Trust In God's Process - Mark 4:26-29

S. Mark 4:26-29 “He (Jesus) also said, ‘ This is what the Kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain - first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest is ripe.”

O. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God involves a process of planting, growth and harvesting. There is our part and then there is God’s part. WE are to plant, wait and be ready to harvest. The waiting can be difficult because we want results right now. Jesus teaches diligence, faith and readiness.

A. I am one who likes to see instant results - but I realize time is involved. There is a process to follow.

“Trust the process” is a contemporary term - yet it is also a Kingdom term. k

God has a process for His work. He desires for those whom He saves, gifts and calls, to do their part, but not the “whole part.” We are to practice diligence with our gifts, faith that God will work and readiness to harvest or to bring about what God has prepared.

P. Thank you Father for this word today. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me to go where you want me to go, to plant seeds (diligence), to trust the Father’s process (faith) and to be ready for the harvest. In Jesus’ name!

Jesus Offers A Fresh Expansive New Life - Mark 2:21-22

S. Mark 2:21-22 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour the new wine into new wineskins.”

O. Jesus teaches this parable that at a wedding new wineskins and new would be called for. Old wine skins become brittle and are not expansive, thereby potentially bursting, which would not be good at a wedding. However the teaching goes deeper to show that Jesus brings us new life. The Holy Spirit is very much a part of the new life as he indwells us and fills us giving us the potential for a fresh, expansive or abundant life.

Jesus brings this fresh, new expansive life which is incompatible with the old, the keeping of the law and the desires of the flesh.

A. Jesus wants us to enjoy the fulness of the new life He now offers us. He does not want us to live according to the desires of the flesh but to enjoy a new life, with the Holy Spirit filling us, giving us a new hope, a new direction.. truly a fresh, expansive life.

P. Thank you Father for your word today. I do desire to live with the newness, freshness and expansiveness of the Holy Spirit filling me and guiding me.

Leading Through A Storm - Acts 27:34-36

S. Acts 27:34-36 “Now I (Paul) urge you to take some food. You need to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.”

O. Though a prisoner, Paul models leadership. It was natural/supernatural for him. He takes the lead in encouraging others to eat. He broke bread. He prayed. They followed his lead and were encouraged. When you know what your gifts are that God has given you, use them. Don’t take a backseat. Don’t hide your gifts. If Use your gifts. God gives us gifts to build people up spiritually, to bring encouragement. In Paul’s case, his gifting was apostolic leadership, so he just did what God had gifted him to do.

A. I love reading about leaders and seeing them in action. I enjoy this because I know God has given me a gift of leadership to serve others with. However, your gifting might be in another area. Use your gifts, no matter where you find yourself and no matter what season of life. Use your gifts to build others up and provide encouragement to them.

P. Thank you Father for Paul’s example of using his gifting of leadership to save and encourage others. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me to deploy my gifts that I might serve, build up and encourage others. In Jesus’ name!