DSMN 815
Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
Personal Spiritual Growth Plan
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Ministry
Department of Christian Leadership and Church Ministries
by
Todd Bush
Lynchburg, Virginia
February 2022
Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Spiritual Disciplines as a Means of Godliness.............................................................................2
Assessment Results.........................................................................................................................3
Customized Growth Plan..............................................................................................................4
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................6
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................7
ii
Introduction
Spiritual Discipline is an essential principle in a believer's life. As a Christ-follower, it is
necessary that you believe and follow Him. Putman explains, "A disciple knows and follows
Christ . . . a disciple is being changed by Christ; and . . . a disciple is committed to the mission of
Christ."1 We must consistently consume this daily bread to grow in our walk with Christ.
Following Christ, we allow the Holy Spirit to influence us and change us. We are changed from
what we were to what God would have us be. The distinction made by Christ transforms our
hearts, minds, and souls to overflowing with the Spirit of God.
As we mature in Christ, we will become closer to Christ. As believers, we conform to the
image of Christ. We demonstrate Christ-centeredness in all that we do and speak. According to
Mark 22:37-40, Jesus referred to love when he spoke to his disciples, "Jesus said unto him, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”2 We display the
presence of Christ in our lives by loving God and our neighbors.
It is only through removing ourselves and allowing Christ to fill us that humility and love
are displayed. Consequently, we sacrifice ourselves to others and lose all sense of pride. It is
written in Ephesians 1:13, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise." A gift of holy living comes from one's willingness to offer oneself to God.
Even under challenging circumstances, you will experience joy when you encounter God. We
must remain faithful to our faith and believe in who God is in our lives and will always be.
In short, He is the God of all, the Lord of all, and the King of all. The purpose of this
paper is to evaluate a believer's spirituality by considering the above marks/characteristics that
define a disciple's life. As a result of this paper, a personal growth plan based on biblical
principles will show how to help develop the spiritual disciplines that will allow for consistent
growth and maturity in Christ.
1 Jim Putman, et al. Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples,
(Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group, 2010), 1k.
2
All referenced Scripture, unless otherwise noted, is from the King James Version.
Spiritual Disciplines as a Means of Godliness
According to Whitney, “Spiritual Disciplines . . . are those practices found in Scripture
that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the habits
of devotion and experiential Christianity . . .”3 McCraw states, “As Christians, one of our
greatest needs is for the Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness in us in order to put the
beauty of Christ on display through us, all to the glory of the triune God.”4 Our goal as disciples
during the spiritual discipline process is to walk in Christlikeness and godliness. The spiritual
disciplines are to aid us in this pursuit.
Whitney comments, ". . . define godliness as both closeness to Christ and conformity to
Christ, a conformity that’s both inward and outward, a growing conformity to both the heart of
Christ and the life of Christ.”5 It is a spiritual discipline that believers use to achieve godliness,
the goal they are striving to obtain. To walk like a person desirous of godliness, one must do the
things that God has given through Jesus Christ. As believers, we are to practice spiritual
disciplines in a spirit of unity and individuality. In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul instructs believers on
disciplining themselves for godliness.
Our aim must be to consistently exert our mind, body, and spirit towards becoming more
Christ-like. To conform to the image of Christ, a daily discipline of spiritual activities is crucial.
Prayer, fasting, meditation, studying, and journaling are options to practice our profession. To
accomplish such disciplines, both individual and collective effort is required. As Whitney notes,
"Godliness comes through discipline."6
It is through spiritual discipline that we become godly. Whitney also states, “Godliness—
being like Jesus—is the purpose, but the God-given path to that purpose is through certain
activities found in Scripture known as the Spiritual Disciplines. . . practices we are to do
sometimes that cultivate generally being like Jesus all the time.”7
3 Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing
Group, 2014), 13.
4
Ryan M. McGraw and Ryan Speck, Is Church Membership Biblical?: Cultivating Biblical Godliness
Series, (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2015), 3.
5
Ibid., 13.
6
Ibid., 14.
7 Ibid., 6.
2
Assessment Results
A group of Christians who attend the same church were asked to complete an assessment
questionnaire. In the assessment, the following topics were examined: marks/characteristics of a
disciple: holiness, faith, humility, love, and joy. They completed the evaluation to determine each
individual's level of conformity to Christlikeness. All participants were given instructions to pray
and be led to answer honestly and truthfully. A comprehensive evaluation provides a way to
refine an action plan to strengthen each aspect of the person's character and pursuit of godliness
to grow in godliness.
In this assessment, five individuals participated. One Caucasian, two Hispanics, and two
African Americans. These individuals were of varying educational levels, ranging in ages from
25-38. They were all residents of Atlanta and members of the same church. The following table
shows the average score for each mark/characteristic:
Summary of Marks: Average Total from Assessments
Mark 1: Holiness 3.2
Mark 2: Faith 3.2
Mark 3: Humility 3.5
Mark 4: Love 4.4
Mark 5: Joy 3.9
In reviewing each mark, it is seen that there is room for growth on both the individual and
group levels. The strongest category represented by the group is love, and the weakest type is
between faith and holiness, both of which can be improved. This summary may help to reveal
areas where improvement is needed. Accordingly, a custom growth plan will be developed based
on scriptural principles and practices.
Customized Growth Plan
It is crucial to have patience, commitment, focus, and spiritual discipline for growth to
occur. Every believer seeking spiritual growth and maturity can benefit from God's word. 2
3
Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” Swindoll states, “What you
believe about the Bible influences everything you believe and affects every decision you make.”8
Therefore, it is essential to read the Bible in the early stages of spiritual development.
