All right, so I mentioned earlier that it’s time to take a seat at the Father’s table. And whenever you go from being childish to childlike, that shift can be difficult. Transitioning from milk to meat—spiritually speaking—can be a process. Sometimes, the “meat” has to be cut up into little tiny pieces. That may help explain why we’re doing all of this in a module and session format—so you can take it in bite-sized pieces as we move forward.

And even then, sometimes—if you take your time and chew slowly—you can still choke a little. But don’t let that bother you. We’re going to come through this, and we’re going to come through it together.

So, I want to say this to you: as you take your seat at the Father’s table, you are sitting with the perfect parent.

Oftentimes, even well-meaning human parents, if they see a delay in their child—not for performance reasons, but because they know that child has a future—they begin to take steps to address it. They say, “We need to figure out what’s going on.”

Well, you’re with the best parent there is—the Father. And He, along with Holy Spirit, raised Jesus perfectly—and they will raise you perfectly too. They know how to raise you from being a babe to becoming a fully grown son.

But here’s the key: every child must choose whether or not they will yield to that training—to the instruction and provision needed to meet their deepest needs: love, security, identity. We’ll talk more about that as we go on.

But for now, remember—you are sitting with the perfect Father. You are His creation. You are a new creation in Christ. And I want to give you some hope.

Earlier, we referenced 1 Corinthians 13:11–13, where Paul said:

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child…”

We could also say, “I behaved like a child.”

But then Paul goes on:

“But now that I am a man, I put away childish things.”

I want to suggest—without taking license with Scripture—that we could also say:
“Now that I am a new man…”

Paul says, “I put away childish things.” And in the Greek, those words “put away” mean to fire—to dismiss.

That’s very important.

I’m not saying you have to do that right now, this very moment. Remember, we’re laying groundwork. But I want you to understand this: there is great hope.

You may have hired on those childish ways a long time ago. You brought them in to help you survive. But now, you get the privilege of saying:

“You’re fired. I no longer need your services.”

To put away childish things means they are no longer employable in your life.

If you’ve ever fired someone—or been fired—you know that phrase: “We no longer need your services.” That’s what you’ll get to say to those old survival patterns.

My hope is that as we continue on this journey, and as you begin to see that everything human has its limits, you’ll realize it was never going to make the long-haul journey of your life.

You were never meant to rely on those things.

You need a source without limits. And that source is your Father, sitting at the table with you. His love has no limits. His affection, His attention—none of it will ever run out. He will never shut you down, and He will never abandon you.

This is part of the transition from arrested development into abiding development. God will reveal things to you, and you’ll have the opportunity to say—just like I did years ago:

“You know what, boys? The gig is up. I hired you when I was young. I used you for years and years. But I no longer need your services. You are fired.”

God brings you to a place of deep dependency on Him. And He gives you the joyful privilege of putting away those childish things.

He’ll show them to you. He’ll give you the power to release them. He does everything—but you and He together will move forward in this process of maturity and growth.

Please don’t forget: everything human has its limits. It was never meant to be your source. But God has no limits, and He is your source.

And I pray you’ll choose Him fully.

As we close out Module 1, remember this: He wanted you. He came for you. Everything Jesus did—He didn’t need it; you and I did. He came so that we could come out of separation and back into who we were originally meant to be: one with the Father, fully dependent on Him.

That’s why I believe your future—your near future—can begin to experience what I call the slow fire of real growth and maturity. Just like Jesus, who grew over 33 years on earth, you can walk in that same kind of growth.

But first, we have to look at some things, be open to them, and let God work.

And this time, you’re not alone.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, young or older, no matter your current situation—this is for you. This is for everyone who names the name of Christ and is willing to take up their cross and follow Him as a disciple.

Let me close with a promise God gave me years ago from Isaiah 54:13:

“All your spiritual children will be disciples of the Lord, taught by Him and obedient to His will, and great shall be their peace and undisturbed composure.”

I share that promise with you as we launch forward.

I look forward to seeing you in Module 2.
Be sure to review your worksheets and homework—and give it time. There’s no need to rush. Follow God’s pace. He will set the rhythm for you, and you’ll be able to move through the modules in His timing.

And I truly hope that one day here at The Producer’s Way, we’ll be able to have live discussions together—so I can hear from you what God is speaking to you.

So here we go.