All right, you’ve probably noticed by now—these aren’t official teachings, presentations, or performances. This is a process of real discipleship. I am a disciple, and I’m simply turning and passing on to others the very same way I’ve been living for the last 33 years. And I’m not doing this as someone’s guru or expert—but as someone who entered in for myself.

So, I want to be a big, wide-open door for others to enter in as well. Let me remind you at the start of this session: this isn’t about polished slides or perfect delivery. This is relational work, and I’m doing my best to remain relational with you as we walk through it.

I won’t promise every session will be perfectly spoken. You’ll see me glance at my notes. But here’s what I can promise—you can still receive unbelievable truth about Him and encounter that truth in a way that helps you know yourself better as you come to know Him more deeply.

Why? Because He is the One who reveals truth about who you are.

In Module 1, we’re introducing the concept of arrested development versus abiding development—the development that’s truly yours as a son of God. That’s your core identity. And maybe one day we’ll have an Identity Project here at The Producer’s Way, but for now, know this: anything that isn’t of sonship—anything that isn’t who you really are to the Father through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit—God wants to expose that to you. Not to condemn, but so that you can come into agreement with Him, cooperate with Him, and let Him deal with it.

This journey doesn’t depend on me being the best teacher or you being the best student. That kind of pressure—just the thought of it—is exhausting. This is about me entering in, passing it on, and you receiving and responding to Him. And I promise, He will do everything He says He will do—deep within you—because your life isn’t about the externals; it’s about what He’s doing in you right now.

Let’s talk again about arrested development—those places where we’ve been stuck. There’s a scripture you might know: 1 Corinthians 13:11–13. The full passage is in your worksheet, but I want to highlight how it begins.

The Apostle Paul is sharing his journey. And when we read scripture, it’s not meant to feel like a list of rules and regulations. That’s actually part of arrested development—reading the Bible like it’s only about what to do and what not to do.

Instead, we’re invited to hear from those who knew God—and who are now sharing with us what they had to learn. And we get to decide whether we’ll enter in for ourselves.

Paul says,

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

That means there were things—even in Paul’s excellent education, performance, and accomplishments—that he had to let go of to truly mature. Childish speech, childish reasoning, childish beliefs—he had to put them away. And so do we.

So, I want to walk with you as you personally choose to say, “Okay, Father, I want You to lead me.” If this is truly The Development Project, then it means we need to let Him show us what’s in the way. Because otherwise—how would we know what to put away?

We often perish for lack of understanding, for lack of personal knowledge. And I’m not talking to your head. I’m talking to your spirit—who you truly are. I’m asking: Are you willing to take a look at your own childish ways?

Maybe someone has recently told you, “You need to grow up.” That could be a sign of arrested development. And yes, it can be hard—even painful—to face these things. But don’t do it alone.

When God placed mentors in my life to disciple me, it was still painful, but I wasn’t overwhelmed—because I wasn’t alone anymore. I didn’t carry all the responsibility to fix myself. That’s one reason why it can feel unbearable to look at our own immaturity—because we feel overwhelmed and helpless.

But the truth is, those same feelings of overwhelm today may be rooted in the early overwhelm of our past. That’s where some childish ways remain—ways that keep us from becoming the mature people we’re meant to be, and from being who we are to Him.

So let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13:11–13 again. Can you say, “Maybe I still have some childish ways”?

Often, those patterns began when we were told things like, “Stop crying!” We had a real need, but were shamed or silenced. Or we learned to meet our needs in unhealthy ways.

Let me be clear: the need itself is not the problem. The problem is the childish way we’re trying to meet that need. Maybe today, you still deny your needs. Maybe you’ve become stoic, convincing yourself you don’t have needs. Or maybe you still look to others—demanding things from them they were never meant to provide.

The goal is to put away childish things—not needs, but the immature ways we’ve handled them. Jesus Himself was childlike, not childish. As a fully mature man, He trusted the Father completely.

We’re not meant to remain childish when it’s time to become childlike.

So take time to reflect. We’re still in the introduction of this journey—but this is the beginning of real change. If the Apostle Paul needed to grow up in this way, I think it’s safe to say we do too.

I’ll see you in the next session.