Growth Potential (Love) | Abundant Life Ministries

[Music]

St

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good morning everybody it's Sunday

morning it's time to worship together so

would you stand up on your feet with us

come on in if you're not in the

sanctuary yet let's just give the Lord

our worship this morning let's pray as

we begin together father we thank you

for this beautiful cold winter day we're

so glad we can come together in your

presence Lord your presence warms us it

fills us with light with hope with your

goodness and strength and so this

morning I thank you that you're

strengthening us you are upholding us

you're encouraging us Lord we just thank

you for the the peace and the comfort

and the joy that's pres uh that's

present here as We Gather in your name

and so Lord I pray that you would be

blessed by our time of worship this

morning that we would be uplifted as we

sing these Praises as we pray these

prayers and as we look to your word Lord

have your way in us this morning in

Jesus name we pray can you say Amen to

that church church we believe for it

don't we let's worship our King our Lord

Our God together

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today the sun to rise every morning

close the sky with the shades of his

glory wakes us with mercy and L

Jesus

does who holds the or and Comforts The

weow cries for

Injustice and KES every sorrow carries

the pain of his children Jesus

does so we sing praise to the father who

gave us the sun praise to the spirit was

living in us when I was a sin you save

me from who I

was cuz that's what

Jesus

[Music]

Hallelujah the heart of a s show his

grace over all of the

S washes us clean with his blood Jesus

does yes he

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does a song of sweet

forgiveness who stole the keys to H and

the

grave who has the power to

save Jesus

so we sing PR so we sing praise to the

father who gave us the

son praise to the spirit was living in

us when I was a sin you save me from who

I

was CU that's what

Jesus oh what a

friend Oh What A Savior he's always been

good he's always been faithful he came

to my resue when I needed him most he sa

my

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soul sing praise to the father who gave

us the son pra to the spirit was living

in us when I was a sinner you saved me

from who I

was so we sing praise to the father who

gave us the son praise to the spirit was

living in us when I was a sin you saved

me from who I was

cuz that's what Jesus

does oh we're so thankful Lord

hallelujah we give you

praise

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yeah oh what a

friend Oh What A Savior he's all always

been good he's always been faithful he

came to my resue and I need him most you

save my soul oh what a friend oh what a

friend Oh What A Savior he's always been

good he's always been faithful he came

to my resue when I needed most

you save my

soul so we sing praise to the father who

gave us the son praise to the spirit was

living in us when I was the S you saved

me from who I

was that's what Jesus

Hallelujah we thank you Lord

[Music]

you are

here moving in our

midst I worship

you I worship

you you are here

working in this

place I worship

you I worship

you you are

here moving in

our I worship

you I worship

you you are

here working in this his

praise I worship

you I worship

you you are way maker Miracle Worker

promise keeper light in the darkness my

God that is who you

are you are our way maker Miracle Worker

promise keeper

light in the darkness my God that is who

you

are you are

here touching every

heart I worship

you I worship

you you are

here healing every

heart I worship ship

you I worship

you you are

here turning eyes

around I worship

you I worship

you you are

here Landing every

heart I worship you

I worship

you you are way

maker worker promise keeper light in the

darkness my God that is who you

are you are way maker Mir worker promise

keeper light in the darkness my God that

is who you

are that is who you

are who you

are worker promise keep Keeper in the

darkness my God that is who you are

that is who you

are that is who you

are that is who you are

way maker Miracle Worker promise keeper

light in the darkness my God that is who

you

are you are way maker Miracle work

promise keeper light in the darkness my

God is who you are

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I don't see it you're working even when

I don't feel it you're working you never

stop never stop working you never stop

you never stop working even when I don't

see it you're working even when I don't

feel you're working you never stop you

never stop working you never stop never

stop working even when I a situation

even when I don't feel you're working

you never stop you never stop working

even when I see it you're working even

when I don't feel it you're working you

never stop you never stop working you

never stop you never stop working way

maker worker promise keep deeper light

in the darkness my God that is who you

are you are way maker Miracle Worker

promise keeper light in the darkness my

God that is who you

are that is who you

are that is

you

are that is who you

are you are we

make work promise keep light in the

Darkness

God that is who you

are you

are Miracle work promise keeper light in

the darkness my God that is who you

are that is who you

are that is who you are

that is who you

are that is who you

are that is who you are come on just

make this your confession this morning

the Lord is my way

maker the Lord is the one who works

miraculous things in my life

the Lord is my healing the Lord is my

rock my salvation that's who you are

Lord You're the meter of my every

need you're the Good Shepherd who leads

me to Green

Pastures Lord you care for me through

troubling

times you make a way for me Lord

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you never forsake or abandon you're

always with

us so Lord we just confess this morning

you alone are our way maker you are

alone our King and

Lord our holy

God

hallelujah we worship

you we know you

are that is who you are

that is who you

are that is who you

are oh

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Lord we're so grateful for everything

that you've done through the son Jesus

the work that's been complete the many

promises and blessings you've offered to

us Lord we receive them with gladness

with joy with

praise we give you our thanks this

morning Lord

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[Applause]

oh my words fall

short I got nothing

new how could I

[Applause]

express all my

gratitude I could sing these

songs as I often do

every

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song you

never so I throw up my hands praise you

again and

again it's all that I have is a

hallelujah

hallelujah and I know is not much I'm

nothing else Fit For A

King except for a heart singing

hallelu

huah I've got one

this I've got just one move

with my arms stretch

wide I will worship

you so I P my hands praise you again and

again cuz all that I have is

aelu hallelujah

and I know it's not much I'm nothing

else for a

king except for a heart

singing come on let's sing it together

hallelujah

hallelujah oh we

can Hallelujah

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hallelu so come on my soul don't you get

shy on me lift up your song as you got a

lion inside of those lungs get up and

praise the

Lord come on my soul

don't you get sh lift up your song CU

you got a li inside of

those get up and praise the

Lord come on my soul don't shine me LIF

up your song you got a Lon inside of

those lungs get up there

praise the

Lord praise the Lord oh we give you

praise Hallelujah Glory

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hallu so I my hands praise you again and

again all that I have is a

[Music]

hallelu Hal

Hallelujah and I know it's not much

nothing else for a

king except for a heart singing

H

hallelujah oh we

worship come on just sing the Lord a

song a praise out of your heart

Hallelujah you're glorious Lord we give

you praise in this

place

oh come on oh

Hallelujah give you

glory glory

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come on my soul don't you get sh on lift

up your song you got a inside of those

lungs give up and praise the

Lord come on my soul don't you get shine

we lift up your

s you got a l inside of those

lungs up and praise the

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Lord my soul don't you get shine on me

lift up your song you got a lion inside

of those lungs get up and praise the

Lord

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[Applause]

so I throw my heads praise you again and

again it's all that I have is a

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high

Hallelujah and I know it's not much I'm

nothing else Fit For A King

except for a heart singing

hallelu hallelu

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let's s this together if you know