As one's ability to understand increases with the accumulation of knowledge, one begins
to live their life in the image of Christ. To follow Christ's example is to know and follow his
words fully, will, and way. A person who desires to achieve this position must seek out Christ to
discover the meaning of their life. The ability to accomplish this results from self-discipline and
sacrificing one's own will for God's will. Swallow writes about Paul's exhortation in 2 Timothy
3:16-17:
““Teaching,” didaskalia . . . is a crucial element in growth toward maturity. . . “Reproof,”
elegmos . . . convinces us to behave differently by rebuking us . . . “Correction,” epanorthōsis . . .
builds upon reproof. It means “restoration” or “reformation.” . . . “Training,” paideia . . . takes
the soul-transformation process even further. The Greek term, from which we derive the English
word “pedagogy,” is based on the idea of guiding a child to adulthood.”9
Our purpose is to prepare ourselves for the daily consumption of God's word. Embodying
and following the mindset of a child is to desire and requires milk for growth in Christian virtues.
Our lives will be greatly enriched if we reside in Christ and if Christ dwells within us. This
process aims to propel one to the level of godliness that Christ desires. Also, one would be freed
from the shackles of habit that tend to impede spiritual growth. This is what Martin says:
“True disciples faithfully receive Jesus’ word, embrace it, and allow it to transform their
lives . . . Those who do so will know the truth: to receive Jesus’ revelatory word is to
know the truth because Jesus, as God’s Word, is himself the truth . . . Those who receive
the truth revealed by Jesus and let it take root and mature in them will be set free.”10
8 Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers,
2014), 240.
9
Ibid., 241.
10
Francis Martin and William M. Iv Wright, The Gospel of John (Catholic Commentary on Sacred
Scripture), (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015), 161.
4
Therefore, it is critical that all believers know and read God's word, meditate upon and
listen to it consistently as they strive to attain godliness. Believers can grow spiritually by
incorporating spiritual disciplines into their daily lives.
Those without spiritual discipline must know who Christ is and what he has done and
continues to do for all humankind.
Only through Christ can we know the true and living God of all people. In pursuing
godliness, one will experience joy when they realize this truth and comprehend Christ and His
works. As such, one should strive to obtain godliness and to be transformed into the likeness of
Christ. Therefore, a person must strive to keep focused every day, and for that reason, a plan is
necessary to guide and direct him in achieving the goal of godliness.
To become more godly, an individual would benefit from developing a customized
growth plan:
1. Set aside a time that is solely for God. God considers time to be a vital element.
According to McKinney, "To grow in intimacy with God, we must make time to be with him
regularly."11 Schedule daily reading and prayer times. Ensure that time is set aside consistently
for God's word to be received. Establish a routine time of day to provide God's word regularly
and without interruption. Spending time in prayer will contribute to a closer relationship with
God.
2. Always pray to God for clarity and guidance before reading. McKinney stated, "Prayer
is talking to God. It's a conversation. There's no need for big words and long prayers. Just be
yourself and talk with him as you would talk with the person you love the most on this earth."12
Take time to reflect and study the Bible. McKinney also says, “Study and meditation are a
conversation with God.”13
11 Phil McKinney, II, D2: Becoming a Devoted Follower of Christ, (Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers,
2019), 71.
12
Ibid., 71.
13
Ibid., 71.
5
3. As a result of routinely consuming and memorizing Scripture, we are constantly
reminded of the goodness of God and how he provides for us and takes care of us. The scriptures
help us develop a spiritual outlook during the trials and triumphs of life. In all things, Scripture
provides guidance and direction for one's walking away from sin and following Christ. Matthew
6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you."
Conclusion
The Bible is an essential part of all believers' time with God. Prayer is a necessary aspect
of faith. God's word commands that we practice spiritual discipline. Paul writes about discipline
in Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." Swindoll writes:
“Praying without ceasing means we don’t give up in prayer. We turn to prayer not as our
last alternative when all else fails, but as our first line of defense. When worries and fears
attack, we pray. When pain and suffering intrude, we pray. Whether we think we know
just what to do or have no idea what to do, we pray.”14
We must constantly be in communion with God to grow spiritually in our lives as
believers. We must pray to obtain the provisions necessary for our discipleship journey as we
work toward fulfilling those disciplines. Among them are holiness, faith, humility, love, and joy,
acquired through prayer and a sincere desire to seek God. Prayer is our confidence in God's
faithfulness and truthfulness. To achieve spiritual disciplines, we must strive to become like
Christ.
As we follow the will and Word of Christ, we must give ourselves entirely to Him.
Following the purpose of godliness requires a sacrifice. It is crucial that we submit to God in
humility, love and serve our neighbors, believe in God, and live according to His holiness.
14 Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers,
2016), 97.
6
Bibliography
Martin, Francis, and William M. IV Wright. The Gospel of John, Catholic Commentary on
Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, (2015).
McGraw, Ryan M., and Ryan Speck. Is Church Membership Biblical?: Cultivating Biblical
Godliness Series. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, (2015).
McKinney, II, Phil. D2: Becoming a Devoted Follower of Christ. Abilene, TX: Leafwood
Publishers, (2019).
Putman, Jim, Bill Krause, Avery Willis, and Brandon Guindon. Real-Life Discipleship Training
Manual: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples. Colorado Springs: NavPress
Publishing Group, (2010).
Swindoll, Charles R. Insights on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, (2016).
Swindoll, Charles R. Insights on 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, (2014).
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs: NavPress
Publishing Group, (2014).
7
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