Why Growth Is a God Thing You Should Engage

What is growing in God? What does it mean to grow in God? “The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 3 that God is our partner in growth. That means only one thing: growth is a God idea. Consider it like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. At first, it seems insignificant, but then it undergoes a remarkable transformation, reaching new heights! This change isn’t easy. The caterpillar struggles to break free within its cocoon. If someone intervened too soon, it wouldn’t develop the strength to fly. Our journey with God is similar; we might begin humbly, like a caterpillar, but through faith and patience, we can become vibrant beings, soaring on the wings of His purpose! When you connect with God, growth happens. It’s a wonderfully encouraging prospect for believers. Don’t you think? In today’s podcast, we’ll explore our growth in God, focusing on Why Growth Is a God Thing You Should Engage, all on this week’s Light On Life.”

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:

Growth doesn’t happen by accident — it’s the result of daily decisions to trust and obey God’s Word.

This week, partner with God in one specific area where you’ve been struggling to grow. Maybe it’s patience, consistency in prayer, or forgiving someone who’s hurt you.

Write it down. Pray over it. Watch how the Holy Spirit helps you break through and blossom.

🌿 Remember: Even small steps forward are signs of great growth when God is in them.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: What truth stood out to you most in today’s episode? Did God show you an area where He’s calling you to grow? Take a moment to share your thoughts or testimony below. Your words could be the encouragement someone else needs to keep going.

🕊️ Remember: Growth in God isn’t a solo journey — we build one another up when we share what He’s doing in our lives.

Please leave your comments in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

You can find the Light On Life on the following platforms. Just click the logo!

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Podcast Notes

Well, welcome again.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for your brilliant plan of growing in you that involves us being molded into the image of Jesus. Thank you for giving us your Word to renew our souls, make our spirits strong, and heal our bodies. We love this journey that includes advancing into mature sons and daughters. We give you all the praise for these things, Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Growing in God: Defining Growth

1 Corinthians 3:3–7 (ESV) — 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

As you read this passage, does the word ‘growth’ jump out at you?
In fact, as you read the book of First Corinthians up to this point, we could ask the same question, does the word growth reach out and grab your attention?
It should.
Look for the concept as you read the first couple of chapters and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
We’re looking at the definition of the Greek word for growth.
What does it mean?

The Greek word for growth means to cause something to increase.[1]

Rick Renner says that the form of the Greek word Paul uses to write this passage denotes something that is amplified, augmented, enlarged, or enhanced.
It carries the idea of something that escalates and multiplies.
It clearly means that even though one plants and another waters, it is God who causes the vision to blossom, to become larger, and to grow strong and healthy.[2]

Growing in God: Who Is Responsible?

God is all about growth — He is all about expansion.
And, that’s the first thing that we should note in this passage.
I mean who is the party responsible for causing growth?
Paul gives us that answer in verse six when he says, “I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the growth.
So, God is the responsible party, right?
Yes, and Amen.
The buck stops with Him.
However, you must understand that God uses people to reach people in the Kingdom.
Genuine Kingdom growth is ultimately a God-thing.
But isn’t that the way it is in all areas?
Everything sources back to God.
Did you receive an answer to prayer?
That’s great news!
Did you exercise faith in God Mark 11:23 and 24 style?
Did you speak to a mountain in your life and did that thing depart from you?
Wasn’t that a source of joy to be delivered from the thing that bugged you?
You might think to yourself, ‘Wow, I believed God successfully.’
He answered my prayer.
There might be a bit of pride that rises as you thing on your supposed achievement.
But, whose faith was it you used to believe with?
How did you gain it?

Romans 10:17 (ESV) — 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

You see, we have no room to boast in our ability to receive answers to prayer because the faith you used to call on the Name of the Lord came from God.
He is the source.
The Word that fell from His lips was the source.

Growth Is Not Self-Effort

So, growth is not a self-effort thing.
But it’s also not solely up to God.
Notice that God had help in building the Kingdom in Paul’s day.
‘I planted,’ Paul said, ‘Apollos watered’ is the record.
I said God had help.
Does that surprise you?
Picture God hosting a cookout.
He invites us to bring our favorite dish.
Some might bring a salad, while others contribute burgers or dessert.
It’s not the individual contribution that makes the feast a success — it’s the joint contribution.
The fun is in togetherness.
God asks us to use our talents for personal or Kingdom growth, bringing joy and building His Kingdom!
Just like Ecclesiastes 4:9 says:

Ecclesiastes 4:9 (ESV) — 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

Together, we experience the joy of collaboration!
There’s a together part — there is a ‘you’ part to growth.
Jesus pointed His finger at this very thing.

Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV) — 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

There were three components to Jesus ministry: teaching, preaching, and healing.
But at the end of it all, these three components, as powerful as they were, weren’t enough.
A fourth component needed to come into play.
Jesus introduces that fourth necessity here.
He said, ‘Pray for laborers to enter the harvest.’

Growing in God: He Needs You

What is Jesus alluding to here?
In one sense, He is saying God needs help — your help.
Your help comes in obeying Him — in answering the call of the Great Commission.
Go into all the world and make disciples.
The Lord won’t reach the world alone.
Rather, we should say, He has chosen to not do it alone.
God has included you in His great growth plan.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
Won’t you become a planter?
Won’t you allow God to use you?
Paul, writing his third letter to the Corinthians, said.

2 Corinthians 6:1 (ESV) — 1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Working together with Him.
The words ‘working together with’ is one word in the Greek and it’s another word that we should clue into.
The word means to to engage in cooperative endeavor.
Sometimes is’s translated as you see it here in the ESV, working together with.
Other translators render it as assist or help.[3]
This thing about getting saved and helping others to get saved is a cooperative endeavor.
Ministry to others — serving others — helping people to experience soaring growth is just as we the Word declares it — a cooperative endeavor.
We get a chance to jump in and help put a ‘happy smile’ on the faces of angels.
Everybody can get in on this — there are no unused Jesus’ followers.
He needs you — He wants you.
Get this! God reaches people with people.
We are workers together with Him.

Working Together, an Illustration

And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

The story is told of a horse-pull in Canada. One horse pulled 9,000 pounds; another, 8,000. Together, you would expect them to pull 17,000 pounds. [You know you just add up the numbers.] But that’s not how it works. When teamed together, these two horses pulled 30,000 pounds. So the effect of the horses pulling together is not addition; it’s multiplication. This principle of multiplication has a fancier name. How about synergism? That’s fancy. Synergism, by definition, is when different agents work together producing a combined effect that’s greater than the total of their individual effects. People can achieve more together as a team than they can working alone. Any significant building in the Kingdom takes teamwork. Every person in the local church is valuable and needed. That’s a Bible fact.[4]

When you connect with God, growth happens. It’s a wonderfully encouraging prospect for believers. Don’t you think?

🌱 Growth Requires Partnership

God doesn’t call you to grow alone. Every step forward is a joint effort—you plant, He brings the increase. When you lean into His wisdom and timing, you’ll discover strength you never knew you had.

👉 Reflection: What’s one area where you’ve been trying to grow by your own effort? Pause today and invite the Lord to be your partner in that process.

In today’s podcast, we’ll explore our growth in God, focusing on Why Growth Is a God Thing You Should Engage, all on this week’s Light On Life.

Growing in God: Pray for Laborers

Now, getting back to the fourth component that Jesus pointed out.
Pray for laborers to enter the harvest.
Jesus followers need to pray for planters.
The Body of Christ needs to pray for those who water what’s been planted.
One plants, one waters and God gets to moving.
Or as Mark says it.

Mark 16:20 (ESV) — 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Now, just know that the Lord worked with them and He will work with you!
So on its own, Jesus’ fabulous ministry wasn’t enough.
Concerning the miracles that took place, John said.

John 21:25 (ESV) — 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

There were so many miracles that took place in Jesus’ ministry that there wasn’t enough paper to write it all down!
Pray for laborers.
That’s one way you can get involved with growth.
Well, ‘I thought you were going to talk about me growing?’
Your growth is Kingdom growth.

Growing in God: Jesus the Cornerstone

You see, it wasn’t God’s plan for Jesus ministry to be the end-all for building the Kingdom.
No, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was to be the cornerstone of the foundation.
That was the plan.

Ephesians 2:19–21 (ESV) — 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

The function of a cornerstone was to hold the walls of a building together at the point that they intersect.
Without a proper cornerstone, the walls would eventually tumble under the pressure of wind and shifting soil.
Jesus is the cornerstone.
He holds everything together.
The gospel will never fail.
God’s Church will never go under.
The Word will never cease because Jesus is the cornerstone.
Do you know how many times it mentions Jesus as the cornerstone in scripture?
Try nine passages: Psalm 118:22–23, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10–11, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:7–8, Ephesians 2:20, Isaiah 28:16, and Romans 9:33.
This passages relate this singular fact: ‘the stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner – or the cornerstone.
The stone that the builders rejected — you see the religious leaders didn’t think Jesus was good enough.
They didn’t think He was righteous enough.
But God the Father took what was rejected by man and made Him, Jesus, the Lord head general of the Church.
Jesus is the cornerstone.

