Christian personal development

Personal Development
For Spiritual Efficacy In
Life & Ministry
Dr. Oyewole O. Sarumi
Pastoral Leadership Academy, Lagos

Opening Scripture: Pro.4:18
• “But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous
is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more
(brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and
glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].” [AMP].
• “The road the righteous travel is like the sunrise, getting
brighter and brighter until daylight has come.” [TEV]
• “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That
shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” [NKJV]

Simple Interpretation I
• The pathway of those who are careful [prudent]
in this life keeps increasing as they progress
through life stages until they reach their peak
where their value becomes a sought after.
• The lifestyle of GOOD people is like sun at
dawn that keeps shining brighter and brighter
until broad daylight.

Simple Interpretation II
• Don’t just wait, do your part in this miracle
• Be good at what you do
• You will fall down in this life, just GET up and keep
going.
• Are you struggling? It is a process, keep GOING on
and on!
• Keep close to a mentor to challenge you.

The rare person, church gets
somewhere on purpose.
Everyone gets somewhere
in life…

Lesson of Life…
• The critical lesson that excellence in life means that
we have:
• The discipline.. ]
• The focus ….... ] …To lead with a Purpose.
• The vision……...]

Introduction
• Most people thought that Self-Development teaching
was self- centered instead of Christ centered.
• Aren’t Christians supposed to be Christ Centered?

Aircraft Take off Info
• Have you taken a trip
somewhere in an aircraft, and
you watched the
demonstration that shows you
what to do when the oxygen
mask comes down, what do
you notice? You are told: “Fix
your OWN mask FIRST,
then attend to your children.”

Get Your Life Secured!!!
• In the same way, you need to
get your OWN life
SECURED and on track to
reach your highest potential,
and then you will be better
equipped to support the lives
of others.

• Secondly, the key issue is our heart
motives. Whatever you do in life, you
can do with one of three main
motives:
• Self-centered - your only interest
would be to create value for yourself.
• Others-centered - your genuine focus
is to bring value to the lives of others.
• God-centered - your motive for what
you do is to please God, and very often
this is combined with being “others-
centered”.

• Everything has to do with your heart motive. A truly
wholesome plan of self-development training
followed with the motive of being your best for God
and for others can only enhance your Christ centered
life.

Importance of Christian Personal
Development
• To renew your mind. Remember what Paul
commanded us to do in Romans 12:2.

• To learn to walk in the abundant life that Christ
purchased for you. This means you learn to walk in
faith which is the biggest thing you can do to please
God – Hebrews 11:1.

• To learn to add value to the lives of others around
you and with whom you come in contact every day.
(This responds to the second commandment in Mark
12:31.)

• To learn to live a disciplined life. A disciplined life
becomes a successful life. The first command that
Jesus spoke (as recorded in the Gospels) was:
“Follow Me”.

• To learn to war against the
negative influences of this
world. The enemy has
given himself the task of
destroying this world using
every negative influence he
can throw into this world.

NOTE:
• A daily program of personal development will help
you to train yourself to be a disciplined warrior.
• A disciplined warrior always looks to his captain! (So
when you apply self-development training to your life
it does NOT mean you are not Christ centered, in
fact it will help you to be MORE Christ centered).

The Lion is BY NATURE the king of the
jungle. Yet they are not born with the
developed skills to operate as the king of the
jungle. They have to LEARN these
skills. They have to WORK at it and it takes
them at least 2 years to fully develop as the king
of the jungle they were born to be.

The POWER of One MAN!!!
• It has been said: “One With God
Is A Majority”. What a truism as
we can see from the Scriptures:
• God is searching for one man
Ezek.22:30, Isa.6:8.
• The power is unquantifiable,
either for good or bad.
• The influence that one man
possesses is so huge
• Can turn, change and transform
nation or community.

Mike Murdock
says: “When God
can move a man,
that man can
move the world”.

