From Going to Growing | Celina Tan

You're listening to a message to go from acts Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

What keeps me going may not necessarily what keeps me growing. Right,

So when first this talk came to my mind, I

was trying to ask myself, what does that mean? What

keeps me going may not necessarily be what keeps me growing. So, Church,

let's be honest here. All of us go through our

daily motion. Right, every day we wake up, Okay, we

have our daily habit. Okay, some of us wake up

The first thing first in the morning is to pick

up our phone and see, oh, what's the football score?

Okay?

Or some of us the first thing first we wake

up in the morning, oh no, two hundred what's that messages?

Okay?

And some of us wake up first in the morning,

you will just sit on your bed and then you

were just okay, it looks like tongam meditate, right, but

actually you continue sleeping while sitting.

Okay.

All of us have different habits. Okay, we will go

through our daily motion. Some people who are very morning

personally or wake up straight go to the toilet, brushtage, shower,

and then go to work. Okay, and then so on

and so forth. So that is our daily routine. Wake up,

go to work, show up on Sunday, come here to

sing some songs, worship, shake a few hands, go to lunch, fellowship.

Go home. That is our daily routine.

But going through the motion right, it doesn't guarantee our growth.

Growing physically, Yesla, but growing in every area of our

life probably not. You know, I've been an early childhood

teachers for many years and we always talk about helping

children to grow, right. We don't just help them to

grow academically.

Okay.

And for those parents who are having young children, and

you have heard a lot from teachers that hey, don't

just grow your child academically, you need to grow your

child holistically means as a whole.

And same goes to us.

You know, we don't just grow physically our muscles, our

six packs, okay, you know our look. No. Sometimes for

those of us who are in the marketplace, we will

want to grow our knowledge, our wisdom. But how many

of us will really think to grow ourselves spiritually? A

lot of times, growing ourselves spiritually is always the last.

Thing in our minds.

Because that is something that we don't talk very often.

Growing our physical look is probably something that we talk

all the time.

Hey do you go to gym this week? Hey?

How did you build your muscles so strong? We talk

about it in the workplace. We always ask how can

I be a better leader? How can I be a

better you know manager? How can I be a better boss?

You know, we talk about this all the time. But

growing spiritually is not something that we talk all the time,

and that is really important. Okay, So coming back from

the plant analogy that I showed the last round, today,

I didn't bring my plan because unfortunately I've forgotten to

water my plan.

It died, Sorry.

Joe, because the plant is don't Yeah, I go through

every day motion and watering plant is not one of

the motion that I go through every day. All right,

So we can water our plan every day, right, For

those of you who plan, you will actually go to

your your water your plan every single day. But if

your plan remain in that one same part, it will survive,

but it will not thrive.

Right.

So for those of you plan, you know, if you

always remain your your charctus in this one small part,

your charactus is probably this big and it will not

grow any bigger. Okay, what once gave life to the plant,

the soil, the port, the environment, it has now become

a limitation.

To its growth.

So if you were to take out the plan from

the port, you will notice that the plant is being

root bound.

Same goes to us. Okay.

So for all of us, we get rooted in church,

in God, very good praise the Lord. But after some

time we can get very comfortable, we can get very

complacent because it's nice. Right every day, keep doing the

same every Sunday, keep doing the same thing and same thing,

and keep us going. But we keep doing the same thing,

it will not help us to grow. And I can

share with you from my own personal experience later on. Okay,

so let's talk about how to grow again. And God

doesn't want us to just survive in our faith. He

wants to stretch us, okay. He wants us to bear fruit,

and he wants us to multiply.

Okay.

Always remember that God doesn't want us to just survive

in our faith. That is not the call for us.

Okay. So today I'm gonna read to us from this

portion of Scripture. Okay.

For those of you who were here last Sunday, passa Sandra.

Also from this scripture on John chapter fifteen. Remember the

hand with the glove.

Okay.

Jesus is a true vine. So passa Sandra, talk about abiding,

abiding in Jesus. Okay, But today I'm gonna talk before

abiding in Jesus. What is the one thing that God

actually does?