it I love Love You

Lord and I

lift my

voice to

worship

you oh my

soul

re take Jo

my

king why you

here may be a sweet

sweet in

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your let's sing it come

on I Love You Lord

and I lift my

voice to

worship oh my

soul

re take joy my king

what you

here we seek to please you Lord oh may

it be a Sweet

Sweet

Sound in

your Hallelujah I believe Heaven sings

with

us I love you

Lord and I live

my

voice I'll offer you worship oh to

worship

you all my

soul

Rejoice take joy my

king in what you he

[Applause]

may it be a

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sweet

sound in

your I Love You

Lord and I lift my voice

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to

worship

you all my

soul

re to Joy my

king in what you here

may it be a Sweet

Sweet

Sound may it be a Sweet

Sweet

Sound may it be a Sweet

Sweet

Sound in

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your can you just tell the Lord how much

you love him this morning can you just

offer him a word of thanks and praise oh

Lord we give you all the

glory all the worship Lord we offer our

everything before you this

morning thank you Lord for your love

expressed and poured out upon

us so good to know you so good to dwell

in your loving kindness Lord you're so

good amen amen well just turn and greet

somebody this morning and tell them how

much you love the Lord how much you're

grateful and then we invite you to go

ahead and take your seats this morning

well good morning

everybody glad to see you I'm glad

you're here we want to just welcome you

to church we love the Gathering of the

Believers we love it when our church

bodies all together and this morning

before we have our kids head out and

then we get into the word together

there's a couple things we want to do I

have some announcements to offer you and

a couple of them are testimonies so uh

the first thing I'd really like to share

with you about this morning is something

that was texted to me earlier in the

week and it's an update from one of our

missionary Partners down in Honduras uh

many of you have heard before about Hope

House and anchor of Hope Ministries they

have several branches but one of the

main uh things that they've been doing

for many years now and one of the main

ways we've been supporting them in

Partnership is both praying for and

financially giving toward an orphanage

that they keep um near San Pedro Sula

and uh we have a picture this morning of

a young woman who grew up in Hope house

so she was brought into that home as an

orphan many many years ago grew up

through her high school years in h house

and has now launched out into life and

she's been studying to be a doctor of

medicine at a university in Honduras and

we just got an update this week that

Miss yoselin received her lab coat and

she is halfway through the program so

this is a major milestone for her and

what I love about this testimony is this

is a face this is a person this is a

life that is forever changed because of

the church because of Jesus Christ

because of the Holy Spirit and because

of faith fath F people who give and

respond to the call of God and so we

give the Lord all the praise all the

glory for a life that is totally On A

New Path all glory to God and I just

like showing things like that because

this is the kind of work that we're a

part of these are the kinds of things

that we're partnered with people and

Ministries and the work that they're

doing so I love to keep that before us

and just it's encouraging it's

encouraging to know that lives are being

forever changed by the gospel and by the

work of the kingdom and so awesome

testimony great announcement and it's

not the only one you're going to get to

hear uh this morning but I'll hold on

for just a minute before I tell you more

about that um a couple dates that are

coming up I would love to have you aware

of these and if you can involved in them

we have a family game night at church

this Friday that's going to start at

5:30 p.m. and it's in the Redemption

Center so the north building on the end

of this upper parking lot is where we're

going to be having this family game

night there will be some food provided

but we're asking that if you come please

bring a snack or a dessert or a side

dish finger food stuff like that to

share uh because we always enjoy having

a really delicious full spread of snack

choices and then we'll have lots of

games uh we've got a whole game cupboard

downstairs that's just loaded with like

every kind of game you can think of and

so we'll have lots of games out that

night and it's just a time to fellowship

and enjoy being around the church being

around brothers and sisters in the body

of Christ and so please sign up to come

for that there's a form on the back

table where you can put down your name

how many people you're bringing and a

side dish or some kind of food if you'd

like to bring something um and we would

so appreciate that so please come out if

you don't have plans this Friday night I

mean it's it's not like a set start time

a start set end time but we're thinking

about 5:30 to about 8 just come enjoy

some games bring your family we'll have

some activities for little kids that are

out there too um so it's just a time for

the whole church family to come and

fellowship and if you can make it we

would so value you being there one other

thing I wanted to uh mention about and

I'm going to be talking more maybe about

this even next Sunday but uh it was

brought to my attention there is a

prayer rally for Life happening at the

Iowa state capital Monday January 27th

and the official prayer rally begins at

noon with some legislative speakers and

people that have advocated for the

position of pro-life um in the state of

Iowa and then from 1:00 on there's going

to be a time to meet with and pray for

uh just people and influential people in

the government and around the government

in Iowa so that we can we can keep

wanting and having uh prolife kinds of

uh legislation in our state appreciate

that about Iowa that we're a pro-life

State because I believe we serve a

pro-life God I believe our Lord is

pro-life I think it's all over the Bible

every person that's ever been even

concepted in God's mind is fearfully and

wonderfully made and so we believe in

the value of every person's life from

the beginning all the way to the end we

believe God has a good plan for

everybody and so I'm I'm I'm not really

like that's not what I'm going to preach

to you about this morning but I think

this is a good thing and I think it's a

good thing for people to see that the

church really do support this that we're

not just against things but that we

really are for things can you say Amen

to that church and I'm going to be

sharing about that some more next week

I'll just give you a little taste right

now but uh this this year we're taking

on a new home missionary partner here in

Iowa um and I'll tell you more about

them and show you some pictures next

Sunday so please come for that but uh

this year we are taking on as a

missionary partner in Iowa Agape

Pregnancy Center in like Urban downtown

de Mo and uh that is a place where

people can go and find help and

counseling and services um moms young

families that may not know how or um

what they need to get through a

pregnancy some uh even people that have

come in there have been those that are

intending to end a pregnancy and as a

result of the ministry happening there

those children are born and alive and

healthy and thriving today and so um

we've got a new Mission partner I'll be

telling you more about them next Sunday

but I wanted to put this prayer rally

for life before you because uh with us

bringing on a new Mission partner that's

working in that space and with that

being something that we do value as a

church and we believe in um I I think if

you can make it that Monday it'd be a

great thing to be part of um if you are

interested in in going to that or being

part or you want more info uh you can

talk to myself or I just kind of threw

Bill Sutton in because he's the guy that

brought it to me uh talk to myself or Mr

Bill Sutton over there and uh we'll get

you more information about it it'd be

great if there were some people that

wanted to go and be part of that on

Monday January 27th so we'll bring it up

again next week but I wanted to put it

on your radar um and then this is a

little way further off but we have a

volunteer banquet our second annual

volunteer banquet coming up um on

February 14th Valentine's Day it is a

Friday evening and at 6 o'clock we're

going to be starting kind of a program

and a meal and if you volunteer anywhere

in the area in any area of the ministry

here uh we just want to take that

evening and say thank you and celebrate

you obediently utilizing the gifts and

Graces in you uh to bless and help the

