Preparing the Soil (Introduction): High Attendance Sunday was always a huge event at my former church. We would see how many people we could invite to outdo the number from last year. There would always be special music, a special sermon, and everyone made it a point to smile and be as “Christ like” as we could that day. I always wondered what the visitors thought on those days. Did they feel just like a number, or did they truly feel the love of Christ? Looking back on those times, even though I was a member of the church, I often felt like a number as well. It didn’t matter what I “got out of church,” as long as I was there. And to be honest, I think that is exactly what my spiritual life looked like.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2) God instructs us to be imitators of Him; to think, live, and minister like Him. But I don’t think Jesus went to church on Sundays, got what He needed, and then ignored God the rest of the week. This is exactly what I did for about 11 years of my Christian walk. Oh, I was a good person, and people knew that, but could they tell me apart from any other good person? Probably not – I blended in quite well with the other do gooders. About 7 years ago my husband and I first attended CCM, and we were blown away. People genuinely seemed happy to be there! It wasn’t just a check off for “High Attendance” Sunday and, in fact, they didn’t even have membership. It wasn’t until after about a month or two that we both realized what kept drawing us back, week after week. It wasn’t the pastor, the music, the friendly faces, or even the size of the church--it was the Word of God. Each week, His Word was penetrating us and slowly started to show us that we have been more imposters than imitators of Him. Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly— mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2) We had been living off of milk instead of meat. When we realized what meat tasted like, milk didn’t even seem like an option. We wanted the porterhouse with all the fixin’s. We started to get in the Word every day and joined a Bible study and a small group. Let me tell you, things have never been the same. My spiritual life started growing by leaps and bounds, and people started to take notice of a true difference. Now can I say I have arrived to full maturity? By no means, but this journey is a joy each day.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Can I ask where you are today? Are you starving because you have been drinking milk for so many years, or are you satisfied, full on God’s Word? Take time today and think about what you have been eating for the last few days. Are you still chewing on Sunday’s service, or are you enjoying the daily freshness of His Word? I challenge you to get into God’s Word and start changing from the immature to the mature. Your life will never be the same again!
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Psalm 119
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