Okay? Reading from John chapter fifteen, verse one, all the

way to was eight.

Okay, I'm gonna read from the New Living Translation because

it's easier to draw from this New Living transition. Okay,

Reading from verse one. I am the true wine, a

true grape vine, and my father is the gardener. He

cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit,

and he prunes the branches that do bad fruit so

they will produce even more. You have already been prune

and purified by the message I have given you. Remain

in me, and I will remain in you. For a

branch cannot produce fruit if it is sovereed from the vine,

and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes,

I am the wine. You are the branches. Those who

remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit.

For apart from me, you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me is strode away

like a useless branch, and readers, such branches are gathered

into a pile to be burnt. But if you remain

in me and my words remain in you, you may

ask for anything you want and it will be granted.

When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciple.

This brings great glory to my father. So I just

want to draw our focus to worse one and Worse two.

It says that Jesus say here, my father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit,

and he prunes the branches that do bad fruit so

they will produce even more. All right, So growth requires pruning, okay,

and God will prude us. So let's look at what

pruning is. I mean, what is the purpose of pruning.

So if you are a gardener, or you are someone

who plant, okay, I'm pretty sure you have been through

pruning your plant, okay, because you need your plant to grow.

Okay, So a lot of times, right when I look at.

The word pruning, because I'm not very good in planting,

that's for sure. I told you just now right my

plant died. But when I look at how my friends plant.

They were always cut away branches and I was like,

why why you cut away? They say that it is needed. Okay,

it is needed for the plant to grow. And I

never understood. So I went and do some research to

understand what pruning is all about.

And it shows me three things. Okay.

Pruning Number one is to maintain the health of the plant,

all right. Number two is actually to give structure appearance

to the plant, and thirdly.

Is to promote new growth.

So talking about giving the plant structure and appearance, I

think for those of you who have seen bonzai, y'all

will know like how the gardener were prone to make

the whole bonzai looks nice. Or maybe some of you

who have planted borganvilla, you know that if you don't

trim or prone the plant, it will turned into a

big bush. Or maybe some of you who have planted

high biscuits, it's the same thing. If you don't prune

and cut everything, it will turn into a big bush

and then very hard to handle after that. Okay, So

pruning number one, you make the plant looks nice, Okay,

that's for sure. Pruning also maintained the plant health. You

want one some infected part of the plants to destroy

your whole plant.

So you will cut.

Away those those leaves who are dated, those parts who

who is infected by like the plants termite or bugs

or whatsoever, to prevent it to spread.

Okay.

So when you prune, it also helped to give the

air circulation to the plant so that it will not

grow fungus. All right, So all this I needn't know,

and I only found out during mcoh oh. Actually, plant

also will grow sick. I thought on need animals and

human beings will grow sick. Okay, plant also will okay.

And how I know because when I'm find there, I

lift up the leaf, I'm like, what are all this

white white spot on the green leaf? And that I

call my friend, Hey, my plan. I got this white

dot on my left and I took a picture and

show her and she's like, your plant is infected with

Like okay. She gave me some namel, some disease. I'm like,

oh no, what should I do with it? And then

she said you need to put nim oil on the plant.

I'm like, what is niam oil? Okay, that's a side.

So that tells us that plant also we're grossing. So

that's why we need to prune. We need to trim.

So that our plant will be healthy. Okay.

It also gives lights okay, penetration into different parts of

the plant so that the inner part will not die.

Okay. And of course pruning it increased.

Productivity okay, it gives it boosts fruit and flour production. Okay,

because when you prune away things that is not supposed

to be there, the plant wild channel the energy into

producing more or larger flowers or fruit, and then it

would improve the quality as well.

Okay. So that is the benefit of pruning.

So during mcoh Okay, prior to MCO, I actually went

for Bloom Conference and then I joined the planting workshop.

And then in the planting workshop, we were given one

small pot of basil.

Okay to plant.

And everyone say that planting basil is very easy. Okay,

for someone who has no green fingers like me, it's

not easy. But somehow my basil so much came. Not easy,

but somehow my basil survived.

Praised the Lord. How it survived.

