THE FRUITFUL LIFE
What Will I Be Remembered For?
Index:
Days 1-7: The Fruit of the Vine
Days 2-14: The Fruit of the Spirit
Days 15-21: The Fruit of Experience
Days 22-28: The Fruit of Values
Days 29-35: The Fruit of the Disciplines
Days 36-40: The Fruit of Multiplication
Introduction:
Ì
You're Invited!
There's
nothing quite like hearing those words...
A 6-year
old on a boringly muggy day gets a mailed invitation to his best friend's
birthday party at the end of June. The
licensed characters on the card say "You're Invited"
in crayon style first-grader letters.
The kid wakes up every day for weeks asking if the party is that
day. Swimming pool! Presents!
Cake! Ice cream! And he's invited.
A teenager
wondering about her popularity at school gets a creative personalized e-mail
from the super-popular homecoming queen she barely knows. "You're Invited!" It's an after game get together on Friday
night that everyone cool will be at. She starts shopping for a new outfit that
very afternoon with her mother.
A college
girl 6 months into dating the guy of her dreams gets a phone call from his
mother. The mom talks about how serious
the two seem to be getting, then mentions the big extended family Christmas get
together they have every year – "You're Invited!" Her mind races as she tries not to think too
much about what the ring will look like on her hand.
Allison and
Trevor decide to go to church for the first time. They don't know anyone. They're nervous about their three kids
causing trouble in the service. They
nearly leave for embarrassment when one of them makes a funny noise during the
prayer. But after the service the couple
sitting behind them says Hi and strikes up a conversation. When Allison tells
them they are new the nice couple brings up that they love having people over
after church each week. "You're
invited today!" That very hour
they connect with the VanStalk family over a meal…
they’ve been a part of that church for 11 years.
Red and
Joan are empty nesters. Ned only sees
his neighbors when he mows his lawn. And
Joan only sees them when she gets the mail.
One day a new couple moves into their cul-de-sac. After getting settled the new couple, Phil
& Jennifer, come over to introduce them selves. Before long Phil & Jennifer call them up
saying, “You’re invited over for dinner.” Red and Joan make their first friends in the
neighborhood and go to a new small group Phil bregan
in their living room a few months later.
Tim's wife
Julia passed away 10 years ago. They
would have had their 50 year anniversary this coming December. He doesn't believe in going to church and
works in the yard on Sundays instead.
But several people of all ages in his duplex neighborhood have been
really nice to him, even though he suspects they're just trying to get him to
be religious like they are. They all go
to the big church on the corner Tim doesn't care much for. One day in November three of them come over
and hand him a big flyer. It says "You're
Invited to Tim & Julia's 50th Anniversary Party." He never saw it coming and can't believe they
even knew about it. In December his neighbors throw a big bash and get him to
pull out his old photos of Julia and remember the best of times of his life
with her.
You're Invited. You gotta love those words!
You're
invited right now.
First of
all, you're invited to a party. Two
thousand years ago Jesus was sitting in a crowd one day when he told a story
about a party that you're already invited to (Matthew 22:1-14; Rev 19:7). The story Jesus told basically goes like
this: There was a King whose son was getting married. He was going to throw a party with a huge banquet
that no one would want to miss out on if they knew what it would be like. The king sent out "You're
invited" cards to many people in the land, the people that already
knew the King. When the wedding banquet
was about to begin he sent out his messengers to remind all the invited people
to come to the party. Those he had
invited either ignored the reminder because they were too busy or even grabbed
the messengers to beat and kill them.
The king retaliated for these slights and crimes, and the
group that was invited but didn’t come never saw the huge banquet. The king then told his remaining messengers
to "go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you
find." Jesus said that the
messengers gathered all kinds of people that were willing to come to the
party—good people and bad people—and the wedding hall was then packed with
people. (***Return to this story later
in the book - the part about wearing the right clothes in
This is
the party that you are invited to. You
already have an invitation. If you have
forgotten what it's all about then this is your reminder. Jesus is the King's son and he wants us all
at the party. In a variety of ways all
of us, good and bad, are invited to come.
We just have to get ready and show up for the festivities. If you haven't accepted this part of the
invitation I'd like you to spend a week thinking about
it, then decide whether or not you'd like to get ready for the party in
Heaven. At the end of this week’s devotional
readings there is a prayer you can pray to start your party preparations.
