GROWTH & MATURITY

June 9, 2020

BY: LAURA PEARSON

I was driving through a neighborhood one day recently, when a house caught my attention. It was well-built and maintained, including a manicured lawn with beautiful landscaping. This house wasn’t the largest house, or the one with the biggest yard; however, as I gazed upon it, there was something that attracted me about the way the house was put together. It seemed so inviting…like it was begging you to come sit on the porch and relax for a while. There was something peaceful and serene about it, yet at the same time, it appeared to be steady and strong. A few roads over, I observed another house that was much different from the first. This house also caught my attention, but for very different reasons. It was not well-kept. The fence was falling down in places. The shutters were broken, and the porch was leaning. I wondered what had happened because I could tell the house was once beautiful and had a lot of potential. Had the owner gotten sick? Had the house been abandoned? What had caused this broken-down state?
  

 We have talked about laying a foundation in Christ as being essential, and then building upon that foundation through solid, Biblical discipleship with things that are going to last. This month, we want to talk about what the house should look like. How do we keep our spiritual house in pristine condition?  
  

 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.(KJV). Simply put, we are the temple, or the house, of God. So, when there has been a solid foundation laid, and the materials used in construction are of high quality, the house can withstand through the storms of life. Additionally, with regular maintenance and renovation, the house continues to retain its luster. 
  

 In order to grow in spiritual maturity, one must spend time focused on understanding God. In 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, we are reminded that the natural man does not accept the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. As children of God, born by the Spirit of God, we have been given the mind of Christ to be able to have that understanding of the Kingdom of God. In the same way that our homes need to be cleansed regularly and maintained, we must also regularly be renewing our mind by the Word of God to grow in spiritual maturity.

Through wisdom is an house built; and by understanding it is established “

As we continue to be “built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5), we should be removing things from our lives that are contrary to the Spirit. Likewise, we should also be adding those touches of the Spirit that set us apart and bring glory to God. A mature believer will “offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Not only that, but a mature believer will also bring praise and honor to the name of Jesus, and they will not neglect to do good and to share what they have with others (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Training and Discipleship

The Cord of 3 training and discipleship program serves the community by offering educational seminars on various mental health and related topics (parenting subjects, coping with loss, warning signs of addiction) as well as conferences, retreats, and seminars for area churches on matters that pertain to God’s design for the family.

Counselor Education & Supervision

Cord of 3’s Counselor education and supervision program is deigned to support interns who are completing their master’s degree, counselors who are working toward licensure, and professionals who are working to integrate their Chritian faith into their clinical practice.

Equine Therapy

Cord of 3’s equine therapy program is designed for individuals ages 7 and up as well as women ages 13+ and families. Equine therapy can help individuals and families overcome challenges, cuiltivate healthy relational skills, build trust, improve interpersonal and behavioral functioning, and create positive self-concept and identity in Christ.

Play God’s Way

A Christ-centered play therapy model to meet teh spiritual, emotional, and mental health needs of children. Through play therapy, children learn to accept responsibility for behavior, engage in healthy coping strategies, acquire problem-solving skills, develop empathy for others, and gain an understanding of identity in mChrist.

ADDICTION RECOVERY

Addictions always originate in pain… The question is never ‘why the addiction?,’ but rather ‘why the pain?’” (Dr. Gabor Maté). Counselors can help those struggling with addictions address underlying painful issues and then break the addictive patterns.

Child & Adolescent

Behavioral issues at home or in school often have an underlying cause, such as trauma, depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. The experienced staff at Cord of 3 meets each child with love, builds trust, and applies effective treatment that approaches the root cause of the behavior.

Marriage & Family

As in couple’s counseling, family counseling focuses on the relationship and dynamics within the family unit and between the individual members of it. Counselors will help clients identify unhealthy or unhelpful patterns, and to address them by developing healthier communication and conflict resolutions skills, create realistic expectations, and restructure familial roles to benefit everyone. The ultimate goal is to help the family be better able to thrive as a team.

STRESS & TRAUMA

Every person will at some point have at least one potentially traumatic experience, but this doesn’t impact everyone in the same ways. When struggling to process and move on from negative life experiences, therapy offers a powerful method of finding support and healing.

EMOTIONAL WHOLENESS

Individual counseling can help overcome the sometimes overwhelming fear and hopelessness by helping you better understand the conditions that led to the emotional brokenness you are experiencing, and applying healthy coping skills against them.