Mr. Savini guides his secondary boys’ Bible classes through the facets of spiritual maturity from an in-depth evaluation of Scripture.
“It is important to discuss how we grow spiritually because the Bible talks about spiritual maturity in the life of a follower of Christ,” said Mr. Savini. “The book of James teaches that works (or fruit) is the evidence of true saving faith. A maturing Christian is proof of the work and power of the gospel in the life of a believer in Christ. It is vital for our students to know and be instructed by the Word of God. If this is an essential doctrine of perseverance in their faith, they must know that the proof of their faith is evident in their growing desire for loving and knowing Christ. And the hope of their growth is in the power of God in the gospel of Christ.”
While all high school students in Mr. Savini’s classes discuss how to grow spiritually, the ninth and tenth grade curriculum emphasize spiritual maturity. “In our 9th grade class the curriculum is specifically centered around the life of Christ,” shared Mr. Savini. “Right now we are in Matthew 5, studying the sermon of Christ on the mount in Galilee. We are learning the implications of kingdom living and how God deals with issues of hatred, adultery and lust. Then, moving those issues of the heart towards the teachings of Christ i.e. poor in spirit, mourning over their own sin, true meekness and humility before God and others and so on.”
Tenth grade boys dig deeper into the Fundamentals of the Faith and Christ. “We are studying the characteristics of Christ; His humanness, His claims and oneness with the Father, His miracles and His attributes,” shared Mr. Savini. “My prayer is that this study is encouraging and challenges students to think about where they are spiritually in light of this truth.”
Mr. Savini desires all of his students to examine their hearts daily, whether at school or out in the world. “They should ask themselves, are the truths they are learning information or true knowledge? Are they dependent upon themselves to understand this knowledge or are they asking God for help to grow in grace and understanding? I want students to learn the content of what we are teaching in class, but even more so, I care about how it is impacting their life inside and outside of the classroom.”
(It is) Mr. Savini’s hopes that the boys will strive for spiritual maturity, knowing that it can only come from God through a process of spiritual growth. “Students must learn the value of humbling themselves,” said Mr. Savini. “They cannot do that apart from the work of Christ in their hearts and minds. The only evidence of spiritual maturity in them is a progressive, not perfect, but progressive dependence upon the Lord and HIS power and promise to begin a work He started and continue it until the day of Christ.”