Anchor Verses: John 10:10, Galatians 5:22-23
The Good Life: A life full of spiritual fruit
- New Year’s Resolutions:
- Here’s what to aim for: Galatians 5:22-23
- Think of the best people you know. What qualities do they possess?
- What is the same about all of them: consistency
A Faulty Circuit: Why do we fail to experience transformation?
- Rosh Hashanah (September 22-24)
- Repentance, prayer, and charity
- Repentance: asking for forgiveness
- Prayer: communing with God
- Charity: actions that are evidence of our faith
- We often miss the first part, and without true repentance, the prayer and charity mean little
- Taping a mango to a tree
- Matthew 21:18-20
- “It’s one thing to lack fruit out of season (out of ignorance or inexperience). It’s another thing to lack it while pretending you have it.” Greg Lanier.
- If there is something wrong with the fruit, you don’t tend to the fruit, you tend to the soil
What’s Gone Wrong? False Foundations.
- Misunderstanding Suffering
- Matthew 16:21-23
- Sanctification/spiritual formation is uncomfortable
- Your flesh is uncomfortable because it is seeking pleasure in the here and now. Why? Because it’s not going with you to eternity!
- Sanctification/spiritual formation is preparing us for the life beyond this one
- 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
- Notice it doesn’t say the amount of your work will be assessed, but the quality of your work
- Projects around the house
- Projects for myself are w/e
- Projects for my wife are of excellence
- False Understandings
- If you do this, you’re going to hell…
- I’m a good person…
- You didn’t get this or that because you didn’t believe enough or pray hard enough
- Isaiah 55:8-9
- Ephesians 2:8-9
- Romans 8:28
Application
- “It shouldn’t be this hard!”
- A 15 minute Bible study is going to do little to undo hours of scrolling, lustful imaginings, angry outbursts, or self gratification.
- Spiritual formation is not an option: Matthew 16:24-26
- Losing your life looks like refusing to be satisfied with taping fruit to the branches and instead putting in the work to tend to the soil of your soul to produce real fruit
- Starting your day off in prayer shows you put His priorities first
- Reading the word shows you desire to know Him and His will for your life
- Serving shows you value His will over your own
- What quality of work are you willing to give to God? Gold and silver quality? Or sticks and dirt? Your leftovers?
- Meditate on Matthew 16:24-26 this week. Ask God what areas of your life do you need to give up. Are you shouldering your cross, or are you hoping someone will come do it for you?