work of our church here and so that's

just going to be a nice time of

fellowship and just a time to say thanks

for everything that you all do to make

the ministry here possible and uh we are

looking into providing child care for

that evening and so if you're a

volunteer and you have young kids uh we

are hoping to arrange so that you can

still come and your kids will be well

taken care of kind of like a Valentin

Valentine's date night for all of the

volunteers at the church if you can't

you know get out on your own uh maybe

this is a way you can enjoy that evening

together with some other people it'll be

good food and a good time together so if

you volunteer please mark your calendar

for that and sign up we have sign up in

the back and we do need to know who to

expect I told you we have one other

testimony this morning and so I'm going

to invite Miss Megan Waters to come up

and uh she has kind of an update I would

say more of a testimony about our

mission partner Midwest wellness and

recovery and so would you welcome Megan

up as she comes to share a testimony

with

us good morning um I love that he

started with uh with Honduras because

this summer I got to go there and while

I was there and super excited to be on

another missions trip it has been had

been many many years um the Holy Spirit

reminded me that my missions was in Iowa

and that's Midwest wellness and Recovery

dang it why do I get so emotional about

this stuff so um we reopened our doors

in April got licens this year the second

time opening this program took our first

client in July and kind of Hit the um

the ground running with like lots of

Trials and barriers and struggles and we

just kep you know believing we're going

to move forward we're going to believe

and in the midst of that we were like

we're we're primarily faith-based we're

a little quiet about that you know so we

decided maybe we shouldn't be so quiet

maybe that should be in the

Forefront so we uh called up our website

guys and we're like put this on the

website and we just got Bolder in with

our staff and and speaking it into the

community and and to you guys and and

inviting you guys to be a part of it and

and supporting us and it it's paid off

um Miss Bri did a sent out a survey to

our previous clients just last week she

sent it out and in less than 24 hours we

got some

responses and uh the question and I'll

probably not say it completely right but

the question had to do with what was

most beneficial about coming to Midwest

wellness and recovery and the top

answers were

church and being a smaller facility

and this one just makes me laugh but the

couch we've we've taken Kevin Coy's book

he donated books to us and we've turned

that into a group and that is a pretty

bold book I don't know if any of you

guys have finished it but it's a little

inyour face and we weren't sure how that

would be received but those were the top

three things that people have found so

far beneficial um from coming to our

program and that just that blessed me I

had to call Pastor Isaac and tell him

you guys are such a huge part of this

program and and that's just testimony

that when you put God first and you're

bold about it then he opens doors and

and people get to receive things maybe

they didn't weren't expecting to receive

so that's what I

got glory to God right

amen you know God can do amazing things

when we just say yes to him right when

we are willing to do what he asks of us

he can do so much more than we could

have ever asked thought or imagin and so

it's happening and we love we love the

work of the Kingdom that's going on so

Church we're going to dismiss our kids

to go out at this time and hey before

you leave if you're in first through

sixth grade please wear your coat please

wear your coat it's very cold out and

they you know have a little jaunt out to

our other uh building so please wear

your coats if you didn't bring a coat we

need to have a talk with you but uh not

not really it was just a joke you should

wear coats in winter it's cold out we

live in Iowa people so um wear your

coats kids and teachers can head out at

this

time we're just so grateful for

everything that the Lord is doing uh

Among Us and in us and um you know one

of the things we do every week here we

give and so we're going to prepare to do

that at this time I I'd like to open the

word to Second Corinthians chapter n uh

there is is kind of one of the Hallmark

passages of scripture that people look

at when it comes to giving and so we're

going to look there this morning and

just prepare our hearts for this action

of worship that is giving um if you need

an envelope you can put your hand up and

an usher will get one to you otherwise I

think we've got some slides that tell

you about online giving 2 Corinthians 9

six and seven just briefly this morning

to encourage you about giving it says

remember this a farmer who plants only a

few seeds will get a small crop but the

one who plants generously will get a

generous crop you must each decide in

your heart how much to give and don't

give reluctantly or in response to

pressure for God loves a person who

gives cheerfully God loves the cheerful

giver and we know that verse we hear

that verse but I love that that verse is

connected to the verse that's all about

sewing and reaping and why I love that

giving cheerfully is connected to sewing

and reaping is it shows us that this

cheerful giving it it doesn't just come

because like I just I love I've I've

gotten my heart to this place where I

just love giving things away although I

think that's something that happens when

our heart is transformed by the Lord we

develop generosity and love for others

that that moves us to give but I also

see in this that the heart that gives

cheerfully it gives with an awareness of

sowing and reaping it it gives in the

way that a farmer plants seed Every

Spring and now I know that plant

planting is work I know that that costs

something but there's a Joy about

planting season because there is an

expectation of harvest season to come

down the road and it should be the same

way with us in everything that we give

to God whether it be finances or it be

our praise and worship or it be prayers

that we offer to him whether it be time

that we spend in his word or communion

with him anything we offer God should be

something that we're sewing and

recognizing as I give this there's a

there's an other side of this that has

expectation

there's a harvest time that will result

from this sewing time and what that

should do is it should cause us to not

be reluctant but to be expectant and

with that expectation should come Joy

amen when I know that hey I'm giving

this and God's going to do something

with it he's going to grow it and he's

going to produce something so much

bigger and greater than I ever could

have that brings a joy to us I mean I I

think about yoselin and the testimony we

heard of her this morning I think about

Midwest wellness and the testimony we

heard from Megan this morning of

people's lives just being changed

Forever by seeds and things that were

swn and given in the work of the church

in the kingdom and I think hey that's

that's what we need to see when we give

that's what we need to be thinking about

as we're giving it's not just what is

going in a plate this morning it's not

just what I'm doing at church this

morning it's what is God going to do

with that thing amen and so I really

encourage you this morning as you get if

you're giving as you get ready to set

that down put it aside offer it to the

Lord as plates come by or you you know

press a button on your phone I want you

to see not just a number or or a piece

of paper that's going away I want you to

look by faith at what God is bringing

through that if you can see with me

through eyes of faith that there is a

harvest to be received and let your joy

just Bubble Up from that place that

there is there is Harvest when I'm

giving don't just look at it like

something that I'm losing look at it

like Harvest is being gained in this

moment because if we believe that God's

faithful and what is sown will be

brought back to us in a in an increased

way then as we give we can have faith

right now and we can celebrate right now

and we can thank God right now that as

we give this we are receiving the

Harvest that's on the other end of that

can you say Amen to that church well I

don't think I'm going to preach it any

but better so let's have our ushers come

forward and we'll give together let's

expect as we give as we give this

morning let's do it with faith that

there is reaping on the other side that

we're reaping of of personal provision

that God supplies all of our needs that

he gives bread to the swer that there's

King om growth that is reaped through

this you know expansion people coming in

people getting saved giving honor to the

Lord and and that God's name would be