There's
more to the invitation. This invitation
we've been given is what they call an "open invitation." We can pass it on to others. Think of it as an e-mail that you can easily
forward on to other people in your contact list. Or like a big stack of invitations to the
party that were sent to you with the postage already paid. You've just got to hand them out to people
you know.
The second
part of this invitation means passing it on.
It means telling others, “You’re invited too.” We instinctively know this – we sense all the
time that we should increase our efforts to get more people, good and bad, to
that party in heaven. The problem is
that we're frustrated with the results.
Much we've tried hasn't seemed to work.
Other ideas we’ve never tried because it seemed so far out of our
personality. Many things we've sensed we
should do have seemed way too difficult and strange. We see so much risk and failure in inviting others
to Jesus' party—and so we start to think the professional messengers
should just do it instead of us. You
know who the professional messengers are: the pastors and the priests
and the missionaries. But we don't like
this. We sense that is not the way The
King wants it. We sense that we’re
messengers too. We wonder if some of the
people we know, good and bad, won’t be at the party in heaven.
Which is the reason for the third part of this invitation. You're invited to get the most of this
book by fully engaging with it. If
you do you can radically change the number of people at that party because of
your life. Here's some real life ways to
begin to fully engage in The Fruitful Life:
·
Participate in the 40 Days of Fruitfulness
with the whole church—There's something special when a
whole crowd of people get pumped up about something God is doing in all of them
at the same time. Prayer and fasting as
a larger community over these issues helps deepen the impact while everyone
does it together.
·
Meet for 6 straight weeks with a small group and
discuss these issues in your own way. This could be your current small group, a
Bible study, a class, an accountability group or even just a group of 8 friends
(good or bad) or 5 couples. Write the
names of who you can do this with here:
·
Read one chapter a day. If you don't already have a set time each day
to pause to pray, read or journal, this is the time to start. Your group will be great encouragement to
each other in this. There are 40
chapters here. If you get behind, catch
up right away to experience the same concepts with others at the same
time. If you finish a chapter early,
don't read ahead. Just look more into
the Bible passages mentioned, journal or if you must just re-read the same day's
chapter. If you find yourself getting
ahead then take time along the way to dig deeper into the suggested resources
listed with each chapter. Again,
experience this with others at the same pace and it will deepen the impact.
Are you
ready to accept the invitation? For the
next 40 days lets take a look at what the Bible really
says about fruit in our lives.
1
Ì
Getting Connected To Christ
It’s all
about your connection to Christ.
The most important
thing you will be remembered for is how connected you were to Jesus
Christ. The legacy you leave behind on
planet earth will be a direct result of the quality of this connection in your
life. The reason is that nothing of
lasting value happens outside of Christ.
Notice the word, “lasting” there.
That’s the operative term.
There are
many valuable things to spend your time with.
I mow my grass most Saturdays.
It’s a valuable use of my time.
The Saturdays I skip mowing the lawn reinforce this value. When it grows so tall that the neighborhood
kids play hide and go seek in the thick stuff I am reminded that mowing the
lawn is an important thing to do. My value for lawn-mowing increases. So I do it.
It has some value in life, perhaps even more value than I have for it,
the children lost in the tall grass might say.
However, mowing my lawn doesn’t have lasting value. It isn’t an eternal value.
Eternal
values are the things that last. The ones
that really matter after your time on earth is
done. And these lasting values flow
directly from Christ. I can’t do much of
lasting value on my own. But the Bible
tells us I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. It’s my connection to Jesus that enables,
empowers and energizes me to do things of lasting value. The lawn-mowing things of the world I can
(and should) do in my spare strength and time.
No other
connection counts like this connection.
I know some people who are pretty well connected. In fact, a few of them are what you would
call “name-droppers.” These are the
people that continually work into conversations what famous person they
happened to be talking to earlier. They
always work to make these name-dropping times very casual, “Oh, the other day I
was talking to so-and-so-famous-person and they said…” Sometimes I like to mess with these people
and say to them, “You know, the other day the Pope, Bono, the President and I
were having coffee, and they said…”
But having connections really does help in life. Who you know is so
important in finding work and getting what we want that we are naturally
envious of people with better connections than us, and work hard to develop
better connections ourselves. I
feel this way myself all the time. I
wonder, “If I only knew that person or more people in that field, then I’d
really do something to be remembered for.”