I have no idea, Okay, I have no idea because

all I did was just water every day, okay, and

then after that mc oh hits. So I have more

times with my plant now because I got nothing to do, right,

I got more times with my plant. So every single

day I'll go water my plant and I'll look at

my plant. And then my basil started growing flowers. I

was like, wow, basil plow will grow flowers so beautiful.

So it grew and grew and grew. And I stood

in front of my basil plant and I look at

my plant. Okay, flower, you have a lot, but where

are the leaves? Okay, the leaves aren't growing. And then

I was like, come be So usually, based on my

common sense is if a plant grow flower, miss, the

plant is growing.

Miss.

The leaf is supposed to be growing. How come the

leaf is not growing? And then again I call my friend, hello,

my basil plant. I don't know why. The flower is

growing a lot, But then the leaf is not growing

and she started laughing, Like why are you laughing? She

said that you are supposed to prune away all the flowers.

I'm like why, but the flowers is so nice.

Then she said, if you don't cut off the flowers,

your basil will not grow and your basil will die.

After that, I'm like, okay, So look at the flower.

I'm like, I'm sorry, I have to cut you off.

So I cut off, and then I have an empty

pot beside with some soil, and I just put the

flower there low and behold, it started growing. The flowers,

not the flowers. The leaf started growing.

It got more and more.

So every time I see the flowers, I'm like, sorry, flowers,

tro cut and tro and it started growing and it

started blooming. And that tells me that the flower, when

it is still in the tree, the energy was channeled

there to grow the flower, and then the leaf doesn't grow.

But because basil, we want the leaf, we don't want

the flower, right, So that's why we have to prune off.

Okay, So it's the same process.

Sometimes we think that yeah, cutting away such beautiful things

it can be cruel, but then it is necessary because

what we think is beneficial for the plant is actually

not beneficial for so a lot of times when we

look at the word growth, right, the first thing that

comes to our mind is addition means grow you need

to have more and more and more and more. But

in this story here it tells me that growth requires

subtraction before there is addition. Which means that we need

to cut off things that are not beneficial.

We need to cut off things that is not useful

for our growth.

So the process of pruning can be painful, but always

remember this. God pruned us not to hurt us, but

to help us to grow. So come back to our

own spiritual life. What does God's pruning looks like? Okay,

So pruning can be removing habits that drain our faith? Okay,

start to think, what are some of the habits that is,

you know, pulling me away from God? What is some

habits that is draining your faith and causing you to

spend time more on that thing and lesser time with God.

Maybe God's pruning looks like ending distraction that limit our

focus on God.

What is our usual distraction?

Our gadgets, write, our work, our football game, you know,

our care drama okay or whatever drama. A lot of

distractions that will limit our focus on God. Or this

is sometimes can be very painful to some of us,

letting go of certain relationship or routines that no longer

align with our calling with God. So these are something

that we have to ask ourselves. What is the one

thing and all of us know, one, when God is

pulling us, we can actually tell okay, because God is

telling us, Okay, Selena, this is something that I need

you to let go. This is something that I need

you to move away from. This is something that does

not please me. We know because why we have the

Holy Spirit in us. It convicts our heart and it

tells us. So God proves away things that we depend

on too much so that we will depend on him more.

So what are the things that we depend on too much?

You know?

Sometimes we depend on too much in the security of

our work. Sometimes we depend too much on the security

of our money. Sometimes we depend our security too much

on someone. It's like, oh no, if let's say this

person no longer work with me, then you know, my

workplace will be you know, will be a mess or whatsoever.

You know, we depend so.

Much on the worthly thing that we've forgotten to depend

on God. So let's ask ourselves what are we putting

our dependence on?

Okay?

And what are the areas that God is pulling us today?

Maybe sometimes God is pulling away our pride in order

for us to grow our humility. Maybe sometimes God is

pruning away our comfort so that we can grow our faith.

Or sometimes God is pruning our plan you get Have

you ever gotten your plan disrupted by God? Because why

God wants you to trust him more so, whatever he

is pruning, don't resist. You know, whatever God is trying

to shake in your life, don't resist. Embrace it as

a preparation for fullness. So remember that you know growth

requires pruning. Start to reflect what is it that God

is pruning?

