What would that look like...?

What are some of the major phases or changes that a person goes through as they grow in their journey with God? Just like our bodies change or like a caterpillar undergoes change, we as disciples of Jesus go through different stages in our faith.

Maybe you've heard the story of the boy who was in a hurry to help a butterfly emerge from its cocoon. He ended up with a swollen, odd looking version of an insect that died very quickly after he had removed its cocoon. He found out later from his grandfather that the process of working its way out of the cocoon helps it move around its fluids and forces its wings and other body parts to become shaped into a butterfly. There is a process to life...even our spiritual life!

The writer of Hebrews says that we are to move beyond the basics and get on into maturity in our faith (Hebrews 6:1&ff). Even though we're supposed to move on, it's possible to say in one place or even to regress or go backward in our faith development. So what have you seen most?

As you reflect on your own experience and on what you've seen in others, what does it look like to grow in your faith? Yes, there are academic answers to that, but what have you actually seen personally in the people in your life? How many actually grow and what did it look like? Ever seen someone go backwards? What does it look like for someone to emerge as a butterfly?