All Christian have Rights & Power
• Apostle John penned this: “However, to all who received
him, to those believing in his name, he gave authority (power,
right) to become God’s (adult, mature, fully developed)
children, - John 1:12.
• Meaning: All Believers have RIGHTS, & POWER
to become MATURE, DEVELOP & be GREAT.

Now the Question is:
• Are you DEVELOPING those rights and the
authority you were given?
• Are you BECOMING an adult son or daughter of
God in life and ministry?
• In order to be able to operate in this position (as an
adult son or daughter of God, you have to LEARN
(develop) the skills. It will take WORK. This work is
called “Personal or Self Development”.

• Luke 16:8 says, …. for the children of this world are in
their generation wiser than the children of light”
• Meaning & Application: Many of the young
people of the world go to Self development
Seminars here/there, and come back more motivated
than the youngsters that are in church”.

• The story of Moses as he was backed up against
between the army of the Egyptians and the red sea.
He cried out for God to help. God’s reply was in fact
a rebuke!
• God said: “Why are you crying out to Me? What do
you have in your hand”? (Exodus 14:15) He had a
rod in his hand. What does the rod symbolize?
Authority!

• We have the Authority and Power to TURN our life
around for better.
• It is through a daily systematic personal development
to grow all round as a child of destiny.

What is Personal Development
for Christians?

• What is the meaning of personal growth in a
Christian context?
• Christians are in the process of being changed into
the image of Christ, from glory to glory [2 Corinthians
3:18].

• Christians are to be making upward progress and are
to be growing and developing. Really?
• Actually, it means that we are being reduced, while
He becomes greater – when we consider the words
of John the Baptist [John 3:30].
• Even though we are growing, we need to replace the
reign of self with the reign of Christ if we must
keep growing. We need humbling.

Paul’s Experience in Humbling
• The apostle Paul had this experience.
• Early in his ministry he called himself the least of the
apostles [1 Corinthians 15:9].
• Later, he called himself less than the least of all the
saints [Ephesians 3:8].
• And towards the end of his life, he called himself the worst
sinner in the world [1 Timothy 1:15].
• As the apostle Paul grew in faith, he saw himself as less
and less.

• When we study the lives of God’s people who have
made progress in their spiritual life, we noticed that
what marks them OUT is the recognition that they
are fading out of the picture, while Jesus Christ takes
the foremost place. [John 12:24-25].

Examining Some Key Terminologies
• Self Development
• Self Improvement
• Christian Personal Development
• Personal Growth
• Spiritual Growth
• Spiritual Maturity
• Christian Perfection
• Continuous Preparation

Definition
• NOTE: These terms are basically talking about the
same thing: KEEP GROWING, GROW UP: i.e.:
• Moving forth beyond yourself [Phil.3:10-14], Attaining
God’s fullness, moving from grave to grass, to grace, to
glory and to glory [2Cor.3:18],
• Large-heartedness, Maturity, A broad shoulder [Ikgs.4:29]
• Character building and attitudinal changes [2Pet.1:5-10]
• Breaking bad habits, overcoming weaknesses and complete
change [Lam.5:21]

Definitions….. Cont’d
• Personal Growth and Development is a gradual and
systematic character building, attitudinal changes,
spiritual stability, personal preparation and equipping
for life and ministry exploits.
• It is a mental, emotional, spiritual, social and
psychological development with the ability to behave
maturely in every circumstances of life. [ICor.13:11,
14:20, I Tim.4:23, Heb.5:12-14]

Illustrations of Growth
• The illustrations of growth abounds everywhere:
• Nature is subject to the natural laws of growth.
• God has so created the world in such a way that growth is
natural – Gen.1:21-22,28
• The trees & all creatures are growing and multiplying
• When growth stops the world will come to its knees
• When progress stops, past achievement pales away
• Without growth there’s no future
• Without growth, decay and deterioration becomes
common.

Personal Christian Development
Covers:
• Spiritual Maturity –
Your spiritual stature
determines how much
you become for God.

• Emotional
Maturity – Self
Control and Self
mastery ICor.9:27

• Mental Maturity –
Information, learning,
knowledge and wisdom

• Social Maturity – Relating effectively with
people.