Now?

Okay, so the next one, growth requires change of environment. Okay,

that doesn't mean that, oh, change of environment for me

to grow. Okay, I don't even have to cheshla, I

go to maybe another place. Noah, that's not the meaning. Okay,

So let's read from Philippias, chapter three, verse twelve to fourteen.

Here it says, I don't mean to say that I

have already achieved these things, or that I have already

reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection

for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it.

But I focus on this one thing forgetting the past

and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on

to reach the end of the race and receive the

heavenly prize for which God True Christ Jesus is calling us. Okay,

so I just want to bring our attention to verse twelve.

It says that I don't mean to say that I

have already achieved these things or that I have already

reached perfection, but I press on to possess the that

perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Okay, So

this scripture is actually written by apostle Paul. Okay, and

all of us know the things that he had done, right,

He went for missions. He you know, he shared the Gospel.

He does a lot of missions work. So when we

look at his life, right, it will give us a

sense that, you know, wow.

He's really there. I think he's perfect.

You know, when we read from the Book of x

you know, to his visit to the churches before he

gets jailed, and and uh, you know, went through all

the different things. Right, he has already done so much

work for the Lord. And we have thought that, wow,

he has done so much. Maybe probably it's time for

him to take a rest, because you know, maybe the

call that for him to do is already perfect. Ready

he doesn't need to do anymore. Okay, or maybe when

he wrote this, perhaps there has been people that is

telling him that, yeah, you you have overcome all your

spiritual problems. You are almost perfect. But what did he say?

He says is that, no, no, it doesn't mean that

when I wrote this, right, I've already reached perfection. Okay,

but he promised that it is not the case. He

has even though he has the reasons, will stay comfortable,

but it's still not enough. He still have to press

on because he knows that is his calling. He needs

to continue to do the work that the Lord wants

him to do. He still needs to go out so

that more people can hear the gospel. He still needs

to go out so that more people will know Jesus.

So he says that I need to still press on

and then trust God to lead him to where he

needs to go.

Right.

So, you know, a lot of us sometimes we will

think this, right, especially those of us who probably very

long in our Christian work, or maybe don't of us

who are already older. We you know, sometimes I also

tend to hear this from a lot of people that

are older than me, saying that, yeah, I don't need

to do any more. Let the younger generation do it.

I don't need to surf. Let the younger generation do ith.

Not trying to hit on anyone, because I had to

say that also, you know, I would say that, yeah,

don't need to call me like, let the younger one,

I know, Let no one do it.

Let I like to do it. Let my do it.

They are the younger one. They got more energy, Selena,

No more energy? What five minutes already Pan said? You

know a lot of times we tend to say that.

You know, sometimes we thought that, yeah, I've done so much.

Really like, okay, I've already come out with the hood

to plant, are already reading somebody in my enough readily,

I don't ask me to go out to plan.

Really enough enough is enough? Okay?

But does that mean that I'm already perfect and done enough?

Let's ask ourself is he enough? Are we already perfect?

And I like to tell people this. If I'm already

done enough and I already perfect, I would have gone

home to be with the Lord.

I don't need to stand here today.

The fact that I'm still standing here means that the

Lord is telling me, Selena, your work is not done yet.

And that kills me. That that reminds me that, yeah, yes, Lord,

I think my work here is not done yet. If

you have healed me, you know from my sickness, means

that I still need to continue to do your work.

If you have set me free from different kinds of

bondages in my life means that my work here is

not done yet. So I still have to continue to

press on. I still need to continue to do what

I need to do. I need to continue to press

on into something bigger. So maybe you may be, you know,

too old for this thing now. Okay, you may not

be serving what you used to serve back then, but

you need to grow. Change of environment right now is

for you to step into something bigger, something greater, which

is out of your comfort zone. So you are never

too young to serve. Neither are you too old to serve.

There is always an area that you can serve. And

one thing that passa kind of reminded us. You know,

the leaders is this. We may be all in age,

but what is our service is to provide the stepping

stone for the younger generation to rise up even stronger

to do more for God, because why we have already

been there.

