The Saguaro Cactus grows 3 places in the world. It’s one of the most reliant cacti to drought and lives the longest. The downside to the Saguaro Cactus is that it grows painfully slow. 1 inch in a year. It doesn’t grow it first "arm" till sometime between 75-90 years old.

Measuring spiritual growth in your group can seem like watching a Saguaro Cactus grow. Of course, there are times when you seem someone come to realize a spiritual truth, submit their life to Christ, get baptized, etc. However, what’s most normal is slow, sometimes unrealized growth. Just because you aren’t witnessing extreme life change though, doesn’t mean God isn’t working.    If you were to ask Jesus about the growth of the disciples I’m sure he’d say at times he wasn’t so sure on their development. However, we see Jesus consistently, constantly, often patiently calling his group to a deeper dependence on the Lord.

 In the meantime, here’s a great prayer that Paul prayed for the people of Collosae that you can pray for your group as well.    Colossians 1:9-10  For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.