• Communication Maturity – Your words
can make or mar you. Luke 1:40, 52

God Demands That You Develop
• God loves growth, desire development and
command everyone of his creature to do so.
• Even though He does not grow [change], He
demands it – Mal.3:6, Heb.13:8
• When there’s no growth, man becomes frustrated,
downcast, sad, crest-fallen, unsettled and bored with
life.

Personal Development Is
Improvement:
• Every Christian leaders must grow because:
• If you don’t grow within, you can’t grow without
• Your growth will be the growth of your work
• Your capacity will be the capacity of your ministry
• The speed of the leader will be the speed of the
ministry
• Gifting without growth leads to incompetence
• Growth prevents personal and ministerial stagnation

• When leaders grow, church organisation grows
• If your development stops, ability to minister stops
• You can’t demand from others what you don’t
demand of your self
• You need to be the person God has purposed you to
be
• Being used doesn’t mean you’re perfect or approved.

The Reality of Personal
Development for Spiritual Efficacy
for Ushering Ministry
• Personal development and growth for those who
minister as ushers is critical because:
• You stand to welcome people [all sorts]
into God’s house & presence.
• Your calling demands that you must be
above board
• People expectations of ushers is very high

• People readily trust, rely and obey you
• You stand in a privilege position in the
church, hence people confide in you.
• You are more targeted by spiritual powers
because you stand at the gate.

• You are more subject to temptation and pride
due to prominence
• Some people take delight in attacking,
criticising and condemning you
• Heaven needs you, the church needs you and
Satan is after you!

Spiritual Growth Begins With
Discomfort
• Many of the problems, trials, persecutions,
misunderstandings and crisis in our lives were
designed by God to aid our personal growth
and development and prepare us for better
work.

• Akin-John wrote this, “If God loves you dearly,
He will hurt you deeply”.
• Andy Rooney nailed it when he gave us these
wise words, "Everyone wants to live on top of the
mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs
while you're climbing it”.

The Power of Personal
Development
• Personal Development or growth is key to:
• Ministry growth
• Growing others
• Unquantifiable success
• Finishing strong
• Great achievement
• Outstanding leadership
• Higher calling
• Handling success successfully
• Overcoming the storms of life

The Importance of Personal
Development
Importance of Personal Development
Desire, Determination and Dedicztion Relationship With Others Personal Development

There’s Danger of Stagnation
• Without consistently developing and continually
improving yourself, ability to move forward in life and
lead others in ministry will stagnate:
• Your character will drive people away
• People under you will remain immature
• You’ll handle problems the same old way
• You become petty, callous and intimidating
• Become routinized, and mechanical
• Immaturity, babyish and overwhelm with challenges.

Danger of Non – Growth
• According to Rev.3:15-18, Phil.3:10-14, Lk.1:53 the
danger of not developing include:
• Loss of first love
• Decay and corruption
• Incapacitate God to work more
• Sands in your salt
• Lose what you have
• Dog back to its vomit again
• Loss of heaven

Danger of Non – Growth
• Loss of first love
• Decay and corruption
• Incapacitate God to work more
• Sands in your salt
• Lose what you have
• Dog back to its vomit again
• Loss of heaven
• You begin to crawl and stop
climbing
• You put ceiling on vocational
growth
• You put a stop to God’s flow into
your life
• You begin journey into oblivion
• You become a man of yesterday
• You abort your greater tomorrow
• You embrace decline and decay
• You open the way for others to
overtake you
• You debar God’s glorious flow
though you to others
According to Rev.3:15-18, Phil.3:10-14, Lk.1:53, the
danger of not developing include:

Imperatives of Personal
Development – Exo.18:19-21
• Every true leader in ministry must seek to grow and
develop in these five major areas:
• Character – Your character is the backbone of your life and
ministry
• Capacity – You must grow and develop in spiritual, physical,
leadership, relational, management and financial capacities.
• Competence – You must handle things, meet needs and solve
problem admirably
• Contribution – You must make positive, lasting and notable
contribution to people’s lives.
• Connection – You must attract, nurture people around you
and not be a loner

Character – Your character is the
backbone of your life and ministry

Capacity – You must grow and develop in
spiritual, physical, leadership, relational,
management and financial capacities.