We can advise them. We can help them.

But at the same time, we have to grow ourselves

as well, and God will give us a new challenge

to overcome to do right. So all we need to

do is ask God, Lord, which is the new territory

that you want me to step in?

And I will step in into it.

So we should not stay comfortable and remain status gore

at where we are right now. So I said that

I'm going to share with you know my story about

growth not being remained in the status school. Okay, for

those of you who know me long enough, everybody knows

me as teachers Selena, because why I'm one of the

pioneer that started EX Kids. I've been serving in X

Kids many many years. You know, running X Kids is

like easy Kacha for me, easy, busy lemons, squeezy people

say it and any time, you know, anytime, I'm not bragging,

but I feel that this is a calling that God

has a talent that God has given to me. Anytime

that you want me to walk into a room full

of kids and run a program immediately, I can do it.

No planning requires that. That is the talent that God

has given to me. But it has become my comfort

zone and Hence, as I continue to serve in X kids,

it has always been my hiding place.

You know.

Don't ask me to go and talk to new people.

Don't ask me to go in to make congregation. Don't

ask me go into a room full of people. Don't

ask me to stand in front here to preach. Okay,

teach one thousand children, no problem, preach to tend adults.

Lord help me. You know that is me. So I've

been so comfortable in EXE kids until the Lord has

to rock my boat.

Okay, some of you will have already heard this story

from me, but I'm just gonna shed again.

How did the Lord rock my boat? Is that?

You know? Elder Peple went to Edinburgh and then someone

has to lead exambun At the point in time, Exampum

has a group.

Of very talented people.

So before pastors and elders, theyre came and spoke to me.

I've already heard from God.

The Lord says, I'm going to put you into something greater,

and I knew what was it? And my answer to

God is no. And then the Lord still says that

get ready.

No, oh Lord, there are so many good leaders here.

There's Johnny here, there's Alex Martin.

Here, you know, and I started naming all the leaders,

you know, Eddie, Dear, Alex Martin, Johnny, you know, the

more leaders, Lord, all of them are more qualified than me.

And they are so, you know, very pastoral, heard, very smart,

you know, very good charisma. Who am I the discipline

teacher of X kids every day school people?

Okay?

And then not very good in talking, but the Lord

says no, get ready.

And then.

Months after that, I saw old Pinghok walking towards me,

and I knew what's coming. I saw him from far

I un even though I'm walking that direction. I tried

to run away, but I couldn't because trying to run

away from other pinghole no issue. Here comes passer. Hello, Selena,

can we meet up for tea? Can you say no?

Of course? No? Right, okay? And then the rest is history. Okay.

So from X Kids to what I told the children,

the just Selena is in the big kids EX Kids,

and they're like really with oh my daddy mummy, Yeah,

oh your dady mummy is in big kids X Kids Okay,

big X kids. So this is a new territory territory

for me.

Okay.

So just like the plan that's been too long, it

becomes rout bound. I was rot bound in X kids.

But the Lord has to report me and that is

a change of environment for me. And let me tell you,

the whole process of reporting is messy. Right if you

have done reporting for plan before, it is messy because

you need to clear some of the soil and all

those whatnot, okay, And then it also kind of like

disrupts the plan.

Okay.

So during the reporting, the roots get disturbed. So when

I was reported from ex kits to big ex kids,

my routine gets disturbed because that's why what I used

to plan in five minutes this time around, I need

probably one homan to plan for just one sermon, okay,

and then the plan looks weak.

For a while, I was lost. What do I know

about leading a church? Right?

Leading X Kid's no issue, but I need to learn.

I need to learn how to lead a church. And

then the plants need time to address so am I

I need time to adjuss as well?

Okay?

So when God reports us, we might feel shaken. When

I took on the roll, I really felt shaken. As

to me, it's like, Lord, I really do not know how,

But the Lord say don't trust in your own understanding,

trust in me. So what the Lord is trying to

do is that he wants to expand us. He wants

to expand our capacity. So where is God challenging you

to move into today? That is my question to you.