The problem is that all these connections count for nothing when it
comes to eternal things. They don’t
count in what we should be remembered for most.
Who
you know will still count. But there’s
only one person to know. It won’t matter
how much you knew your pastor, how much you know about Bible stories, or what
important Christian person you are a fan of.
When the end comes it’s all about your connection to Christ. He’s the only name we can drop to get into
heaven. The only problem for us
name-droppers is he’ll be there to confirm or deny whether we actually knew
him.
OUR
CONNECTION TO “THE LEAST”
Jesus
told another story that relates to that very moment and it is recorded for us
in the book of Matthew 25:31-46. In this
story Jesus tells us that one day he will sit on his throne in heaven and
divide all the people who ever lived into two groups. Jesus calls one of these groups “goats” and
the other group “sheep.” Now, it’s a
tough choice here because personally, I wouldn’t like to be either a sheep or a
goat. But that’s what Jesus calls
them. Then Jesus will tell the sheep on
his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to
eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Well,
this comes as quite a shock to the “sheep” Jesus tells us. They don’t recall ever doing any of those
things to Jesus. Nearly all of them have
never laid eyes on Jesus before that day anyway. So as a group they ask Jesus, when did we do any of those things to you?
Jesus answers, “I tell you the truth, whatever you
did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you
did for me.” Jesus makes it clear that
when these “sheep” met people’s needs – even strangers – here on earth they
were in effect doing it for Him! And so
those on his right get to spend eternity with him. There was actual fruit in their lives of
following him—so He gives them their reward.
Then Jesus turns to those on his right, the
“goats.” Now, you have to wonder why
this group doesn’t see it coming. They
just watched all the sheep get rewarded, and they’re in the “other group” and
Jesus is calling them “goats” and all.
But the pattern continues with one slight twist. Jesus says to them, “Depart from me, you who
are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you did not give me something to
eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not cloth me, I was
sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”
This
also comes as quite a shock to the “goats.”
They don’t recall ever having the opportunity to help Jesus out of these
problems. You would remember something
like that. If Jesus called me up on the
phone and said, “Hey, I’m sick and in prison and I could use a good meal and
something to quench my thirst. Could you
stop by, and bring me a change of clothes – I don’t have any.” I would remember that! The “goats” protest and as a group ask Jesus,
when did we not do those things to help you?
Jesus
answers, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of
these, you did not do for me.”
This
is a hard thing for us to hear. If we’re
honest, we’ll admit that most of us don’t do these things for others much at
all. Yet Jesus plainly tells us this
will happen and we aren’t phased by it? Something must be wrong. Do we really think that things have changed
since then? Do we really believe that
other religious rituals have taken the place of these kinds of fruit?
Actually,
we likely haven’t thought about it enough.
The idea makes us feel to guilty—so we choose to ignore it. We move on to other religious activities that
fill the void of this kind of fruit. We
choose the Christian fruit that we can manage more easily: going to church,
acting like polite Christians, not sinning in public, displaying Christian
items in our homes or workplaces or vehicles.
These “evidences” of being a “sheep” are more manageable to us. They help us “feel” like we have Christian
fruit in our lives.
But
Jesus didn’t ask the goats what kind of bumper stickers they had. He asked what things of lasting value they
had done. He was only concerned about
eternal fruit.
Its not that these other evidences are wrong—it’s
just that they don’t count like our connection to Christ. What Jesus cares about is that we are
connected to him with the kind of intensity that it really shows in the way we
live our lives. That’s what eternal
fruit is all about. It’s fruit that
lasts!
2
Ì
Spiritual
Formation for Ordinary People
Don’t
worry…you can do it!
That first
chapter may have bothered you a bit. It
might have even poured a little more guilt on your already burdened back. You might be wondering, “I really don’t need
even more of this guilt in my life.”
You’re right. But
did need that reminder for a moment.
Jesus told that story about what counts most to him – so it was worth
our time to start there.
But how do
we get there?