glorified that where this money is used

where these seeds are swn there is a

harvest of Glory to our glorious God can

you say Amen with me to that this

morning let's pray it father we do thank

you for your faithfulness and the truth

of your word that instructs Us in how to

live how to worship how to walk with you

and how to do it well so that we're

fruitful and so that you're glorified

Lord we thank you that as we sew this

morning there is a promise of harvest

there is something to be reaped in what

is swn so today we don't just see

something going away going in the ground

but we look with eyes of faith and see

the Harvest that will result we see what

is to be reaped as we give this morning

Lord and we thank you we thank you for a

harvest of provision in our life for a

harvest of Kingdom growth that you

expand the churches you expand the

places that are out doing work and

preaching the gospel in New Territory

Lord expand uh discipleship amongst us

ex expand Lord our capacity to do things

in your name and Lord through all of it

I pray that there would be a great

harvest a great reaping of Glory to your

name because Lord you are worthy of all

the glory and so Lord we we have

expectation and that expectation it

brings such a cheer such a joy such such

a gratitude for what is to come as we

give this morning so we do it by faith

we trust you completely we give you all

the glory all the praise and all the

honor in Jesus name we pray it amen amen

We Believe for that as it's given we do

call it blessed and and we thank the

Lord for using it church I uh with the

time that we have together this morning

I want to continue a series that we are

in week three of titled growth potential

growth potential we've talked in this

series so far about a couple different

areas of growth and things that can

affect our growth spiritually you know

this series all about growth um I really

felt led to preach this because I

believe we are we are entering a season

or a time of special growth as a church

but I also I I really loved this title

of growth potential because I truly

believe each and every person has the

potential to grow in the Lord I believe

every person at every stage of Life can

continue growing in the things of God

you know I think about some some verses

in the Bible it says that Jesus he takes

us from glory to glory and that's like

an increasing thing like one level of

one measure of Glory to a greater

measure of Glory God doesn't go down in

glory he goes up in glory it talks about

how Jesus supplies us with Grace upon

Grace and I think you know what that's

that's growing into Greater Grace

growing um in a life of faith that we

may receive more and more of God's grace

from one season to another and so I

truly believe that we as individual

Disciples of Christ and as the

collective body of Believers that we can

grow and that we're called in Christ to

grow it's not just that we can but the

Lord expects growth he wants growth he

asks us commands us instructs us and he

equips us for growth and so growth

potential is there we've been looking at

things that factor into that potential

because potential is one thing but

realization is another right it's one

thing to have potential it's another

thing to actually walk out your

potential I mean we've all heard

somebody tell the story about the

potential they had to go play in the NFL

but it just didn't happen right what

what maybe was potential maybe not if

it's not real realiz then it you know

it's it's it's lost it's lost potential

and we don't want to lose the potential

that God gives us to grow no we

certainly want to take advantage of that

and grow into his plan and his call for

us and so growth potential is there for

every believer we've talked so far in

this series about testimonies and how

they stabilize us they anchor us they

encourage us they Inspire Us in growth

we talked last week about the process of

bearing fruit I love the message last

week about fruitfulness and about how

the Holy Spirit comes in and nures our

heart so that the word in us which is

sewn the seed that's Incorruptible can

grow and produce great things such an

awesome truth you know as I think about

growth potential I love this graphic too

because I'm a real visual learner if God

wants to teach me something that often

comes through a picture or something

that I can visualize and it helps me

understand things and as I think about a

picture like this it it really helps me

understand that there's a process to

growth you know I think about something

being planted we were talking about

sewing and reaping a minute ago there's

a process to that that seed and that

soil and the water it's all got

potential but until the growth happens

the potential is not realized yet and so

what are some of the things that are

required to grow is what we've been

looking at and I really love we're not

going to turn there for time sake this

morning but in Matthew 13 Jesus teaches

this parable of the sewer who sews into

four different kinds of soil he sews

into hard ground that just the seed

drops on the surface and then birds come

up and take it away he sews into Stony

ground where the seed is is received and

it says you know it it enters in and

it's glad and it's good but it just

doesn't develop depth there's no root

that goes down and so it just Withers

away at the first you know uh major Sun

event when it gets hot when it gets hard

it just you know Withers away he talked

about the Thorny ground where um things

come in and just choke out the potential

of that plant and then there is the good

ground the good ground where the seed is

received it grows down deep it's not

cluttered with all of this other

distraction and concern and and the

result is a fruitful a

fruitful way of growth the result is he

says some 30 some 60 some hundredfold

where it increases it grows into more

than it ever could have been on its own

because it's undergone this growth

process and can I share with you this

morning a question that's I've I it

really is like it's been there with me

for years for years I thought about this

question what makes good ground good

anybody else ever thought about that

when you read the parable of the SE like

there's four kinds of ground one of them

is good how do I be the good ground what

makes the good ground good and that's

where I want to start with you this

morning what makes good ground good

ground is it good just out of random

chance like some of us are good and some

of us aren't and there's nothing we can

do about it I refuse to believe that

because I've seen people change from bad

ground to good ground in time so I don't

believe that it's that I don't believe

it's just random sometimes are good

sometime like some some days were good

ground days and some days were bad

ground days I don't believe it's that at

all I don't think it's that random I

don't think it's by chance but at the

same time I also don't think we can just

make oursel good ground it's not like I

just snap my fingers and choose I'm

going to be good ground today if we

could like wouldn't everybody just do

that if it was just that simple for me

to make myself good or I could convince

myself of it I'm going to talk myself

into being good ground I don't think it

works like that is it something I could

repent my way into if I just beg God

enough then maybe he'll make me good

ground and I'll be able to do something

I don't believe that that's the solution

is it something I can fear my way into

be so scared of missing it I don't

believe it's that either is it something

I can work my way into if I try hard

enough if I read enough if I spend

enough time praying spend enough time

listening to sermons I don't believe

that will make us good ground

either and the closest scripture I can

find an answer and I think it does a

pretty good job of it is in Ephesians

Ephesians 3:17

3:17 home groups we were here just a

couple weeks ago so this will be fresh

for you this was on my heart before we

did that study but it just it opened it

up even more when we went into it what

is it that makes good ground good well

Ephesians

Ephesians 3:17

3:17 Paul is praying this over the

church at Ephesus he says then Christ

he's talking about God revealing his

power and His glory and his goodness

like Revelation knowledge coming to

people that they would know the Lord

personally and he says then Christ will

make his home in your hearts as you

trust him your roots will grow down down

into God's love and keep you strong and

when we read that I thought well that's

it love isn't that interesting that love

is the thing love is what the roots grow

down into what do what do Roots grow

down into in you know literal planting

into the soil right into the ground

don't they that's where the roots go is

down into the ground and I think well if

our roots are supposed to go down into

God's love is love is the ground love is

