. This can sometimes make a major difference in how well we learn!

So, remember that we need to be growing as believers. But remember, also, that we are not on our own as we do learn and grow.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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