Competence – You must handle
things, meet needs and solve problem
admirably

Contribution – You must make
positive, lasting and notable contribution
to people’s lives.
•

Connection – You must attract, nurture
people around you and not be a loner

Compassion – You must feel
people’s pain, and be moved to
provide relieve

What Happened When Spiritual
Growth Occurs:
• Spiritual growth occurs when the following
phases are recognized and carried out:
• Phase 1: You recognizes a biblical
expectation.
• Phase 2: Experiences discomfort when he
becomes aware of his need to change a
belief or act on a biblical obligation.
• Phase 3: An accountability leader wisely
guides the member toward action.

• Phase 4: Then, he makes the decision to do what's right
rather than what's easy.
• Phase 5: The member/usher commits to the action.
• Phase 6: The leader and other members celebrate with
the individual who has courageously moved beyond his
comfort zone.
• Phase 7: The individual experiences growth and is more
easily motivated to take on the next challenge to
obedience he encounters in the Bible.

Principles of Personal Development &
Growth For Christians
• Be connected to the Divine Source
• Discover God’s purpose for your life
and pursue it
• Have desire to Grow [be hungry and
thirsty for growth Lk.1:53].
• Learn all you can about growth
[training and learning]
• Work and keep improving yourself
daily
• Give your all to it to grow
• Do everything with grow in view
• Study read and read the Word I
Tim.4:13, II Tim.4:13
• Share your faith
• Maintain a regular prayer life
• Be current and be informed
• Dig in until you see your development
in reality [perseverance]
• Don’t be satisfied with average –
Phil.3:4
• Move with men of purpose – An
Accountability partner - Pro.17:17
• Ask for more grace daily
• Always watch and be careful – Luke
21:34-36, ITim.4:16
• Don’t complain or murmur at God’s
dealing – Psa.66:10-12
The following are factors or steps that is required
for development and growth in life and ministry:

Why Are Many of Us Not Growing?
• The reasons why many believers are not growing include:
• Lack of purpose and direction – Pro.29:18. Vision of who
you are, purpose in life and where you are going is lacking.
• Absence of genuine salvation – Many aren’t sure of their
salvation. Many are religious but not saved. Many are
reformed but not transformed. Many are hoping to please
God with their works.
• Lack of stock taking and analysis – 2Cor.13:5. Many fail to
check up themselves. They assume they are OK. They fail to
compare their today with their yesterday spiritually. The best
watchman in the world is the man who watch himself.

• Unseriousness and Frivolity – Many are unserious
about their life, God and things of eternal value. There
are three types of people: the serious, seriocomic and the
light in spirit. The last two never grow.
• Unwillingness to change – Many are so set in their ways
that they consider change as compromise. They believe
they are right. They glory in saying: “I am still the same, as
I was, so I am”. However, growth means change.

• Self Satisfaction – Many are satisfied with little,
they love average and go for crumbs rather than full.
• Self Indulgence – Most people who aren’t growing
have chosen not to pay the price for growth. They
indulge their appetites and become slaves to food,
sex and pleasure. However, we must realize that self
indulgence is the law of death, while self denial is the
law of life.

• Demonic Activities – Demons may harass by
temptations, doubt, anxiety and discouragement, and
all these combine to retard the journey to
development.
• Carnality and Worldly minded – When all the
waking thoughts and labours are centred on the
ephemeral things of this life, growth and
development is hindered.