Growing in God: It’s God Not Self-Effort

So, if you want to get the gospel out on every available channel, then prayer must be one avenue.

If you want to grow, and you do, it’s in your heart to grow, talk to God.
Then, allow God to talk to you.
Engage His Word.
Follow God’s Spirit.
I promise you, you will grow.
You know spiritual growth is not about self-effort any more than salvation is self-effort.
The self-help industry in our day is enormous.
We’re talking about 45 billion dollars in sales in 2024.
Approximately 85% of U.S. adults read at least one self-help book annually with the average American $38,000 on these kinds of books and courses in their lifetime!¹
The Christian self-help industry sits at $800 million in sales.
The Christian diet industry, which blends health, dieting, and Christian themes—generates annual revenues exceeding $1 billion smackers.
Now I am not down on getting materials to help improve productivity, to help you think in channels of establishing good habits.
These are good things — but they are not good things on their own.
We work together with God.
I mean ask yourself after all this expenditure, are we anymore spiritual?
Reading a self-help book can provide a short-term motivational boost or sense of control.
However, without continued effort, these benefits often fade — a phenomenon sometimes called the “self-help high.”
You see that’s what happens with people, they start and stop.
Without a sense of Kingdom — without a sense of purpose, we falter.
We’re up and down.
Man, I know something about up, and down.
Here’s the bottom line: real, sustainable, soaring growth is a God thing.
He gives the increase.

Soaring Growth in God Quote of the Day

And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

The Apostle Paul talked about the carnal Christians of Corinth, and he labored and prayed and wept over the carnality of those Christians. This describes most evangelicals today: carnal, immature, without miracles, without wonders, lacking a wonderful sense of the presence of the Lord, held together by social activities and nothing else. [6]

This quote is from a book entitled Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church.
Carnal, immature, without miracles, without wonders, lacking a wonderful sense of the Presence of the Lord, held together by social activities and nothing else and bolstered by the self-help industry — what do you think?
Does this describe us today?

Soaring Growth Bible Verses

Everything in God’s economy is designed to experience growth.
Now, listen to these verses on the subject.

Matthew 6:28 (ESV) — 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

God designed lilies to grow, — that means they increase.

Mark 4:8 (ESV) — 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

Seeds experience growth — that means they increase.

Luke 2:40 (ESV) — 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Children grow — that means they increase.
The child in this verse is Jesus — Jesus increased.
That means He wasn’t born perfect with everything that He would become.
He came onto the earth the same way you and I did, as a baby.
We need to get that.
If Jesus increased, then it would be a small thing to realize that we need to grow as well.

John 3:30 (ESV) — 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Ministries, at certain points in the plan of God, are to increase.
John 3:30 speaks of Jesus’ ministry increasing, replacing that of John the Baptist.
You see, the Kingdom of God is progressing along a growth path.
It continually expands, and nothing can stop it.
The Second Coming of Jesus is the pinnacle of this expansion.

More Soaring Growth Bible Verses

The book of Acts is the next place we want to go

Acts 6:7 (ESV) — 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

So, flowers grow, seeds grow, children grow, ministries grow, now add to that the Word of God in the hearts of men.

Ephesians 4:15 (ESV) — 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…

Growing up in Him in every way results from speaking the truth of the Word of God in love.
Jesus’ people are to grow in love.
That means we are to get better at loving people, First Corinthians thirteen four through eight style.
Notice the words ‘in every way.’
Receiving the truth of the Word allows a corresponding increase in our lives in every way — that is, in every area.
Jesus’ followers are to grow up.
We say that to our children, but God says the same to you: “Will you please just grow up?”

Soaring and Growing in Grace and Knowledge

Second Peter 3:18 pinpoints some areas of increase.

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) — 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The grammar here conveys continuous or ongoing action.
Translated with the grammar, it sounds like this: “Keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and keep doing this, making it your habit.”
So there’s no wiggle room here.
We must grow — this is not a ‘feel good’ suggestion.
Recently, I was in Scotland visiting my daughter, and we were talking about the subject of growth.