That’s the
key question for us now. How does an ordinary
person get connected to Christ in such a way that lasting fruit they’ll be
remembered for is a constant part of their lives? This question alone is a really good reason
for the Church to exist. For
two-thousand years followers of Jesus Christ have gathered together and asked
versions of this question of one another and worked on ways to make it
happen. We call that “the church.” Drawing upon all of that history from great
Christians and Christian movements in the past that figured it out way better
than you and I can (which is to say you and I are not making this stuff up
ourselves) this seems to be the general answer to that question, in reverse
order and stated as simply as possible:
HOW DO ORDINARY PEOPLE GET CONNECTED TO CHRIST AND
SHOW LASTING FRUIT?
Ordinary
people become so intensely connected in Christ that in all they do they show
the fruit of that connection.
But in
order to get that connected in Christ…
Ordinary
people first need to experience long phases of growth in their connection to
Christ so that their power in life truly comes from Christ. [ADD::: Paul’s
childbirth pains.
[ADD::: Communion note again].
[ADD::: Relying on Christ alone.]
But in
order to grow in this connection…
Ordinary
people first need to leave behind anything that hinders them in their
relationship with Christ. [ADD::: Freedom in Christ.
[ADD::: Idolatry. Relying on own strength is rooted out.
But in
order to leave these things behind…
Ordinary people first need to cross the line and commit to Jesus Christ
as their Savior.
[ADD::: Baptism. [ADD::: Communion.
But in
order to cross that line and commit…
Ordinary
people first have to come to grips with their sin. Realizing that we have all sinned is the key,
confessing that opens the lock, and asking for forgiveness of that sin pushes
the door wide open.
But in
order to come to grips with their sin…
Ordinary people first need to be walked through all the above by someone
who loves them. We often call
this evangelism. We also call it discipleship. In the end they both have the same starting
point and ending point, so it’s kind of hard to distinguish between the
two. Jesus told us to go and make
disciples and that seems to imply both ideas in one. So let’s begin to think that way again. Don’t be someone “into” evangelism. Don’t be “more of a discipleship person than
an evangelist.” Jesus didn’t draw a line
between the two, so we shouldn’t. We
should focus on walking with other ordinary people through this whole process,
from beginning to end. Romans 10:14-15
says, “How, then, can they
call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone
preaching it to them? And how can they
preach unless they are sent? As it is
written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who
bring good news!’” So, it’s all up to
you and your beautiful feet! No
pressure!
3
Ì
What Does It Mean To Abide?
[3. What Does it Mean to Abide? The cycle
of abiding - he abides in us too
Christ in Me - I in Christ rubric (Augustine at Lord's
Supper = "Receive what you are, and become what you already were.") John 15 esp 4]
You’re just
a branch.
One day
Jesus sat down with his disciples and explained what his relationship is
supposed to look like. In the book of
John in chapter 15 he briefly shares one of the most beautiful word pictures
ever conceived. What he shares is the
absolute core of what it means to have a relationship with Him. And what he shares is the absolute key to The
Fruitful Life.
Take the
time right now to read what he said here:
“I am the
true vine, and my Father is the gardener….
[ADD: John
15 passage]
…This is my
command: love each other.”
Wow! It’s going to take us at least another 37
days to truly comprehend the meaning of what Jesus says here. Isn’t that always the way Jesus works. He says just a little bit and then we’re
caught thinking it through for so long afterwards. The original 12 disciples felt this way all
the time – so we’re not in bad company.
We’ll just do what they did: ask a lot of questions and be patient with
God and ourselves as we live out the answers.
The first
big question we have has to do with the nouns.
By nouns I’m speaking of the whole word picture itself. How do vines, branches and gardeners work
anyway? Most of us don’t have vineyards
growing in our back yards so we need to know a bit more.
The second
big question has to do with the verbs.
By verbs I’m speaking of the word “remain”? What does Jesus mean by that. He says it over and over in this talk with
his disciples. It’s the key verb of the
entire idea. It all hinges on
“remaining.” We better figure that out.
[ADD::: Word study on Abiding/Remaining]
4
Ì
Rechargeable Batteries or Extension
Cords?
Your power comes
from your connection.