Is it a new ministry or is it a new

challenge or is it a new role?

What? What is God challenging you today? You know it.

The Lord will speak to you personally before someone come

and speak to you. So don't fear a new season.

Don't be like me telling God no, no, no, no, no no. Yeah,

I like to tell God no, I think I'm gonna

take the you know, the king and come and kill me.

So don't don't fear a new season. Okay, embrace them

as an opportunity to grow right. Ask God to guide you,

and trust him to lead the environment that was right

for you. The last season may may not sustain you

for the next one. So remember to let go of

your last season and let God guide you through your

new season. So if I don't let go of X kids,

I will remain growing.

Like a kid.

I probably know every single Bible story in the Bible

children's story, but I may not know the Bible truth

because even as we teach the young children, we do

not do I also deep because they.

Haven't reached the states yet.

Okay, they haven't reached the maturity yet, so I probably

will just grow still like them, not as far as

you know. Our oldest kids now is Andrea, as far

as Andrew grow until she graduated from as kids, that

that will probably be as far as where I will

grow if I don't step out from my comfort zone.

So from what I used to ask God, why did

you appoint me? Why not the other person? Why move me?

I'm fine here where I am. Now, I've learned to

ask God, God, what are you trying to grow me

this season? When you ask me to step into step

out of my comfort zone? What are you trying to

teach me? And that is how I grow. So as

I continue to lead Exambunk, I learned. I learned to

to grow in my spiritual what we've got. I learned

to ask God, you know, I learned to dwell deeper

in the world of God. I learned to study the

Word of God more and more as compared to.

What I will have to teach the young children.

So that is something that we have to remember when

God asks you out of the comfort zone, don't resist,

don't be like me. Okay, don't resist, just say yes Lord,

but how Lord? Okay, and the Lord will teach you.

So pruning help us do bad fruits. Reporting helps us

to expand our capacity. But to sustain growth, we also

need nourishment.

Okay.

So the third point, growth requires nourishment and maturity.

Okay. So I mentioned right in X kids, I will only.

Grow as far as as far as the oldest kids

are after they graduate. So maturity and being able to

teach others is the ultimate growth of a Christian of

a Christian. So if let's say I remain in ES kids,

I probably will be able to forever their children only,

but I may not be able to teach a doubt.

Okay.

So teaching others means also passing on what we know

to those that do not know. And that's part of discipleship.

For those of you who went to homes last Friday Thursday,

you will learn this right, teaching what you know to

those who do not know, because that is part of

disciple ship. And we can only say that we have

grown when we are able to teach. Okay, so, reading

from Hebrews Chapter five, verse twelve to four, you have

been believers for so long now that you ought to

be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you

again the basic things about God's word. You are like

babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For

someone who lives or milk is still an infant and

doesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food

is for those who are matured, who through training, have

the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

So what does this? Hey is here?

You know? The Hebrews writer says that you know you

have been believers for so long that you ought to

be teaching others. So many of us has been believers

for so long. So by right, for those of us

who have been a believer of God right now, we

should be teaching others about the truth of God, the

principles of God. But sometimes some people, you know, they

can be believers for so long, but yet they still

behave like a baby, only one to be fat. You know,

I want, you know, like maybe I always want the male. Okay,

you look at lirial lira and ask for mealk. Okay,

this this is a slanguage for male, okay, and they

want milk. So I come to church. What is the

church feeding me today? I go to another church? What

is this church feeding me today? I go to what

is the cell group feeding me today?

You know?

I go to every place. What are they feeding me today?

Right?

So a lot of us we behave like that. Okay,

we only want to drink spiritual meal. And just what

I say, Like in children's ministry, they are kids, so

we feed them Bible story, the spiritual meal. Okay, but

are we kids? Are we babies only living on spiritual meal? No,

we need to live on the solid food. It says

hear Us that you know the solid food is for.

Those who are matured? Are we matrid? Ask ourselves? Are

we matrid? Do we only know the Bible stories? No,

David and Goliath?

Or do we know the truth behind David and Goliath?

