A Thought About Growing Together

Tonia Talks Now
41 minutes ago
4 min read

Here Are My Notes From Church Service Yesterday — And

Before I dive in, I want to share a quick note from my heart.

My faith is Christ-centered. That is the foundation of who I am and how I live my life. However, this message is not intended to offend anyone who may not share that same belief. My hope is that no matter where you are in your journey, you can still find nuggets within this message that will challenge you, grow you, and strengthen your spirit.

Growth is for everyone.

Yesterday wasn’t just church for me.

It was a full day of being poured into.

I started my morning at Lifepoint Church for the 8:30 AM service.

Then I went to breakfast.

Then I went right back into service again at Riverside Church of God for the 10:30 AM service.

And honestly… why not?

This feeds directly into what I believe:

👉 We are one body.

👉 Church is not a building—it’s a body of people gathering for fellowship.

So why limit what you receive when God is moving in multiple places?

That question led me to another thought…

🙏 What if all of your friends sent you their notes from church, and you sent them yours?

🙏 What if we all shared what we received in service and allowed each other to gain wisdom from one another’s church attendance?

That sounds exciting to me.

Because if we are all striving toward heaven and will one day be in the same place, why would we not celebrate what God is doing in each other’s churches right now? Why would we not grow from what someone else heard, learned, and received?

What is the point of going to church if you are not gaining wisdom? And if you are gaining wisdom… why not share it so others can grow too?

Too Many Voices, Too Many Choices

I was told years ago: “Too many voices, too many choices.”

And I understand part of that.

Yes—conflicting voices can create confusion.

But the way it was presented was that you should only attend one church, follow one voice, and seek counsel from only that leadership.

I don’t believe that creates a well-rounded approach to learning.

That would be like going to college and taking only one class from one professor for every subject.

One professor doesn’t know everything.

But there is one source that does.

👉 The Bible.📖

It is the only book that has stood the test of time in every way.

So yes—we must know God for ourselves:

Through prayer
Through meditation
Through reading His Word

But we can also grow by hearing the wisdom others have gained… and then discerning what is true, what is biblical, and what is for us.

That takes maturity.

That takes discernment.

That takes staying rooted in truth.

Lifepoint Church (8:30 AM Service)

Sermon Notes: The Journey – Mentorship & Spiritual Formation

Opening & Celebration

Celebration of what God is doing across locations

Over 319 water baptisms last week → lives changed
The church is alive and growing; Louisville just started a third service!

Series Theme: “The Journey”

Core Question:

What’s next?

The Christian life is about movement
It’s not a one-time decision → it’s a lifestyle
Every believer is called to take the next step

Spiritual Formation

The ongoing process of becoming who God intended you to be

Ongoing
Imperfect
Requires movement

👉 You were never meant to arrive

Main Teaching: Everyone Needs a Mentor

A mentor is someone whose hindsight becomes your foresight

Key Truth:

👉 Growth happens in relationships

You Need:

Someone ahead of you (mentor)
Someone behind you (mentee)

How to Be a Good Mentee

Define where you need wisdom
Make a small, time-bound ask
Come prepared
Ask, listen, take notes
Apply what you learn

👉 Information without application = no transformation

How to Be a Mentor

Love people
Pray for them
Believe in them
Challenge them
Encourage them

Growth Flow

Receive
Apply
Pour out

👉 If you only receive, you stagnate

Then I Went to Riverside…

And what’s powerful is how the second message built on the first.

The first service talked about growth through mentorship.

The second service talked about what happens when growth slows down—spiritual drought.

Riverside Church of God (10:30 AM Service)

Sermon Notes: FED, FILLED, FUELED; Spiritual Drought & Renewal

1. Recognizing a Spiritual Drought

Signs:

Feeling distant from God
Bible feels flat
Avoiding fellowship
Making excuses
God feels distant

👉 Truth: Everyone experiences this

2. Purpose in the Drought

Weak moments don’t define you
They refine you

👉 God uses drought to strengthen you

3. Foundation Scripture

Isaiah 40:28–31

God never grows weary
He strengthens the weak

👉 Promise: You will renew your strength

4. What We Forget in a Drought

Who God is
That He never leaves
That He is constant

5. The Comeback Mindset

This is not your final condition
God is not finished with you

6. The Prescription: Stay

FED (The Word)

The Word sustains and strengthens
Church alone is not enough

FILLED (The Spirit)

What fills you controls you

FUELED (Prayer)

Be intentional and consistent

7. Discipline Reality Check

You cannot:

Skip prayer
Skip the Word
Skip fellowship

…and expect to stay strong

8. Final Truth

Drought is normal
Staying there is optional

👉 Renewal comes through:

The Word
The Spirit
Prayer

What Ties It All Together

Here’s what hit me…

The first message said:

👉 You need people to grow

The second message said:

👉 You need discipline to stay strong

Put them together and you get this:

👉 You don’t grow in isolation

👉 And you don’t stay strong without intention

Final Reflection

This is why I believe in sharing. Sharing notes. Sharing wisdom. Sharing what God is revealing.

Because iron sharpens iron. Because we are one body. Because growth is not meant to stop with us.

So yes:

Know God for yourself.

Pray for yourself.

Read the Word for yourself.

But don’t isolate yourself from the wisdom of others.

Because there is power in learning together.

There is power in growing together.

There is power in saying:

“I’m walking with God… and I’m not walking alone.”

REAL TALK REAL LIFE REAL VICTORY