Here’s a big secret for you that shouldn’t be a real shock: You are powerless on your own, if you haven’t figured that out in life yet. All of your frustrations in life come from trying to take control over things you have no power to control. And what has drawn you most to God of anything was getting to the place where you admitted this powerlessness and gone to Him to get you through. This is why the biggest crises of your life have made you think the most about God. This is contrary to our human logic. You would think that tough times would make us run from God. Yes, sometimes people use the worst things in their lives to shut out God and the world – but over time, or many times in the privacy of their own minds, they are asking God for help.
But even after you’ve admitted your powerlessness over things you can’t control you can drift into depending on yourself and others for strength. You forget that your power comes from your connection to Christ.
I like
tools. I’m a man, so that is nearly
mandatory. I especially like
drills. Drills are very manly. They’re like hammers in their manliness. Except they are even better, because they
also include a little thing called “power.”
When holding a power drill I can see myself taking apart or putting
together anything in my entire household.
I’ve found the first task to be easier than the second… but anyway,
that’s how it makes me feel.
But for
years I had this wimpy little power drill with a rechargeable battery. The bottom of the drill would slide out and I
would put it in a plug-in station where it would charge up after it ran out of
“juice” as I always call it. That was
the theory, at least. It had two
problems, however. First, would always
forget to recharge the battery when I was done with a big job. After I was done doing some incredibly manly
project for my wife, I would toss the drill in my pile of tools and go watch
football. I would forget to
recharge. Then when I wanted to use it
again for even a simple little screw turning job it would make that depressing
winding down noise and I would have to complain to my wife about not getting
the job done. Secondly, the drill also
had a “memory problem.” You may know
what I’m talking about here if you own an older digital camera or video camera,
or, if you happen to have had this same drill I had. Some rechargeable batteries have a “memory,”
I’m told. They tell me (and by “they”
I mean, “men more manly than me”) that these batteries remember at what
point they were recharged the last time.
So if I had 75% of my power used up when I recharged the battery, then
the next time I used it the battery would begin to shut down with 25% of it’s “juice” still left.
Not having enough man-smarts to understand this, nor the patience to
stand for 30 minutes running out the last bit of juice, I would recharge the
battery before all it’s juice was out. So, after several years using my wimple
powerless drill it would max out when recharging with only about 3% of it’s power potential.
I could lock the gears and then manually turn the whole drill around in
circles to drill in a screw but that’s about all it was good for—a very heavy
and elaborate screw driver.
During
these days of powerless drill problems I would reminisce of the days when I was
a little boy and my father would go into the garage to get his power
drill. He would come back with a little
case of drill bits and the most massive and simple drill in the world. It was mostly the color of plain silver
steel, as though any decorations or color would have offended its
manufacturer. It had only one button,
which was the trigger. No adjustments
needed. It had one speed: “Super-Manly
Speed.” All it could do was drill a hole
to
His drew it’s power through an extension cord. Sure—he lost a bit of independence because of
that. He couldn’t go out into a field
far away from the house and drill things.
But since 99% of the time we were in the garage or the house with
outlets everywhere that didn’t matter.
His drill—decades older than mine—worked so well because it was directly
connected to the source of power!
Are you?
Christian
culture today has become largely rechargeable.
We ask people to stop in from time to time to church building and get
their spiritual batteries recharged. We
file in, hook up, charge up, then head out. We’re independent. We think this system makes us more versitle, more able to take our faith wherever we
want. But too often we forget to
recharge. We feel worn out in nearly
every way. Our spiritual recharge memory
lets so much at church go in one ear and out the other. We don’t “get as much out of” church as we
used to. We don’t feel fed enough. Early in the week we hear our spiritual
battery making that depressing winding down sound.
We need to
get back to the extension cord method as Christians. We need to be directly connected to the
source of power! We may feel like we
lose a bit of independence by being so 100% dependent on Christ, but we won’t
miss it. Our independence is only giving
us headaches because of too much responsibility. We need a simple and full-time connection to
Christ. Then when we go to our churches
it’s not to “get something out of it”… it’s to “give something to it.” And when we reach out to those around us we
won’t be caught winding down on our own batteries, we’ll transfer the power of
Christ directly to them from the source.
Now that
sounds pretty manly to me too!