We know Noah's arc story, but do we know the

truth behind Noah's ark story? We know the story that

you know Jesus was born in the manger, but do

we know the truth behind the story? That is very important.

So we come to church and then the word hits

right into our heart and we say that I don't

think the word is for me and we award change.

Many of us are like that, including myself outright. You

know a lot of times when we read the word

of God, it reflects upon our life, but we choose

not to do anything about it. Are we going to

behave like a kids only asking God, No, Lord, what

is the food today? It really happy? Go home, and

then we've forgotten about it. We shouldn't be that way.

When we come to church, we receive the sustenance, We

receive the word of God. What's next We go and

teach it. We're go and share it. We're going to

apply it right. So similarly, we can water our plant daily,

but if the salt likes nutrients, it will survive, but

it will not drive.

It needs fertilizer. And the fertilizer of our.

Faith is actually God's work and we need to be

obedience to it and we need to apply it. So

it is not enough to just hear it on Sunday.

So if we are a Sunday hero only, we will

only be a Sunday grower only because we only imagine

if I were to tell you you only eat once

a week for only two hours, you can eat. Do

you think you can last a week? I think by

the third day you will be fainted and be sent

to hospital.

Really, am I right? If you know that you need

to feed your body every.

Day one day three meals, some people one day five meals,

or some people one day six meals.

How about our spiritual life?

And I'm not even asking you to fit yourself with

the world of God one day five times. And we

need asking all of us to feed ourselves with the

world of God one day once during our quiet time.

I'm pretty sure we can do that, right, So we

need to fit ourselves with the world of God. We

need to move from just Sunday to every day, right,

and we need to move from just consuming on Sunday

to contributing every day. And let's start to ask yourself,

who can you teach the world of God this week?

It's okay if you can only tach young children, start

from there.

I start from there as well. Right.

Then we need to not just ask ourselves what do

I receive from God today? But more of asking what

is God producing to me today? So we need to

start to leave the word and then we will see

ourself grow. Why bother going to all the motivational talk.

You know, a lot of us will sign up, you know,

for motivational talk.

You know, I mean.

Whatever talk or conference that we can sign up in

hope that we can grow ourselves so that I can

be a better manager, so I can be a better leader,

I can be a better see, oh, I can be

a better Okay, whatever better you can think of, Like, okay,

we will sign up all sorts of training and causes

just to grow ourself in that way. But do you

know where what is the best growth manual?

The Bible? The Bible is the best growth manual.

Every single things that you need to grow, not just

your spirit, yourself are including your own life, how to

be a better manager, a leader, student's son, daughter, father, mother.

Everything is in the world of God. Everything is inside here.

You know.

The day I went for a training that my company

sent and the trainer asks us this question, who knows

what is the golden rules? Okay, because it's a it's

not a church training, right of course, I won't quote

anything from the scripture.

I'm like, okay, what is the golden ruler?

I think, think thing, But if it's in church, immediately

I know what's the golden ruler. I would just say,

do unto others what others want to do unto you.

So I kept that to myself. So waiting for the

trainer to tell me what is the golden rule? And

then she's like, you don't know what's the golden rule?

They always say no, we don't know. And then she

say the golden rule is do onto others what you

want others to do onto you time.

I'm like, hey, that's from my bob, But of course

I didn't say I'm not lad.

So you see a lot of people when they train,

a lot of principle is from the world of God.

Why do you play thousands and thousands and thousands to

people when you can spend thousands and thousands and of

hours me needs seconds, you know, reading the Word of God.

I'm pretty sure all of you have a Bible. Right,

who doesn't have a Bible? Tell me I will give

you one. Right, all of us have a Bible.

Read it.

Don't need to read any motivational book, but good if

you can read. Okay, to enhance your knowledge and know

what other people do, But first read the Word of

God because that is what will nourish you, Okay, And

that is what will grow you.

I was. I am rereading the Book of Proverbs.

Now when I read the Book of Proverbs, right, I'm like, Lord,

I fail big time. No need to go for any

leadership training. I look at this, I know I fail

big time. And I'm only at which chapter chapter four

or five I can't remember, and it only talks about

how do you talk?