the good ground and the way I will say

it to you is this as I think about the

the imagery of these two passages the

parable of the sewer and then this

prayer of Paul for the church that Our

Roots would grow down into God's love it

it connects for me that God's love is

the the answer to being good ground

God's love is what makes good ground can

you say Amen to that by faith this

morning church I'm GNA show it to you

don't just you know take my word for it

but we'll look at it this morning I

truly believe love is the thing that

makes us good ground love prepares the

soil of our heart to receive the word of

God love is what opens us up so that the

nursing power of the Holy Spirit can

penetrate into us and have a glorious

encouraging revitalizing work it's the

love of God Amen you know I wasn't going

to share this but I was thinking about

the movie Jesus Revolution the other day

and I know many of you have seen that

some of you haven't I just had this

realization that the for me the most

powerful movie the powerful scene in

that movie is there's all of these you

know proper people in their suits and

they're all done up right they look like

they should be at church and then

there's hippies like so we've got all

the suits over here and we've got all

the hippies over here and they don't

have shoes on and their hair hasn't been

washed in four weeks and it's a very

stark contrast between these two groups

and the most by for me the most powerful

moment in the whole movie was one of the

proper people extended love to the

hippies you know there's people that are

like no we God can't he doesn't want

them here they need to they need to

clean themselves up need to get all this

right before before anything can happen

and one person steps out and he says

well I'm I'm going to stay I'm going to

worship with these people and it was an

extension of love and it was so powerful

in my heart that love was the thing that

really brought that church together and

sparked the Jesus Revolution that so

many people got saved you want to know

how to have Revival love God's love is

what will bring Revival I wasn't going

to preach about Revival but it's part of

the growth process Revival is part of

growth and we will not grow until we

love amen because until we love our

hearts will be hard to what God wants to

do our hearts won't be ready to receive

won't be ready to be led into what God

wants love is like the plow like the

cultivator like the fertilizer that

prepares the ground of my heart for what

God wants to do and if we don't have

love we're just like a clanging Bell not

worth much right that's what it says in

1 Corinthians 13 let's keep going this

morning I I've got more word to share

with you I promise I do I'll say this

the seed the word of God is received I I

see that even in Ephesians 3:17 it says

Ephesians 3:17

he will make his home in your heart he

will he will come and make his home with

you that's Jesus the word of God coming

and dwelling in me and then my roots

will grow down into God's love but love

is what prepares me to receive and I see

the benefit of you know the weeds we can

talk about every kind of ground see love

will break me open so that I'm ready to

receive the word of God so I'm not the

hard ground love will bring a depth to

to everything God speaks to me a depth

to the relationship with God where I

won't be like that shallow ground where

it's like yeah I I'll do it for a minute

but if it gets hard I'm out of here love

is something that will rip out those

weeds and those concerns it will it will

keep my life honed into what is about

God and what his plan for me is that I'd

be about his business and not worldly

things love love will keep the soil of

my heart ready for what he has in store

for me and so the thought I'm left with

is just simply this God's love prepares

our heart to receive from him God's love

is what prepares us for whatever he

wants to do whatever he wants to say

God's love is what will get me ready to

hear it whatever he's about to command

me to go do it's knowing his love that's

going to get me ready to go and do it

and anything you know he wants to do

through me I'm going to be assured and

able to do it because I know his love

for me see without the love of God we're

going to struggle to

grow I think this you can you can know a

lot of information about God you know

you can have a lot of Bible verses

memorized and I'll tell you there's a

benefit to that absolutely you know to

have a pouch full of seeds when you're

trying to grow some things that's

helpful it's good to know the word but

to have only a mental knowledge of the

word of God what it says but never have

experienced his love for you you're not

going to grow much I've met Believers

before they know a lot of word but they

don't know the love you ever H you don't

need to raise your hand if you've met

somebody like that or if you've been

like that I've been like that before I

know a lot but I don't love a lot and I

don't grow a lot I really believe the

love of God is what prepares us for the

growth plan that God has in store for

each of

us Jesus is even the one who said in

this regard he said there will be many

in that day who come and say to me Lord

Lord didn't we prophesy in your name

cast out demons and do wonders in your

name and he'll say depart from me for I

never knew you what is that somebody

that never knew the love someone that

never experienced that personal love of

God coming into their life Jesus the

perfect expression of God's love coming

personally to them you see we need more

than a knowledge of him or or a

understanding mentally of him we don't

need mental Ascent we need we need to

love him and we need to receive his love

for us you know I I I'll say this when

the love of God touches our heart It

prepares us like the plow like the

cultivator like a fertilizer How It

prepares a field to become fruitful

God's love it It prepares our heart it

transforms our heart I'll talk about

that in a moment and it makes us ready

so that when the word is sewn it can

take place in US it can grow in US it

can produce something in us because

there have been plenty of people who

have heard the word but didn't know the

love and the word did not grow and

produce because they were missing this

component of being prepared by the love

of God let me share with you three ways

I see that God's love transforms bad

ground into good ground because we all

want to be good ground right don't we

all want to be the good ground the good

ground is where the fruit happens and we

like fruit don't we yeah how God's love

transforms us from bad ground to good

ground the first thing I would say is

God's love will break open and soften a

hardened heart God's love will break

open and soften a hardened heart and I

can even look back in my life and I can

think on moments where my heart was very

hard about things or about people

especially people it can be so easy you

know somebody does something wrong to

you offends you says says something and

it's so easy to get hard in your heart

towards someone I've dealt with that and

you know what the only thing I can find

that makes my heart soft towards people

again that brings me into a place of

forgiveness it's it's reflecting on

God's love for me and the moment that I

I have awareness of his love once again

it's like my heart just melts and all of

the offense and all of the bitterness

that I was feeling it just goes away it

melts away because God's

love makes our heart tender and so if we

don't want to be like the hard ground

God's love will make our heart soft and

tender to him I think of the shallow

ground you know the rocky ground where

you know the word the seed got in there

but it just couldn't really grow God's

love will it will deepen a shallow faith

knowing the love of God will deepen a

shallow Faith you know I think back on

my life walking with the Lord and my

Assurance my expectation from him it's

all built on knowing that I'm loved I

mean just think about personal

relationships with people the people you

trust the most are probably the people

that you know love you the most is that

true for most of

you the people that I'm the shest about

are the people that I know love me and I

I have love with them the people that I

expect like the most from are the ones

that I know there is love present and so

assurance and expectation in our

relationship with God is is founded on

knowing that we're loved by him when I

have experienced God's great love how

can I help but be convinced that his

word is true that he is good and he he

offers the very best things to me that

he fulfills his promises how can I not

believe that if I know his love for me

you see love will it it will not only

cast out doubt but it will deal with

fear or it will deal with fear it will

cast out fear but it will deal with

doubts as well knowing God's love will