[ADD: John 15:5-6 reference
5
Ì
Spiritual Pruning
5. Spiritual Pruning Cutbacks and do-overs
in your spiritual journey
The thorns (Heart
Issues) in your life that hold back your evangelistic fruitfulness John 15:6
6
Ì
The Proof of Fruit
6. The Proof of Fruit The automatic
result of a connected life: New Believers - the proof is in the pudding
The Hard
Truth - no fruit = need for more connectedness with Christ. John 15:7-8
7
Ì
The Ultimate Fruit: Love
7. The Ultimate Fruit: LOVE How authentic love is impossible
for the unconnected life
How the fruitful
life connected to the vine results in what we all want - true love
The secret
path to joy as love (
Hosea 10:12
8
Ì
Love in a World of Hate
8. Love Jude 1:12 -
without fruit at the love feasts Gal
5:22
1 Cor 13
9
Ì
Joy in a World Chasing Happiness
9. Joy Isaiah 16:9
- joy stilled with unripe fruit Gal
5:22
10
Ì
Peace in a World of Conflict
10. Peace Isaiah 32:17
- The fruit of righteousness will be peace Gal
11
Ì
Patience in a World of Hurry
11. Patience David
waiting to become king
Jesus'
patience with the 12
Patience in
relational evangelism Gal
12
Ì
Kindness & Goodness in a World of
Evil
12. Kindness & Goodness Ephesians 5:9 - For the fruit of
the light consists in all goodness Gal
13
Ì
Faithfulness in a World of Broken
Promises
13. Faithfulness Psalm 30:9 - who will proclaim your faithfulness Gal
14
Ì
Gentleness & Self-Control in a
World of Rage
14. Gentleness & Self-Control Jeremiah
THE FRUIT OF EXPERIENCE
15
Ì
Responding to Crisis
15. Responding to Crisis Often times it is a crisis
in our lives which changes our lives forever.
We all face crisis, it's how we respond to it that makes that change a
good one or a bad one.
16
Ì
Cross-Cultural
16. Cross-Cultural Mission Nothing changes the way we
view the world like getting out into a different part of the world.
17
Ì
Being Developed
17. Being Developed Those that have developed you, invested the most in you, they are the ones that made you who you are today.
18
Ì
Developing Brokenness
18. Developing Brokenness God needs brokenness - example of
David (Saul & Absalom)
God creates
brokenness in us - example of Jesus (GOGesemane)
Beating the
Trees - Phillip Gully tale James
19
Ì
Developing Character
19. Developing Character Who is pushing your
character buttons?
Do they see
in you what they want to become?
20
Ì
Developing Authenticity
20. Developing Authenticity The ONE WAY to becoming the REAL
DEAL
Going through
it before telling others to
21
Ì
Don’t Spend Your Life—Invest It
21. Developing People Do more than experience your experiences - translate
them for others.
Connecting
with Their Story
Telling
Your Story
Pointing to
God's Story
THE FRUIT OF VALUES
22
Ì
What Does It Mean To Be Prayer
Immersed?
22. What does it mean to be prayer-immersed? QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Have we
prayed about this?
How have we
prayed about this?
How long
have we prayed?
Ezra 8:23
Matthew
Luke 6:12
Acts
Philippians
4:6-7
Colossians
4:2-5
Hebrews
4:16
James
5:13-16
23
Ì
What Does It Mean To Be Biblically
Grounded?
23. What does it mean to be biblically
grounded?
Is this
consistent with God's Word and ways?
Is this
truthful?
Will this
last?
Ezra 7:10
Psalm
119:105
Isaiah
55:8-11
2 Timothy
3:16-17
Hebrews
4:12
24
Ì
What Does It Mean To Be God-Led?
24. What does it mean to be God-led?
Is God at
work in this?
Are we
joining God in His work?
Is God
exalted in this?
Is this God
honoring and reflective of His glory?
Are we
giving God our all?
Are we
willingly following?
Proverbs
3:5-6; 16:3
Isaiah
30:21
John 5:17
Ephesians
2:10; 5:1
Philippians
2:13
1 Peter
2:21
Colossians
3:17, 24
25
Ì
What Does It Mean To Share Life As a
Team in Community?
25. What does it mean to share life as a
team in community?
Are we
doing this together?
Are
relationships developing as we serve?
Are we
deeply sharing life together?
Are we using
our God-given gifts?
