Feed Jesus' lambs; nourish His sheep.

• Watch over the flock that God has given you.
• Help each person grow in the inner spiritual life, and in his relationship with God.
• Help each person to grow in their relationships with each other. Don't simply teach about it, but also arrange for the type of meetings and events in which relationships are developed.

Find in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) several guidelines for behavior in the kingdom of God.

Find in Ephesians 4:12-16 a general definition of spiritual growth.

Find in the letter of 1 John several guidelines for growing spiritually.

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For a classic treatment of inner spiritual growth, read (and prayerfully meditate) the biographies and essays of the great Christian mystics, whom God has used to inspire millions, through the ages, such as:

The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis

Confessions, Augustine

Precious Remedies vs. Satan's Devices, Thomas Brooks

Abuse of Emotions in the Spiritual Life, Isaac Watts

Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards.

For watching over church members in general, Leadership Handbooks of Practical Theology, 1992, Editor, James D. Berkley, Volume 2, Section 16

For planning for spiritual growth in general: Growing a Healthy Church, Dann Spader

For spiritual disciplines:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Don Whitney

Life-style Discipleship, Jim Petersen

For strategies for congregational spiritual growth: Spiritual Formation in the Local Church, Frank Stanger

Listen to followers of Christ and to unbelievers as they talk about their spiritual aspirations and experiences.

• You will learn from unbelievers their spiritual deceptions and from the believers what they attribute to God.
• You work in a spiritual environment of hostile, invisible realities and must learn to speak and to practice a life of supernatural strength, compassion and service.
• You will see that the naturalistic beliefs and philosophical presuppositions of the West have dulled many gospel workers to the simplicity and power of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.