As we embark on a new series, my heart is burdened to share the journey from mentee to mentor with you.
The desire is to share the transformative power of Jesus our Christ.
His power to take a heart of stone and exchange it for a heart of flesh continues to blow my mind and is a work He alone can do.
In this series, our heart is the garden, and the word is the gardener used to till the ground.
Jesus is the gardener working through His creation “man” to use the tools He prepared for us to come alongside and fulfill the great commission of making disciples.
Matthew 28:18-20 says:
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The seeds we sow have an impact that can ripple through generations!
Our main passages of focus are the garden account in Genesis chapters 1-3 and Mark 4.
We will go between the two passages the entire series, so I encourage you to read all passages.
I will only be able to scratch the surface due to the nature and limited space of a blog. Dig deeper, be a Berean and search the word for yourself.
Ask God what He wishes to reveal to you on this subject and then be obedient in the steps He calls you to take.
Discipleship can be hard if done in one’s own strength.
If we try to go out in our own strength, we are already defeated.
Our efforts will be in vain, and the roots of the seeds planted will not survive the storms of life that come, uprooting the plants that have begun to grow.
We start at the garden account because, in my personal walk, the temptation for pride to take hold as a leader and disciple are great.
Unfortunately, I have also witnessed this in other leaders.
I have seen where pride takes shape of an unteachable spirit and a spirit of self-reliance.
The temptation to put self and others on the altar of worship is there and will take deep root if it is not plucked up and destroyed at first growth.
In the blogs to follow we will discuss: the ground (our hearts), seeds, fruit, and weeds.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see how beautifully these ties into discipleship.
Lord, give us ears to hear, tender hearts to receive and courage to surrender to the working of the plow in our lives.
May the seeds you plant find good ground and bring forth a harvest befitting a king, in your strength and for your glory only- King Jesus. Amen!
Blessings!
Crystal Hippo, President