Acts
2:42-47
Romans
12:4-13
1
Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27
Ephesians
4:1-6, 11-16
Hebrews
10:23-25
26
Ì
What Does It Mean To Be Encouraging
and Joy-Filled?
26. What does it mean to be encouraging
and joy- filled
Are we building
each other up?
Do we have
a positive attitude?
Is this
increasing our joy?
Are we
having fun?
Nehemiah
8:10
Proverbs
12:25
Philippians
4:4, 8
1
Thessalonians 5:16-18
Hebrews
3:13
27
Ì
What Does It Mean To Have High
Belief & Trust?
27. What does it mean to have high belief
and trust?
Are we
valuing people?
Are we
empowering people for effective ministry?
Is this and
are we real and authentic?
1 Samuel
23:16
Isaiah 12:2
1 Timothy 6:11-16
Hebrews
11:6; 12:1a
28
Ì
What Does It Mean To Be Love
Consumed?
28. What does it mean to be Love-consumed?
Does this
increase our love for God and each other?
Do we have
a deep empathy for those in need?
Are we
accepting of each other with personal accountability?
Are we
choosing to speak the truth in love?
Do we
resolve conflicts?
Are we free
of gossip?
Matthew
22:36-40
John 13:35
1
Corinthians 13:4-8
Ephesians
4:14-16; 29-32
Philippians
1:9-11
1 John
3:16-18; 4:7-8
THE FRUIT OF THE DISCIPLINES
7 Habits of Highly
Fruitful People:
29
Ì
Prayer
29. One - Prayer Developing a heart for the lost by praying for the
lost
Your
circles of connection to the lost Matthew
9:38 - the Lord of the Harvest
30
Ì
Fasting
30. Two - Fasting Going without to create focus - becoming an extreme
Christian Mark 9:29 -
only by prayer and fasting
Matt 4:2
Joel 2:12
3
Ì
Confession
31. Three - Confession Hebrews 13:15 - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually
offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Confession
in the Community of Christ
Confession
to the Community you Live In (Blue Like Jazz story of the "Confession
Booth") James 5:16
1 John 1:9
32
Ì
Meditation
32. Four - Meditation My Words Remain in You - how memorizing, meditating
and mediating the scripture revolutionizes evangelism John 15
33
Ì
Secrecy
33. Five - Secrecy The ministry God rewards - how looking for credit in this
life robs us in the next life
How secret
servant evangelism reverses the curse of televangelism Matthew 6 - fasting, giving, etc
34
Ì
Admonition
34. Six - Admonition The real deal process of growing together toward more
fruitful lives Colossians
3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom,
35
Ì
Relationships
35. Seven - Relationships Investing - how to spend
real time with real people without "recruiting them"
Inviting -
how to make the big ask - or the little one
Inspiring -
how to help your church inspire real people
Including -
how to include real people in your community
Increasing
- how to be a part of increasing the numbers of your church daily
THE FRUIT OF MULTIPLICATION
36
Ì
Adding Fruit and Multiplying It
36. Adding Fruit and Multiplying It The need for
addition in your life
The
possibilities of multiplication in your life
What are the
fruit multipliers that increase my investment in evangelism Matthew 25 -- The Parable of the Talents -
How God Values Numbers
37
Ì
Multiplying Mentors
37. Multiplying Mentors Who are you mentoring? 1 Kings 19:19ff & 2 Kings
2:1-18
Elijah
& Elisha
38
Ì
Multiplying Disciples in Your Family
38. Multiplying Family Making disciples in your family
Parents,
siblings, spouses, children, grandchildren & extended family Luke 3:8 - producing fruit with
repentance in children
39
Ì
Multiplying Community
39. Multiplying Community Using the three legged stool
to open the doors of heaven (developing other leaders, using the open chair
& planting new groups) Matthew 22
- ensuring we are not shutting the door to heaven
40
Ì
Multiplying Churches
40. Multiplying Churches The worldwide need for
fruitful churches
The world
next door need for fruitful churches
The kind of
people that should start new churches
Are we an
Epilogue:
Ì
The Master’s Plan for Multiplying
Fruit
Epilogue:
The Master's Plan for Multiplying Fruit What is the
fruit of an apple tree? Apple? No, Tree? No, Orchard? Yes!
©2004 David Drury
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