What would happen if you grew beyond belief this year — spiritually?

The Moso Bamboo grows underground for five years before it shoots up nearly ninety feet in six weeks. That kind of growth wasn't created in six weeks. It was prepared over five years. And spiritual growth works the same way — it often begins where nobody can see it.

David D. Ireland, Ph.D. | Lead Pastor | Christ Church

In this message drawn from 2 Peter 1 — the final written words of the Apostle Peter before his martyrdom — we ask three questions that every believer must honestly face:

• Are you still GROWING? — God has already given you everything you need for life and godliness. Spiritual growth is not optional enhancement. It is the expected outcome of divine enablement. The real question is: are you cooperating with it?

• What's holding YOU BACK? — Peter identifies 7 qualities every believer must intentionally develop: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Neglect them and you become spiritually nearsighted, ineffective, and blind.

• Who could you BECOME? — Spiritual growth is not about becoming someone else. It is about becoming who God always intended you to be — someone who increasingly reflects the character, wisdom, and love of Christ.

We also explore the transformation stories of Grammy-winning artist Lecrae, WWII survivor and Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, and British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge — three men whose lives prove that real spiritual growth is not about perfection, but continual surrender and perseverance.

Key scriptures: 2 Peter 1:3–11 | Hebrews 12:1