it will it will satiate doubt that tries

to come in and mislead me you know I had

the realization at some point in my walk

with the Lord that if he gave his only

son like if he loved me enough to offer

his perfect perfect son Jesus so that he

could die and I could live then what

would he not do I and it deepens my

faith so that in a moment where I need

to trust God I absolutely can trust him

because I know he loves me in a moment

where I am needing to rely on his

promise to come through I absolutely can

trust him I absolutely can believe that

because I know he loves me and God's

love also so we see it it deals with

hardened ground it tenderizes it softens

it it it provides depth and and

Assurance for us but it also tears out

desires or fears of worldly things I

quoted this a moment ago but 1 John 4:18

1 John 4:18

says perfect love casts out fear and

God's love for us is perfect you know

when I have a revelation when I really

realize how much he loves and cares for

me it will unravel anything that the

enemy could use to attack me you you

want to know how to stand firm in faith

when the enemy is trying to scare you

have a revelation of God's love realize

that he loves you so much and he's done

everything that you need and if we will

dwell in the love of God it will deal

deal with the fear of the enemy that

comes to work in our life when we know

his love we will be assured of his good

plan for us of his instruction that it's

for our benefit and you know not to not

to just limit us but it's ultimately for

glorious plans and it will cause our

desire to grow into being better than

what we could want for oursel when we

realize God's love for us it it will

open us up to the more you could ask

think or imagine that he has in store

for

you and I know this that our ability to

follow after his way to not be

distracted by worldly things you know

those weeds that came up and choked out

the seed in the thorny ground I mean it

says in the word that they were both the

cares and like the concerns of the world

so it's its Temptations in the world and

its fears of the world are what those

Thorns are just worldly things that show

up to get you off track with God can I

tell you this the the best the very best

solution to getting sin out of your life

is to getting more into God's love for

you amen it's just the truth because

when you realize more and more and more

how much God loves you you'll be more

and more convinced of the truth of his

word so when he says hey don't lie

you're going to think you know what he's

right I shouldn't lie and he loves me

and he wants what's best for me and he

knows better than I know so I'm going to

I'm going to do what he asks when I know

his love and his kindness it it will it

will change my heart to not not desire

sinful things anymore because I I've

experienced his loving kindness and it's

so much better there's like a a song I

remember singing in the early 2000s like

his loving kindness It's better than

life anybody ever heard that before just

came to me anyway loving kindness better

than life and it's true it really is

it's better than anything we could have

in this world is his love and so when we

have more and more of a revelation of

that it's going to cause us to not

desire things of this world but to

desire more of his love more of his

kindness more of him I think on my own

life and I can think

of realizing what how he talks about me

in the word how his love speaks of me

through the word you know I you hear

people I'm I'm just a sinner I'm I'm

just this I have these problems you know

what God says about you in his word when

you receive Jesus he says you're the

righteousness of God in Christ Jesus he

says you are Sanctified he calls you

holy he calls you his child set apart

redeemed so that's how God talks that's

how he chooses to talk about you because

he loves you amen you want to know how I

learned to stop like talking bad about

people I got to know how God talks about

me and that changed the way that I want

to talk about people I used to be

somebody that like I was ready to give

every like little offense and opinion

and gossip and slander that I could

think of about people I mean I I could

tear it up I've been using words my

whole life and I used him as a weapon

for a long time early on in life I I

think back on things that I said things

that I I spoke and I'm so grateful that

there's

forgiveness aren't you glad there's

forgiveness but what changed that for me

really was getting to know how God talks

about me and I think wow if God can look

at me and speak so highly of of what I

I've got to work with

here well then the Assurance of that

love for me

can cause me to have enough love for

someone else that I'll speak well of

them too I'm going to choose not to say

the things that pop in my head I'm going

to take those thoughts captive and make

them obedient to Christ the word I'm not

just going to say everything that comes

but but it all comes from knowing his

love for me until I knew that it was

like well I have to make myself feel

better by saying these things I have to

make myself seem better seem higher seem

above seem loved by making all of these

statements but when I'm so convinced of

love for me well now I don't have to

self justify now I don't have to come up

with reasons to convince myself that I'm

loved I can just rest in his love and

extend that same love out to others are

you with me this morning church hope I'm

not losing you not I'm not okay well I

got one with me at least all right

that's

good I'm grateful for you all you know

there's another place that I see this

need to grow through love echoed it's in

2 Peter 3:18 and we're going to look at

2 Peter 3:18

this verse next week as well but it says

here in 2 Peter 3:18 rather you must

2 Peter 3:18

grow in the grace and the knowledge of

our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that's

not talking about like intellectual

knowledge it's not just meaning hey

memorize the whole gospel story although

if you did that I'm sure you would grow

in the other kind of knowledge too no

this knowledge is talking about a deep

intimate experiential based knowledge

it's to know somebody through spending

time with them through having experience

with them and so as we walk with the

Lord our knowledge of both his grace and

of him himself will grow we're going to

talk more about growing in Grace next

week I'm excited about that but I want

to dig in for just a moment to grow in

the knowledge of Our Lord grow in your

knowing of who he is grow in in the

intimacy of of Experiencing God that you

really know who he is to personally and

closely know him you know I have this

thought there's a lot to know about our

Lord there's probably more to know about

him than any of us will ever realize in

our life on Earth do you believe that

with me do he's greater he's higher his

ways are above our ways right his

thoughts are above our thoughts but

there is at least one thing that we know

for sure about God Father Son and Holy

Spirit is that in 1 John

1 John 4:8

4:8 it says this God is

love and so if we want to grow in the

knowledge of Our Lord who is

love we need to grow in love amen amen

and it was Jesus who said himself if you

don't have love you don't have me

because God Is

Love Actually I think it was John

recording this right in here in 1 John 4

he says if if you don't have love then

you don't know the Lord actually I think

John 14 Jesus says that too and so we

see the writer John echoing Jesus's

words here if you don't know the Lord if

you don't have love then you are you are

apart from him because he is love God

and Jesus that he's Inseparable from

Love And so while there might be much to

know about him one thing we can know for

sure is that God is love father is love

Jesus the son is love the holy spirit is

love and not just not just an attribute

it's not just that he has Love No Love

is the the nature of who he is love is

the primary like definer of of God and

and really we probably need to flip that

because it's it's not so much that our

understanding of Love defines who God is

but it's actually the inverse it's that

God helps us understand what love is the

way I wrote that in my notes is this

instead of our understanding of Love

informing our perspective of God our

personal knowing of God should inform

our understanding of what love is did

you all catch all that so it's like we

get it backwards we think about love and

it's like well you know I've loved

somebody before so I know who God is

it's really the opposite way we get to

know God more and more and it's going to

show us what love really means he's

going to show us who love really is and

it's

him and so as we grow in love as we grow

in knowing the Lord the result is that

his love is going to affect our heart

prepare our heart love is at the core of

who he is love is his nature and so as