Sharon and I visited our daughter in Scotland, and she took us to the Leighton Library, an ancient library in Dunblane. It was like stepping into book heaven. Robert Leighton, the 17th-century Bishop of Dunblane, was a devout Christian who left money to build a library for his 4,500 volumes. The library helped the clergy of the Dunblane diocese. Inside, I found a volume on 2 Peter by Thomas Adams, who lived from 1612 to 1653. This commentary was Charles Spurgeon’s favorite on Second Peter. It contained 115 pages on growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ—115 dense pages on 2 Peter 3:18! The volunteer let me handle the book, and I read the first page right there. It was amazing. I was totally stoked!

One-hundred-fifteen pages on growth — it was marvelous!

Everything Points Toward Soaring Growth

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) — 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.

Understanding salvation and what happened to us the day we were born again and became new creations in Christ is the starting point for growth.
Now, I have said for years that ‘everything in God grows.’
I can see that needs to be qualified a bit.
There are things that God made outside of Planet Earth that are not designed to grow.

Angels and Soaring Growth

For example angels, God created them in a ready state.
In a ready state means there is a set number of them.
They do not propagate.
Now, that set number is innumerable.

Revelation 5:11 (ESV) — 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

God created a company of angels that no man can number.
The Greek word ‘myriads’ means shows a very large but indefinite number.
God created the angels that way, but not man.
He didn’t make a myriad of men.
God created only two, Adam and Eve.
Through the increase of those two, the population of mankind experienced numerical growth.
The angels tried to procreate by coming into the daughters of men in Genesis six.
Because they did, God locked those miscreants up in hell.

Jude 6 (ESV) — 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.

Stars and Soaring Growth

The stars in the sky are yet another example of creation not intended for multiplication.
But they have a plan in God’s growth universe.
They are there as markers of growth.
The stars are a growth bullseye for man.

Exodus 32:13 (ESV) — 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”

In the Thomas Adams commentary that I mentioned reading in Scotland, he said.

The stars are at their highest, the angels are at their happiest; they cannot grow more bright or glorious.²

Having a Plan for Soaring Growth

So, instead of saying everything in God grows, we could say everything in God’s ecosystem involves growth.
God is all about forward movement.
He is all about increase.
So, in your life, have a plan for increase.

Feeling swamped by the constant flow of news and social media? Consider setting aside daily time to disconnect from screens and dive into scripture. Like we’re doing in this podcast, pick a book of the Bible and read it completely. Think about how it relates to what’s happening in your world. Then, write your reflections down on how you can stay hopeful and engaged in your daily life, guided by biblical principles. This practice can bring clarity, peace, and a fresh outlook on how you interact with the world.

Increase is part of your destiny.
Jesus’ followers should press toward the mark of growth.
Accept the fact that you’re wired to grow right up to the end of your life.
Even stepping over to the other side is a growth step.

2 Corinthians 5:1–3 (ESV) — 1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.

You see, there is a glorified body in your future.
That’s increase.
So, growth is part of your eternal nature.
We’ve got a great deal more to talk about in this area of growth.
We started by looking at five verses; First Corinthians 3:3–7.
That’s five verses.
Paul continues though for another eight verses talking about this same subject of growth and building Kingdom.
So, we’ll pick this up next week.

Now, Father God, thank you for Jesus. We love this subject of growing in you. Thank you for feeding us your Word to that end, so we can grow, so we can develop. I give you all the praise and glory for it in Jesus’, mighty Name Amen.

Why Growth Is a God Thing You Should Engage.
You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

🌾 Take the Next Step in Growth

Every seed of truth grows when you nurture it. Don’t let today’s lesson fade—put it into practice this week. Pray, and apply what God spoke to your heart.

References

[Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 600.]. ↩︎
[Rick Renner – 1491 Sparkling Gems Vol 2]
[William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 969]. ↩︎
[Adapted, AMG Bible Illustrations, Bible Illustrations Series (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000).]. ↩︎
[https://gitnux.org/self-help-industry-statistics/]. ↩︎
[Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 89.]. ↩︎
[Thomas Adams, An Exposition upon the Second Epistle General of St. Peter, ed. James Sherman (Edinburgh; London: James Nichol; James Nisbet & Co., 1862), 815.].↩︎

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Why Growth Is a God Thing You Should Engage

Podcast: Light on Life Season Twelve Episode Thirty-Six

by Emery Horvath

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