How do you communicate with others?

And that is alf I look at it, right, Lord,

I feel big time, And that is the very thing

you know, the training that my company sent us communication workshop,

and then I can read it in the Book of Proverbs, right,

it's just here right, So that is if we talk

about growth, we need nourishment. It's in the world of God.

Let's not pluck ourselves into the world of God, and

then you will see yourself growth. And I can guarantee

you that, Amen, Yon, doing well, so far, so good, okay.

And then the fourth points growth reveals fruit and multiplies life.

So finally, when we are prune, reported, nourriedge, nourished, Okay,

something beautiful happened. Okay, we start to bad fruits. We

read right just now from from John chapter fifteen. Okay,

when we are prune we are. When we bide in Jesus,

we will that fernitely bad fruits. So in Second Bitter

Chapter three, verse seventeen to eighty, essays, you, therefore beloved,

since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall

from your own stepfastness, being led away with the error

of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge

of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. To him be

the glory, both now and forever.

Amen.

So remember this growth always leads to fruit, and fruit

always benefit others. Okay, So a healthy tree never eats

its own fruit. It bears fruit for others to enjoy.

Grow not just in the world's way, but growth yourself

spiritually as well, in the grace.

And the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So remember when I say we grow holistically, it's not

just grow for ourself. The Lord desires us to grow

so that we can multiply. Right, what is our great commission,

Go therefore and make disciples. So we need to multiply ourselves.

We need to multiply more people who will know who

Jesus is. Grow more people to be able to continue

to share the love of God to the people around us.

So when you grow spiritually, your testing money will inspire

another person. Your maturity will help to strengthen the church.

Your generosity will supply someone's need. And then your knowledge

and your wisdom will help someone.

To grow in their faith.

So you can begin to disciple others into the maturity

of Christ. And your maturity will help to grow the

next generation. So don't think that why do I need

to grow? If you don't grow, what will happen to

our next generation? You know, we shouldn't say that I

a the next generation. Let the pastor handelila. Let the

elders of the church handelidla. You know, the campus student,

Let Pastor Steven.

Do it la.

The things are, but let past Daniel handelila our campus

and things past. No, it's all our responsibility. It's all

our responsibility. We cannot put it on just one person's shoulder.

You know, we always taught this. It takes a village

to raise a child, and we are the village. So

let's grow ourselves so that God's kingdom can grow. Amen,

So don't just keep going, keep growing so the others

can taste the goodness of God through you. So when

you grow, the church will grow as well. Right we

we don't want to forever come to church only see

the same of the same, old, same old faces. We

don't want to just only see the same. You know,

every day I come only see your Lloyd. Every day

I come only see Eddie, every day I come only

see Kelvin. Let's desire to see more new faces. And

when I say new faces, it's people who needs to

hear the word of God. Are we doing our part well?

Are we inviting all our friends who are not believer

to come to church? We inviting our friends who are

not believer to come to church. Let's start doing it.

Probably this is the first uncomfortable zone that God is

asking you to go, right, So let's invite them and come.

So when when the church grow, more people will come

to know the saving knowledge of Christ.

And let's let our.

Growth attracts people to Christ and bring glory to God. Okay,

so remember just how we talked, right. The Lord is

the gardener that prunes away branches that doesn't bear fruit,

but he prunes those that bad fruits so that more

fruits can grow. So imagine yourself as a gardener. When

you look at the plant in the whole trunk. There

is one branch that has no leave, there's no fruits, nothing.

I'm pretty sure you were cut it away and you

wire throw it. But the one that God leaves and grow,

you will start to trim so that it will bloom

even more beautifully. You definitely will not chop off the

one that looks you know that it's growing very well,

but you will just continue to prune so that it

will grow even more. But what the scripture continues on,

you need to abide in Jesus so that you can

bear more fruits. So we know abiding okay, that we

need to abide in Christ. Okay, that we can bear

much fruits. So church, let's start to reflect upon ourselves.

Even as I close, we hope you've been blessed by

this message. For more information on our church, please visit

as church Org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a

good week, a heait for you. God bless