More Than Just Spiritual

More Than Just Spiritual
Mature - Part 1

September 7, 2025

True spiritual maturity includes growing emotionally, mentally, and relationally as well.

³⁷Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart (emotionally), all your soul (spiritually), and all your mind (mentally).’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor (relationally) as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT)

“²³So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

Relational maturity IS spiritual maturity. A lack of relational maturity demonstrates a lack of spiritual maturity.

Sometimes we use “spiritual activity” to cover up the areas of immaturity we don’t want to face.

Consequences of immaturity:

• You get stuck in broken cycles (anger, anxiety, sadness, negativity, etc) instead of finding peace and joy in Christ.
• People closest to you feel like they have to “walk on eggshells.”
• You keep making impulsive decisions that lead to regret and wasted energy.
• You miss opportunities to clearly discern God’s will because you don’t slow down to think and pray.
• When life’s storms come, the hollowness shows—unresolved anger, hidden wounds, shallow roots.
• You plateau spiritually—looking mature but not ever actually growing.

Benefits of true maturity:

• You experience peace and joy in Christ even in hard times.
• The people closest to you feel safe, loved, and valued.
• You make wise, prayerful choices that bring life and stability.
• You discern God’s direction clearly because you slow down to think, pray, and listen.
• When life’s storms come, you stand strong—whole within, rooted deep, secure in Christ.
• You keep growing more like Jesus, year after year.

The greatest benefit of true maturity is that we honor and glorify God!

“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10 (NLT)

Self Diagnostic Qs:

• Q1: Do you ever explode in anger or shut down in silence when things don’t go your way?
• Q2: Do you ever make quick decisions you regret because you didn’t slow down to think or pray?
• Q3: Do you ever say “yes” to people just to avoid disappointing them?
• Q4: Do you ever avoid hard conversations but then vent about the person behind their back?
• Q5: Do you ever measure maturity by how much Bible knowledge or church activity you have, even though many of your relationships are fractured?
• Q6: Do you ever look polished at church, but the people who know you best would tell a different story?

“¹³… Come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. ¹⁴Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. ¹⁵Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:13-16 (NLT)

The Hurt Behind Immaturity:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): abuse, neglect, household dysfunction.
• Broken family dynamics: divorce, abandonment, favoritism, absent parents.
• Trauma: loss of a loved one, violence, bullying, betrayal.
• Toxic role models: growing up under immature, controlling, or hypocritical authority figures.
• Church hurt/spiritual abuse: leaders using power instead of serving in love.
• Unmet emotional needs: not being taught how to handle feelings or resolve conflict.

The Broken Habits Behind Immaturity:

• Avoidance: refusing to face pain, pretending everything’s fine.
• Busyness/distraction: filling life with noise (overworking, overscheduling, scrolling, etc) so we never deal with what’s beneath the surface.
• Pride: assuming “I’m fine” and resisting correction or feedback.
• Shallow spirituality: substituting religious activity for true transformation.
• Unforgiveness: holding on to bitterness and resentment.
• Isolation: pulling away from community where growth and accountability could happen.
• Compromise: excusing sin patterns instead of confronting them with God’s help.

Is there hope?

Absolutely! His name is Jesus!

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

“The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

True spiritual maturity includes growing emotionally, mentally and relationally as well.

thebayouchurch.org/resources

Would you let Jesus into every area of your life?

---

If you want a more interactive experience on mobile and to save the outline to your files, download our app via the App Store or Google Play.