Week #1: Still Growing: How Jesus Shows Us the Way
Blog Series Intention Recap
The gospel is not just the good news that saves us—it’s the good news that shapes us. Many believers stop at justification, forgetting that Jesus invites us into ongoing renewal. Each week, we’ll explore how the gospel breathes new life into our growth, peace, love, healing, and mission. The journey doesn’t end at salvation; it begins there.
This post is the main page of the series “Fresh Air.” Click here to see the rest of the posts.
Let’s jump into Week #1:
Why Spiritual Growth Starts with a Question… Jesus did not rush into ministry. He grew, listened, and asked questions. The gospel teaches us that growing in faith is not just about doing big things, but about seeking wisdom in small, consistent ways. If even the Son of God made time to grow, then we must too. Make space this week to listen—to Scripture, to the Spirit, and to wise believers in your community. Growth begins when we humbly ask, seek, and stay present with God.
Why it Matters:
Even Jesus took time to grow spiritually and physically.
The gospel invites us to grow in wisdom through listening and learning.
Growth is a process that happens in community, not isolation.
To grow spiritually, we must intentionally seek God’s wisdom.
Go Deeper:
Luke 2:52 (ESV) says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." These words may feel small, tucked at the end of a story about a twelve-year-old boy in the temple, but they carry great weight. Jesus did not arrive at adulthood fully formed in every human sense. He grew.
This simple truth shapes the foundation of the gospel's ongoing power in our lives after we are justified. We are saved in a moment, yes—but we are shaped over time. The Good News is not only for the day we believe, but also for every day we walk forward from that moment. The gospel is our fresh air. We need it to live, breathe, and grow.
Jesus Grew On Purpose
The only story from Jesus’ childhood in the Gospels (Luke 2:41–52) reveals a boy who was curious, hungry for knowledge, and obedient to God. When His parents finally found Him after three days of searching, Jesus was in the temple, "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46).
Jesus did not just teach—He first listened. He did not just know—He asked. The gospel reminds us that even the Son of God chose a path of growth.
Growth is not accidental. It requires intention. It requires us to sit, to stay, to be still long enough to hear God speak. The life of discipleship begins with ears open, not mouths.
Proverbs 4:7 (ESV) tells us, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." Our culture values speaking up, being right, and moving fast. But the gospel draws us in a different direction. It invites us to slow down and listen—to God and to others.
The Gospel Teaches Us to Learn
Discipleship is not just about doing—it’s about becoming. And becoming requires a pattern of learning and unlearning. Jesus spent time in the synagogue not just proclaiming truth but absorbing it, in conversation and community.
When we come to Christ, we are reborn (John 3:3). But as newborns, we are not yet mature. The apostle Peter encourages believers: "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:2–3, ESV).
The gospel reminds us we are not finished products. Salvation is the doorway, not the driveway. Through it, we enter a life of learning: not a lonely path of self-discovery but a shared journey of transformation.
Spiritual Growth Happens in Community
Luke 2 shows us that Jesus was part of a larger faith community. He journeyed with His family to Jerusalem, participated in the Feast, and engaged with the temple teachers. The setting of His growth was not isolation, but connection.
The gospel places us into a body. Romans 12:5 (ESV) says, "So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." We grow by being in proximity to others who follow Jesus. We listen, we speak, we confess, we encourage.
Christian growth is never merely personal; it is relational. The more we root ourselves in gospel-centered community, the more we mirror the posture of Jesus—who both learned from and submitted to others.
Seeking Wisdom Is a Gospel Practice
Jesus stayed behind in the temple to seek wisdom. His parents didn’t understand, but He knew He was about His Father's business. The pursuit of wisdom is not rebellion—it’s devotion.
The gospel doesn’t just tell us we are saved; it shows us how to live wisely. Paul prayed that believers would be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9, ESV).
Spiritual maturity doesn’t mean we have all the answers. It means we know where to go with our questions. The gospel trains our hearts to seek God’s wisdom daily, in the Scriptures and among His people.
How does this help me understand, “Fresh Air?”
The Gospel Is Our Growth Guide
The question "Do I need the gospel after justification?" finds its answer in Jesus’ early years. If He grew, so must we. And if He grew by listening, learning, and seeking, we can too.
Justification is the start, not the stop. Through the gospel, we breathe new life every day. We are not only saved—we are sanctified. Not only born again—but being renewed.
Let us return to the gospel each morning, not just as a memory of salvation but as the breath in our lungs and the light on our path. Jesus shows us how.