we get to know him our perspective of

Love is going to shift and that's going

to change things in our heart you know

if we're going to grow we must have this

revelation of and walk in the love of

God and and I have some examples that

came to mind as I Was preparing the

first one I thought of is this a way

that love causes us to grow and walk

with him is you know when I love him I

trust him and when I trust him I can

step out in faith I can step out when I

don't understand I can step out when I

have you know a fear or a doubt or a

caution about something and I'll tell

you this we won't grow if we won't step

out we're not going to be able to grow

into the plans of God if if we won't

take a step and follow him right I mean

there are times he calls us to do things

because it's part of his growth plan for

us that won't happen if if we never have

the faith enough to step out and follow

his leading but the faith to step out

and follow his leading it comes from

knowing his love for us it comes from

knowing that I can I can trust him and

he's going to lead me somewhere good it

comes from knowing that his plan for me

is a good plan and so I can follow him

through this that will enable me to step

out to be bold to be courageous in

following him through faith and another

way I see love working in our life love

preparing our heart to grow is is if we

are validated by him if we find our

value in what he says about us in his

love for us it will enable us to stop

looking elsewhere for approval can I

tell you church that seeking the

approval of man will stop you from

growing seeking the approval of other

people that will cause your heart I

don't I don't know if it's weedy ground

or if it's Rocky ground or if it's hard

ground but it's one of them it's not

good ground when we are more concerned

about what other people think of us than

what God has said about us what God has

called us to do it's going to stop our

growth

immediately because God grows us through

his word god grows us through his

instruction and so if if we're more

worried about someone else's opinion

what someone else might say then about

what God says well then we're not going

to grow and so how can we get into this

place of not being so worried about what

other people say because you know what

every single person that I've ever met

wants acceptance myself included I like

being accepted I like it when people

like me anybody else you witness to that

yeah I like being accepted I like being

liked but that's a different thing than

I need other people's approval that I'm

GNA base my life on whether other people

are going to say that was a good idea or

not that was that was good I like what

you did I'm glad you did that if I'm

doing that I'm I'm not growing in the

things of God in fact it says in the

word no man can serve two masters you

have to

choose I think it's Paul he wrote to the

church and he said you know if I'm

seeking to just always get the approval

of man how can I serve God I can't be

obedient to God at all times if someone

else is whose approval I'm looking for

and so so what happens when we know

God's love is it validates us it it

assures us of our value in his eyes it

changes us from looking for Value in

other people oh they love me oh they

like me oh oh they're glad I'm here oh

they smiled when I showed up oh they

greeted me to I am secure in God's love

for me and so even if no one else ever

tells me they love me again that will be

a hard thing on my flesh but you know

what I'm going to be okay because I know

God loves me and

honestly who else really

matters I mean I'm glad other I'm glad I

hope you all love me I'm glad for those

of you that do but ultimately it's God's

love that

matters it's his love that has the power

to make a difference in your life I mean

I'm glad we get along well but you're

not my savior you're not my Lord You're

not transforming my life he is you're

not the one that brought me up out of

the ashes and made something new and

beautiful with me it was him it's cuz he

loves

me God loves me I know that it changes

things and so when he gives me

instruction I don't have to go and weigh

out what's everybody going to think

about this what will the consensus

be from the world that doesn't generally

follow the lord doesn't matter God loves

me so I can follow him when we know his

love will be a short of his plans for us

I kind of was talking about this and

stepping out in faith but

you know what happens when we know God's

love is our thoughts about the future

become hopeful instead of

scary amen when we know that we are

following and serving a perfect God who

has good plans intended for us it's it

it makes me hopeful about the future God

is for me who can be against I don't I

don't not that I don't care at all but

whatever enemy might pop up whatever

attack might come it's really of little

consequence because God is with me and

his plan is a plan of victory for me and

so I'm not afraid I'm not dismayed I

know that I win in the end I know he

gets the glory in the end and so

whatever I may be facing I don't have to

be afraid I don't have to fear I don't

have to dread I can trust that God has a

good plan in store for me and he is

faithful and able to walk me into it

amen and it is what the word says

perfect love casts out fear when I know

his perfect love it removes fear from my

life about the future about the present

situation it changes from Fear to Hope

and I like living a life of hope it's a

whole lot more fun to wake up and have

hope in the morning than to wake up and

have dread in the morning can you say

Amen to that so if you struggle with

that if you struggle with fear in your

life the answer is get deeper into the

love of God get to know his love for you

more it's it's not stewing in that

anxiety until it becomes like familiar

don't do that no let perfect love cast

it out of your life rip it out out take

it away so that you can walk in peace

that you can walk in joy that you can

walk in hope those are the things God

wants for you amen love is what will

prepare our heart for the truth that

allows us to walk in hope and love and

joy and all these things when we

experience the joy and fulfillment of

being loved this kind of goes again with

the approval thing uh we won't we won't

have to look elsewhere to find that need

satisfied and I really I really rather

than seeking approval I want to make

this point more about like sinful things

or worldly things that we look for

satisfaction in because you know what

the word says sin is fun for a

season there there is like a moment of

excitement or a moment of satisfaction

that comes from the things that the

world may offer us but but it's so

shortlived it doesn't really satisfy us

it just makes us more dependent and we

need more I mean every worldly every

sinful thing it's just a counterfeit

substitute replacement for the better

version of of really what's God's love

what you're really craving it's not it's

God's love that's what you want it's not

more social media anybody who spend a

lot of time there it's like yeah you get

to the end and you feel empty right

that's what I do like if I spend an hour

just growing through reels I get to I I

try not to do that but it happens

sometimes and I get to the end of it I'm

like why did I do that just like delete

Facebook bye Tik Tok you

know just had to throw that in there I

guess um it's like that doesn't satisfy

us that's not really what I'm looking

for you know what my heart really craves

is the love of God and when I get that I

don't have to look for other stuff and

that's not to say that we don't relate

to people on social media or we don't

enjoy things in this world the lord made

the world good and the enemy messed it

up but God redeems things he he still

has good things for us here

amen there are blessings in living this

life and we should enjoy those but if

we're looking for our satisfaction in

World worldly things we're going to to

be disappointed and we're going to be

misled and it's going to hinder our

growth whereas if God is my satisfaction

well nothing else has a hold in my life

nothing else is going to be able to

limit my

growth and so when we love God it

transforms these these areas of our

heart It prepares our heart so that

we're just ready for whatever he has I

would say it this way it it makes us

ready to receive from him with openness

rather than being guarded you know

that's another thing that his love will

do if you've been guarded to God may

maybe you've maybe you've met some

Christians that are only Christians in

name and don't really live or or display

the light and love of Jesus at all and

maybe that's made you hard I've met

Christians that Harden My Heart toward

the lord rather than opening my heart

toward the lord and not every

Christian's that way I think we've got

great people in our church I know that