Obstacles to Personal Development
• Anything that is good and beneficial will be attacked,
hence many obstacles has prevented a lot of people to
develop and grow in faith and life.
• Some of these obstacles include:
• Ignorance glorification – the giant killer
• Self contentment and adulation [Comparism syndrome]
• Anti change and anti growth spirit
• Lack of clear vision
• Laziness
• Pride and boasting

• Lack of courage and determination
• Moving with wrong company
• Playing today to pay tomorrow
• Fear of advancement – fears has destroyed many great dreams
• Satisfaction with average life –little men cannot achieve much
• Unwholesome myths and notions – Can serve great
hindrances
• Demonic activities – they abound in Africa
• Strongholds of the past – the past can hinder the future
• Carefree and carelessness – unseriousness is a great bane

The DON’TS of Christian
PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT

The DON’TS of Christian
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Don’t surrender means:
• Never give up,
• Don’t stop
• Quit not
• Ensure not to neglect
• The following are quintessential we can’t surrender
our personal growth and development to:

1. CIRCUMSTANCES
• Your circumstances and condition may be pathetic:
no helper, no supporter, no encourager. Yet, you
must remember that your condition does not matter,
but your conclusion.
• Remember Gideon!

2. SUCCESS
• Success is good, and everyone desire it, but…
• Even when you’re swimming in this ocean, you can
be carried away if you’re holding on or keep
progressing.
• Many who fail to grow, move were destroyed by their
success.
• Don’t forget Judas!

3. ANOINTING
• Anointing is desirable when its results becomes a
reality.
• Those who rely on anointing without strong
character have got themselves to blame.
• Let Samson speak to us!

4. ACHIEVEMENT
• Whether achievement or accomplishment, many
because of it had become history.
• Your personal and ministry achievement will collapse
in the absence of dedicated and committed personal
growth and development.
• Please remember David!

5. METHODOLOGY
• Method is good, but without a progressing renewal in
tandem with current happenings, it’s futile.
• All the methods in the whole world will fail in the
absence of a persistent personal and progressive
development.

6. PERSONALITY
• A personality not supported with constant nutrients
for refreshing will be stale and wears out.
• Your natural strong personality will not suffice for
long without personal growth

7. COMMENDATION
• The fact that people are praising and commending
you should never make you abandon your labour on
your development.
• Father Noah should preach to us!

8. POSITION/TITLE
• Many are running after these today with all they can
muster.
• Positions and titles have blindfolded many from
pursuing their personal development.
• We should learn from Diothrephes

9. AGE & EXPERIENCE
• Growth and development is a never ending journey.
• Age and experience cannot replace the key role of
personal growth

10. GIFTS, TALENTS &
PROPHECY
• The Lord has graciously bestow us with different
gifting to do ministry and bring His people to
maturity
• Many who are wonderfully gifted, but lacks personal
growth have been ruined by their gifts.

THE GOALS &
BENEFITS OF
PERSONAL GROWTH

The GOALS of Christian
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of
mind.
• To take health, happiness and prosperity to everyone you
meet.
• To be truly free from every vestige of self life.
• To be well prepared for the higher calling of God in
Christ Jesus.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something good
in them.

• To look at the sunny side of everything and be
positive always.
• To think only of the best, work only for the best and
expect only the best.
• To be able to do things that pleases Him always.
• To be truly and sincerely happy and enthusiastic
about the success of others.

• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the
greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every
person you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement to the
improvement to yourself you have no time to criticize
others.
• To be too large to worry, too noble for anger, too strong
for fear and too happy to permit the presence of evil.

• To do the greatest good to the greatest number of
people.
• To live so well that those who come across you will
never remain the same.
• To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to
the world, not in loud words, but in good deeds.

The GOALS/BENEFITS Illustrated
HEIGHT
Power, Glory, Majesty
& Strength of God
Eph.3:18-19 Four Dimensional Growth
LENGTH
Outreach and
Blessing to Others
BREADTH
Justice, Faithfulness,
Lovingkindness and
Favour of God
DEPTH
Mercy, Love, Knowledge, Purity,
Wisdom and Grace

How to Continually GROW As a
Leader in Ministry
• You must be intentional, purposeful and
deliberate in your effort if you are going to grow as
Christian leader:
• Possess a Learning Spirit – Learn about yourself,
others, ministry and your field
• Be a good reader – Read others, read wide and
deep. Read to gain knowledge, insight and
experience. Read magazine, newspapers, blogs, books
and biographies.

