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Frustration, in your life, is your friend. It actually pushes you to get outside of your comfort zones, your rhythms, your normal.
Global purpose: Glorifying God and live with Him forever.
Unique purpose in life: unique agitation.
Oftentimes, your agitation will lead you to something you are called to.
Stagnant Sameness.
Stupid Sameness.
Stubborn Sameness. “You do you” is a far cry from what Christ wants to do in you.
Scared Sameness.
Sacred Sameness. A well that never runs dry.
John 15:1-8 (NIV)
If you stay close, then you will bear much fruit.
There are going to be times in your life that He will have to cut back in your life, so that He can produce more.
1. The Kingdom comes through the monotonous before the miraculous.
Just showing up one more time…just reading the Word one more time…
If you resist the monotonous in your life, you might not experience the miraculous in your life
Everything that you want in your future, will be developed by faithfulness in your present.
2. The Kingdom comes through cut backs before set ups.
The most cruel thing that our Savior could do is to say, “you do you.” The most compassionate thing He can do is to say, “I’m gonna prune you.” So that we will bear MORE fruit!
God must be getting ready to do something in my life!
The branches need to be able to handle the WEIGHT of what’s coming. I only cut you back as a SET UP for what I’m getting ready to do in your life.
“When I realized that every experience in life, is meant to make me more like Christ, it helps relieve a great deal of my anxiety.” A.W. Tozer
It’s not enough for you to like Christ, we have to be Christ like.
The pain that you’re experiencing in your life, is often what God will use in your life. He will work it FOR my good.
One of the best things you can do in your life is self-pruning. “Narrow your interests.” Where’s the better “yes” at?
Sometimes God uses pruning in your life, to refocus you, and set your priorities on track.
Sometimes I don’t want JESUS, as much as I want Jesus to do something for me. I’m only remaining close enough to get Jesus to do something for me.
Do you want Jesus? Or do you just want Jesus to answer something for you?
When your life produces fruit, who is the fruit for? EVERYONE ELSE. It’s not FOR you.
3. The Kingdom comes through remaining before reaching.
You’ll never arrive unless you abide.
Our culture says, “Fame! Fame! Fame!” Jesus says, “Faithfulness! Faithfulness! Faithfulness!”
We want to be the kind of people that just keep showing up. Because that’s who JESUS is.