Prune What? ...Week 4

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
–John 15: 1-2 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is contingent upon what seeds we sow.

We have been using this Lenten journey to focus on our seeds-what are we sowing?  We have also examined our behavior by questioning ourselves "water what"?  Now, it's time to dig deeper in this journey with the question:

Prune WHAT?

Jesus begins the 15th chapter of John in a very pointed way by allowing us as believers to face a major fact.  Now, this fact is helpful and sobering...we are NOT in charge!  Whew.  Major weight lifted right?

For those who juggle the control gene like me...this is often challenging.  We trust God, and we want to maintain control.  However, in this Lenten season, we must relinquish control.  We are not in charge.  Jesus is the vine.  The Father is the gardener.  We are the branches.  Period, sis.  Period, bro.  

So, what will you do with this reality?
We must give God something to PRUNE!

The option is simple: cut off OR pruned.

To be pruned means that we will endure seasons where we are trimmed back and parts of us are cut off.  This means the strained relationships, job challenges, tough decisions are all from the Gardener.  God is pruning!  As God prunes, we will become even more productive...even more fruitful. And that's our goal for the Lenten season...Sow righteous seeds so that we can produce fruit of righteousness.

This week, I challenge us to give God something to prune.  Surrender your control.  Surrender your worry.  Surrender your STUFF...so that the Gardener can prune your branches and make you even more productive in season.
 

 

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  As we continue in this journey, help us to give you something to prune.  God, we do not want to be cut off from You.  We do not want to be seen as fruitless.  Help us to relinquish our control so that You can get the glory in us.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Water What? ...Week 3

“A good [person] brings good things out of the good stored up in [their] heart, and an evil [person] brings evil things out of the evil stored up in [their] heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
–Luke 6:45 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is contingent upon what seeds we sow.

During the first and second weeks of Lent, we worked to answer the question: Sow What?  What will you sow this Lenten season?

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us begin to water the righteous seeds that we have purposed to sow.  How do we water?

While speaking about "Tree and Fruit," Jesus said:  A good [person] brings things out of the good stored up in [their] heart...

This affirmation about sowing and reaping offered by Jesus reminds us that we can only water what we have placed inside of us.  Additionally, what we place inside of us BECOMES US!  Hey, I didn't say it.  Jesus did!

A good[person] brings goodthings...
an evil[person] brings evilthings...

This is the time in our Lenten journey to question:

Water what???
What am I watering?

Prayerfully, we are watering "GOOD":  that which is acceptable and approved by God.  The truth of the matter is we know what we are watering, so let's fix it.  Fix the areas of our lives where we are tempted to water "evil": that which is not acceptable or approved by God.  If we are unsure about whether we are watering good or bad, just listen to what comes from our mouth:  "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Water what???

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  As we continue this Lenten journey, please make us sensitive to the seeds we are sowing/the person we are becoming.  As we pay more attention to our seeds, we pray that You will give us the strength to water them daily and to demonstrate it in what we say.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sow What? ...Week 1

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.”
–Proverbs 11:30 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is continent upon what seeds we sow.  During this first week of Lent, I challenge us to answer the question: Sow What?

What will you sow this Lenten season?
 

The proverb affirms that when we sow righteous seeds, we prepare for fruit.  These fruit are made of seeds, and these seeds produce a tree of life.  It is somewhat of a full circle that never stops giving...never stops producing...and we never stop reaping!

So....sow what?  What will you sow this Lenten season through your fasting? What will you sacrifice?  What will you plant inside your heart and spirit?

Spend this week contemplating and writing intentionally about your Lenten "seed sowing".  Next week, we will work to water them.
 

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  We recognize that we need preparation for the glory that You will reveal in our lives.  Help us to daily seek you over the first 7 days of this Lenten season.  Help us to hear you as you reveal the seeds that we should sow in our lives. Help us to trust you while we wait.  In Jesus' name, Amen.