• Listen to Tapes and CDs – Messages that
challenge, inspire, educate and prick your soul
abound around.
• Enrol in a Training – You will always need formal,
informal and non-formal trainings in ministry and
life.
• Get Resources – Materials and resources makes a
leader. Spend to gather relevant resources that can
increase you.

• Develop your devotional life – Create time to study,
research, pray, seek and wait upon God. Let the fire
from the altar touch you every morning.
• Attend quality conferences – There are things you
will learn in a conference that you will never learn
anywhere else. create time to attend 5days quality
conferences twice a year.
• Seek for wisdom – Feedback, evaluation and
counsel of mentors and accountability

• Obey the Holy Spirit – Build a deep communion
with the Holy Spirit and listen to and obey His
instruction.
• Move with those that can improve you – The
people you move with will either add to you, multiply
you or divide and subtract from you.

Conclusion
• The development of leaders and under-
leaders will always be the growth of their
work. Their personal growth and
development is the mother of every growth.
• So, if you stop growing, you start to grey.

• When you engage seriously in personal growth and
development, it will help you to balance out many areas
of life and ministry such as:
• Power with purity
• Healing with holiness
• Faith with faithfulness
• Miracle with meekness
• Prosperity with pureness of heart
• Gifts with love for the Giver

• If you don’t want to be a developing and growing
church leader, then don’t be intentional about your
spiritual life, always hang out with people just like
you, never take any risks to move out of your
comfort zone, keep patting yourself on the back
even though you’re not progressing, and keep chasing
trends and short cuts to success.

• However, if you desire to progress in your Christian
journey, note that personal development for your
spiritual potency depends on Spiritual, Social and
Emotional maturity which is a reflection of your
daily life pursuits.
• To be spiritually matured is….
• To be socially matured is…..
• To be emotionally matured is……

To be Spiritually matured is…
• Spiritual maturity is seen when a person is… Not
easily upset, able to wait on God [not prayer and
fasting but waiting in patience], not easily excited
over little things, has constructive ideas, faces reality,
is compassionate, keeps out of the rut, is able to
begin all over again, maintains high standards,
sensible in dealing with people, avoids mistakes,
thinks first and acts afterwards, maintains a regular
and deep prayer life and meditates on God's word
daily.

To be Socially matured is…..
• Social maturity is manifested when a person is:
Responsible, accepts others, take turns, adaptable,
obey rules, mixes with others, tolerant, hardworking,
accepts unpleasantries, forgives and forebears,
apologises and admits errors, unselfish, charitable,
considerate and shoulders blame.

To be Emotionally matured is……
• Emotional maturity shows when a person is: Able to
forgive, stops walking at the brink of sin, mentally
stable, rejoices sincerely at the good and success of
others, mature enough not to put his problems on his
face, able to control his anger and above inferiority
or superiority complex.

CPD Takes time
• God’s dealing takes time. He has to cook us well
before He can commit something great into our
hands:
• It took Abraham 25years, Moses 40years, Joshua
40yrs, Samuel 30yrs, David 16yrs, Paul 14yrs and
Elisha many years.
• THE RULE: You have to spend most of these years
under an earthly Mentor!

The Ant Philosophy – Jim Rohn

Where Are You in Your Garden of Life?
Fred Herman said, “When you’re green
your growing- when you’re ripe, you’re
getting rotten!

Have You Ever Been Accused Of
Being A CHRISTIAN????

Gal.6:17
“From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my
body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” [NKJV].
“Quite frankly, I don't want to be bothered anymore
by these disputes. I have far more important
things to do - the serious living of this faith. I
bear in my body scars from my service to
Jesus.” [MSG].

• The MARKS, the SCARS are the Evidences of your
personal Development exploit in Faith.
• Do you have these evidences in your life right now?
• If not, this is the time to CRY fervently to God of
heaven, deal with me Oh Lord, tame me with your
tender hands, and put your MARKS, SCARS and
EVIDENCE of Maturity and Development upon
my life so that I can touch others also today.

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