there are lots of people that love the

Lord but I guess what I'm getting at is

people can have experiences where God is

misrepresent presented to them God is

falsely preached or taught to them and

the result is their heart gets hard

toward the things of God I've seen

people you know use one scripture to

attack a lifestyle that they don't agree

with but they don't bring in the full

message of God's love and you know what

it hardens people to the Lord rather

than making them more receptive to him

what I believe is when people do get to

know the love of God it's going to open

them up it's going to open their heart

so I'm not going to be so guarded you

know if you meet somebody and you try to

Pres present a scripture to them and

they're like H I don't want to hear that

from you that's somebody who needs to

experience the love of God their heart

is guarded because you know maybe maybe

they've had encounters where they you

know got got the truth they got the meat

of the word without any

love whatever the result is whyever

somebody ends up in a hard and guarded

place I truly believe that the answer is

bring God's love before them and that's

going to that's going to cause their

heart to be softened and not every heart

will soften some people are going to a

Harden their hearts some people will be

stubborn some people won't receive the

Gospel the word of truth but I'll tell

you the best shot we've got to share

with others the good news is to preach

the word in love preach the truth in

love present the truth with

Grace do it in love because God's love

is something that prepares our heart to

receive the

word we cannot grow up into God's plan

and call for us until we grow rooted

into his love for us and I've got this

graphic I think if you can get that up

for me Jaden and it's of um it's of

Foundations I I had this brought to mind

it's something I had heard a while back

about

skyscrapers you know skyscrapers are the

tallest buildings that anybody puts up

in our world today but what's

interesting about skyscrapers is before

they ever grow up they first grow down

and the tallest buildings that you'll

find throughout the world they don't

just they don't just set on the soil but

they actually drill down as deep as they

can drill into our Earth

past the top soil past the crust they go

they go down into the Bedrock as deep as

they can get as deep as they can dig and

there they pour concrete pilings in

these like Bedrock cians is is the name

of the deepest one and all of the really

big towers all the big skyscrapers

they've got this Foundation where they

drill deep down before they ever build

something up and I think about that when

I consider the love of God you know his

his plan for us isn't to become you know

the Christian I'm going to be at 70 at

age 20 he wants me to know his love

first so that I can have a a foundation

established in him before he starts

putting things for me to do starts

causing me to bear fruit because if you

put a skyscraper up and it doesn't have

a Foundation anchoring it deep you know

what's going to happen with the first

wind it's going to fall over it's going

to be

destroyed and so it will be with us if

we do not first grow down into the love

of God if we were to grow up we would be

we would be destroyed by the weight of

bearing fruit for him you know I I can

tell you honestly that there are things

that I encounter with the Lord today

that if I had if I had had those things

happen at age like 15 I might have just

walked away and said no Lord I don't

think I can do this I don't think I can

walk with you not because he's not good

not because he's not capable but because

I didn't know him well enough yet I

didn't know his love well enough yet to

walk with him then through some of the

things that I walk with him through

today are you with me right now Church

you see he wants us to be established in

his love

first so that we're prepared for what he

wants to do with us as we bear fruit

because I'll tell you what bearing fruit

will cost you sometimes bearing fruit

will will be difficult sometimes bearing

fruit it it it is not just always an

easy and fun thing to do it is the

giving of myself you know that's what

plants do to produce fruit they give

away of the life that's in them so that

other things can be produced and then

plucked and

taken and for us in our life if we're

going to get to that stage where God is

able to ask us to give of things and

pour of things out and follow him

through difficulties we better have that

Foundation of I know God's love for me

and so I won't be afraid I won't be

dismayed I I won't be ruined by whatever

may come because I know that God loves

me Jesus said that the wise man built

his house upon the rock and he likened

that to the person who heard the word

and did the word to the doer of the word

it's not just the person who had the

word but the person who did the word and

you know what Jesus taught in John 14:21

John 14:21

he says he who hears my Commandments and

does them is the one who loves

me what I love about this is Jesus shows

us the doer of the word is the person

who has the love of God in their life

it's the person who has love is the

person who does the word and so it all I

really believe it it comes back to

knowing God's love for us because when

we know his love for us we're going to

be not only hearers but doers of his

word too and that's the person who's got

the foundation that's the person who's

stable that's the person who is ready

for whatever may come whatever storm

whatever difficulty because they have

been anchored in to the love of God

their Roots have grown down deep like it

says in Ephesians

Ephesians 3:17

3:17 their Roots have grown down deep

into the love of God and so they are

prepared to grow and be free

fruitful knowing God's love for us ought

to be a principal concern a first

concern in our life walking with him you

know last week I shared the statement

that or the thought that most people

want to grow but not every everyone

knows not everyone knows uh not everyone

wants to grow for the right reasons you

know everybody wants to grow but really

why we all want should want to grow is

to bear fruit for the Lord and bring him

glory

uh this week I would make this

observation this thought to you that

most people want to grow but they don't

know where growth

begins most people want to grow but they

don't really know where growth begins

and and I'm just here to tell you this

morning that I believe growth begins in

knowing god who is love I believe it

begins with knowing him and he's love

and so it's letting Our Roots grow down

deep into his love really getting a

revelation of the love of God and you

know I think about Matthew 22 verse 36

Matthew 22:36

where Jesus was asked what's the most

important commandment you know what he

says he says You must love the Lord your

God with all your heart all your soul

and all your mind rooted down into love

Jesus said it himself the first the most

important thing that you do as a

Believer is love God with all your heart

dig into his love for you and it will

cause you to have love for him that's

how you get love for God in your life

it's it's by digging into the love he

has for you and allowing him to work

love in your heart the most important

Commandment that we've been given is

love the Lord Our God with all that we

have it's really so simple doesn't God

make it simple for us loving God is the

answer to questions and problems that we

may encounter loving God is the answer

to overcoming sin in your life is love

God more and and if you have sin I'm not

saying that you don't love God that's

not what I'm trying to tell you at all

but I'm telling you there is a greater

depth to the love of God that you have

not realized yet and I'm not telling you

you you don't love God you need to love

God I'm saying love him more get to know

his love for you more ask the Holy

Spirit to show you more and more and

more God's love for you you know in

Ephesians 317 when Paul's talking about

growing your roots down into the love of

God it's part of a prayer he's praying

that the church would know God more so

that they would grow into his love how

do we get to loving God more it's by

getting to know him more

and he is love so as we get to know him

we're getting to know love it gets a

little confusing doesn't it maybe not

it's simple but it it's like there're

it's all connected I guess that's why I

would say confusing it's just all it's

like a ball of it's all kind of the same

but it's all differentiated God is love

we grow into his love by getting to know

him I'm going to move on because I feel

like I've made the point I hope are you

with me still did I lose anybody this

morning that was kind of quiet so I'm

feeling like maybe I did but it's okay I

love you you love me right I haven't I

haven't had you all do that can you say

we love you Pastor