Avoiding Spiritual Peter Pan Syndrome

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Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. ³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord:  “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, ³¹ whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” ³² Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. ³³ He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. ³⁴ When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” ³⁶ “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. ³⁷ But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” ³⁸ “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. ³⁹ After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.  Judges 11:29-39a (NIV)

You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. Deuteronomy 12:31 (NIV)

Leviticus 5:4-6 & Leviticus 27:1-8

Note:  Devotion Devoid Of DOCTRINE Delivers DESTRUCTION.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16 (NIV)

Note:  Spiritual PETER PANS Create Spiritual LOST BOYS.

And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. ¹¹ There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. ¹² You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. ¹³ For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. ¹⁴ Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:10-14 (NLT)

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. ² You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. Hebrews 6:1-3 (NLT)

peter pan syndrome self-test:

Mark how you would describe your ability & willingness to teach on these topics?

1. Repentance from EVIL DEEDS

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

2. Faith IN God

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

3. instruction about baptismS

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

4. Laying on of hands

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

1. The resurrection of the dead

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

6. Eternal judgment

Infant………………………….Adolescent………………………….Adult

Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves! Don’t you recognize that you are people in whom Jesus Christ lives? Could it be that you’re failing the test? 2 Corinthias 13:5 (GW)

HOW CAN I AVOID spiritual peter pan syndrome?

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. ¹⁵ Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. Ephesians 4:14-15 (GW)

1. I WILL LISTEN TO & FEED ON GOD’S WORD REGULARLY.

We have many things to tell you about this. But it is hard to explain because you have stopped trying to understand. Hebrews 5:11 (ERV)

So, as the Holy Spirit says:“Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸ do not harden your hearts…Hebrews 3:7–8a (NIV)

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

2. I WILL DEVELOP SPIRITUAL HABITS. (4 AREAS)

However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 (GW)

3. I WILL ACCEPT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM MY COMMUNITY.

I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. Romans 1:12 (NCV)

4. I WILL COMMIT TO & EXPECT TO GROW.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)