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George Barna is a leader researcher and author in the area of Christian Growth. I found this article on-line. This is part three of the article. Enjoy

Multi-Dimensional Growth

Focusing on Jesus's exhortation that His followers must love both God and people with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength, Barna noted that transformed individuals are those who have aligned their intellect, emotions, behavior, and spirit with the call and ways of God. In other words, genuine, Christ-driven transformation is four-dimensional. Noting that most adults interact with the world primarily through one of those four dimensions, the reluctance or failure to allow God to master them in the other three dimensions often retards faster development and greater spiritual depth.

The research also showed that people are transformed through a combination of experiences, knowledge, and relationships. The absence of any one of those components can also inhibit a person's growth.

George Barna, who is currently traveling around the country speaking about the research related to transformation, noted that the book Maximum Faith is not available in bookstores but can be purchased online through www.maximumfaith.com or from the online bookseller Amazon.com. He hopes that churches and individuals will take the research to heart and re-map their spiritual journey and the processes relied upon to help them become the holy, Christ-like people that God desires.

"An individual cannot transform himself, nor can a church transform a person. That work can only be done by God, through the empowerment and direction of the Holy Spirit. But God is eager to partner with those who will cooperate with Him. Understanding what God seeks to do in our lives is a critical step toward not becoming seduced and sidetracked by mere religious activity. The richness of the journey is found in the experience of progressing through the challenges of the process in the company of God."