As part of my series of talks looking at what the point of life is, I invite you today to consider that part of the reason God put us here in life is so that we could grow and develop.

Each of us is born with a great deal of potential within us, and it's part of life's task that we should co-operate with God so that potential may find fulfilment, so that God's work of art, which each of can be, should be brought into being as our creator designed us. The aim which God has is summed up by St Paul thus: "that we may present everyone mature in Christ." (Colossians 1v28) Jesus is our example of what it means to be a mature human being, to be as God intended, and God wants to help each of us to become like Jesus in all the best ways.

It's also part of the reality of life that each of us in growing has been impacted by good and bad experiences, which have helped to shape us into the person we are today. God wants to use those things, and to heal us of the hurts and negative reactions which have sometimes bent us out of shape.

1. We need to have faith that God can change us for the best.

I shall never forget seeing some unfinished, indeed barely started sculptures by Michelangelo. Look at one side and they are just blocks of stone, but look at the other and you see the figure the great master perceived within the stone, which his chisel has begun to set free. That's what we are like.

The psalmist writes, "You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well." (Psalms 139:13) Indeed it is part of the encouraging message of the bible that none of us is an accident. Rather we are loving creations of God, whatever may have been our parents' view! Yes, of course, the bible clearly reminds us that we are sinners, in whom the image of God has been spoiled, but we each have the potential to become his children, and to be changed by him into something wonderful. St John, speaking of Jesus, proclaims that, "to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God." (John 1v12) God offers you and me the right to be his children - we have only to respond to his free gift in trust & commitment. We heard today St Paul tell the Ephesians that as his children God wants us to "come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4v13) My key verse for today says, "But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15) Do you believe God wants to change you for the best? Let us ask him to give us that faith.

2. We need to believe God can heal us from hurt.

There's a Chinese proverb which says, "The diamond cannot be polished without friction, nor the man perfected without trials." Each and every one of us has been scratched, dented, bruised, wounded by things that have happened in our lives. For some of us the scars go very deep or the wounds are still raw.

Jesus said that he came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19v10). He chose as the manifesto for his ministry these words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Luke 4:18) The gospels are full of stories of Jesus bringing healing to people, not just physically, but in every way, and he has not changed. We need to come to him, like the father of a boy with epilepsy and say, as he did, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) God wants to take each experience we have undergone and turn it to good in our lives. St Paul proclaims, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) That can be your experience as it is mine. Perhaps you need support in bringing to God prayerfully the negative things in your life, so he can heal them and turn them to good. Please do ask me or another Christian for that - it will be our privilege to share with you.

3. We must co-operate with God to grow aright.

Our Old Testament reading today (Bible:Psalm+119:65-72) reminded us that God has given us a manual, a guidebook to show us how to grow aright, which is the bible. In it we read the stories of the failures and successes of others, so we can learn from their examples. We read God's commands for right living. We find the resources he has to heal us and reshape us for the better. The psalmist declares, "You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees." (Psalm 119v68) We must read and apply God's words to us through the bible if we want to grow up aright.

In our second reading today (Bible:Eph+4:1-16) we heard St Paul teach that we must humbly depend, not on our own efforts, but on the Holy Spirit working within us. He it is who brings into our lives God's grace (undeserved goodness) and gifts. Paul also says we need to share with other Christians, because we can only attain maturity together - we were not designed to be self-sufficient. We must, he says, learn to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4v15). We need to meet together on Sundays like this and in smaller groups to help each other grow.

We have to both receive the goodness of God and commit ourselves to him - to live our lives with Jesus as both our Saviour and our Lord - if we are to grow aright. In Jesus God offers us all the resources we need and his total commitment, but we do have to co-operate with him, which means committing fully to him. Our Church is here to help us each in this. God is committed to helping us to grow, even thought it takes time. So let me end with two quotes.

It's reported that Michelangelo was at work on one of his sculptures when a friend came to see him, who said, "I can't see any difference in that statue since I came here a week ago. Have you not been doing any work all the week?" "Yes," said the sculptor, "I have retouched this part, softened this feature, strengthened this muscle, and put more life into that limb." "But those are only trifles," said the friend. "True," said Michelangelo, "but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

"A root set in the finest soil, in the best climate, and blessed with all that sun, air and rain can do for it, is not in so sure a way of its growth to perfection, as every man may be, whose spirit aspires after all that which God is ready and infinitely desirous to give him. For the sun meets not the springing bud hat stretches towards him with half that certainty, as god, the source of all good communicates himself to the soul that longs to partake of him." (William Law)