What ideas come to mind when you think of the word “training”? Perhaps it’s best to think of training in connection with the reason we do it. We train for a purpose. The Christian trains. The purpose is godliness. The purpose of training is godliness (1Timothy 4:7). Yet, as Isaac Adams, the author of, Training: How do I grow as a Christian, says “Christians don’t live godly lives to be saved; they live godly lives because they have been saved.”

So, we see that Christians are people who train for the purpose of godliness. Christians live this way because they are saved, not to be saved.

But how do we train for godliness? What even is godliness?

Isaac Adams has written a helpful and accessible book focused on describing how people grow as Christians.

After the introduction where he describes some key principles, chapter one describes what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus told us that we are to love God with everything and our neighbor as ourselves. We do not obey all of Jesus’s commands which means that we breathe the air of repentance. There is no Christianity and no Christian growth without repentance.

Chapter two-three describes the importance of listening to God through his word. Adams writes “reading the Bible isn’t optional for Christians; it’s basic. It’s vital. A Christian who tries to grow in godliness without reading the Bible is like a plant that tries to grow without water and light.” He then provides insight on how we should read the Bible.

Chapter four describes the prayer life of a Christian. They pray to God, for others, for the glory of God, and their own growth. Chapter five describes the Biblical idea of worship. Sometimes we may think that worship is just that singing part in church. Worship is much more than that. Worship is responding to God in all of life.

We also grow in godliness by being members of a local church and by loving those who do not know Jesus. Chapter six describes the purpose of the church in training for godliness. The local church preaches the word. Christians are baptized and the Lord’s supper is taken. Songs that glorify God and instruct our hearts are sung. Christians are people who regularly attend, join, and serve the church.

Training looks like reading the word, praying, and worshipping. It looks like joining and using our gifts in a church. We also grow by loving the lost by pointing others to Jesus who do not know him. Telling them the good news.

We all want to be more like Jesus. Training: How do I grow as a Christian by Isaac Adams is a book that helps serve that purpose by describing the way Christians train.

Pick up this little book. It will not only be helpful to you but is also a helpful aid in all of your discipleship relationships.