This post is not a 'Bible' Study, but more of a 'Faith' Study.
A friend wrote me the other day, and explained what she had learned at the camp she was counseling at. Ron Luce, from 'Acquire the Fire' came and spoke to the camp about growing in their faith, and I'd like to relay what she told me.
According to Mr Luce, there are three types of people in Christianity. They are the Quitter, the Camper and the Climber. Forgive the poor art, but here is an illustration of God's Mountain:

• The quitter feels like church is a chore. They do not fully understand why their parents drag them along every Sunday. We all know one of these people. Indeed, I was one not more than two years ago today. They have been exposed to Christ their entire lives, but perhaps they never truly asked God to be a part of their life. They go through the empty motions. This type of person is very ripe for truly getting to know God better. Keep them in your prayers, and don't give up. Remember, they have gone this long without understanding, it won't be an easy transition for them.


• The next group of people is the Campers. They have asked God into their lives, and most likely grew rapidly at some point, but either tired of that, or their influence let go too quickly. They know God, but are content with staying where they are in Him. They do not wish to grow more. As it was put by my friend "They have experienced some of God, but are happy where they are." These people are considered Casual Christians, and most Christians fall into this catagory at least once in their lifetime. Indeed, I was at this stage until very recently. This is the person that has to be begged to sit down and study the Bible. They find no satisfaction in learning about the Lord, because they have no want to learn more. Many times, these people were once dependent on another person to help them grow, and hold their hand, but that person may have moved on and left them without a good influence. They soon forget that they are supposed to be climbing, and become stagnant. They are content with a 'decent' relationship with God. This description hits very close to home for me. I was dependent on another for my inspiration to study the Bible. I have since learned to enjoy it whether or not someone else is there to learn with me, or walk me through it. It is difficult to move past this stage, but once you do, it is incredible how much you learn if you backtrack your steps.


• The last type of person is the Climber. This person strives to know as much of God's word as they can. They want to see everything. They want to reach the top of God's Mountain. The Climber is the catagory that God wants us all to fit into. We should be constantly learning new things about Christ and His Word. Truly, there is no way to reach the top of the Mountain during our own lifetime, but the higher we climb, the more we see, and the more people below we can help. It is important to remember, though, that it is not a race. You cannot sprint to the top of God's Mountain. You will do nothing more than churn up dust and wear yourself out.

Please be sure to assess your own position from time to time. It is easy to forget that involvement is not necessarily commitment in Christ, and become stagnant even though you go to Church regularly.