Each week we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request.
Spring Growth
Beloved Congregation,
“Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
and showers righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12)
It is spring, and with it comes a new season of preparing ground for the planting of crops. This also has spiritual implications. As it says in Hosea, we need to break up the fallow ground of our hearts. Fallow ground is hard and unusable. It must be broken up so that the seed will be able to grow. The purpose of breaking the fallow ground of our heart is so that we will seek the Lord and sow righteousness. We as believers must be involved in seeking His face as long as we live or until He returns.
We, at MBC, have experienced death, in recent weeks. We have gone through Good Friday and the Resurrection. We have been reminded that because of the resurrection of Christ that death is the way to life. Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it will not bring forth fruit. This is true physically and spiritually. My desire for us in this season is that we will diligently work at plowing up that fallow ground in our lives and hearts; that we will seek to know God in a more real and intimate way.
We need to pray and ask God to do a work in our hearts and lives so that we may be conformed to the image of His Son. When we pray that prayer, we need to expect that God will do things that may not be easy or pleasant or comfortable. But God isn’t interested in making us happy or comfortable; He desires to make us holy. I am praying in this season that you and I will seek to know God and the power of His resurrection in our lives.
–Dale Kleinheksel, Pastor of Congregational Care
Resources on Growing and Maturing in Christ:
- The Spiritual Stages of a Believer’s Life– Nicholas Batzig offers us the defining characteristics of growth in Christ.
- 10 Steps for Change– Tedd Tripp offers a simple, but empowering process of growth in your life.
- Ways we Desire to Grow into Christ’s Likeness– A list of various ways we can depend on God to grow.
- What do the Scriptures Ask of Young Men and Young Women?- 10 principles of growing up.
Other Helpful Resources:
- I Pray This for My Children– A guide to praying for your family diligently and intentionally.
- How do you Know you’re Repentant?- 12 signs we have a genuinely repentant heart.
- Making the Most of Sunday – “There are three ways to get the most out of your Sundays with the church: prepare, participate, and reflect.”
- A Critical Mind vs. A Critical Spirit– Incisive, analytical, fair-minded OR delighting in the flaws of others?