GROW – “Rooted” Week 2
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. —1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (KJV)
1. GROWTH IS THE RESULT OF
and ENVIRONMENT
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. —Colossians 2:6-7 (KJV)
Encounter and Environment
How did the encounter begin?
Godly relationships, obedience to scripture, prayer, worship, and repentance.
To those who are perishing…the message of the cross is foolishness….but to those who are being saved… it is the POWER of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
It is not my responsibility to grow myself, that is God’s job. I am responsible to cultivate a heart and life that is conducive for growth.
By keeping the environment of my life right, I am giving God the opportunity to GROW ME however He sees fit!
2. GROWTH IS A
-THING
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. —1 Corinthians 3:5-6 (KJV)
GROWTH IS A GOD-THING
There is no perfect church or situation, but if you will stay humble and teachable, God will GROW YOU like crazy!
3. YOU ARE A GOD-
7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. —1 Corinthians 3:7-9 (NIV)
God-Project
How can we help God in his work?
We must be mindful of our environment!
Place yourself and your family in a community with people who love Jesus and who are growing. Yes, you should have friends that are not Christians yet, but make sure that the outside influences of this world are not affecting your spiritual decisions and pulling you away from God and the people of God.
Dedicate yourself to reading God’s Word and spending time with Him in prayer.
Regularly worship Jesus with our lives.
Constantly evaluate our lives and repent of any sin and continue to allow Jesus to deal with us about changes that need to be made in us.
4. GROWTH IS NOT
1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.
2 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 (NIV)
Grow…it’s not an option.
God’s expectation for us is that we would grow and mature spiritually.
Paul makes the milk/meat comparison in order to clearly communicate that we all start as an infant in the faith, but we are expected to become mature.
5.
= TRANSFORMATION
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. —James 1:2-4 (NIV)
If it doesn’t test you, it can’t transform you!
God never wastes a trial or test. He doesn’t just allow you to face things for no reason. God wants to use every experience in our lives to transform us into His likeness.
- Cultivate the soil of your heart.
- Evaluate the environment of your life right now.
- If something needs to change so that God can grow you spiritually, then make the conscious choice to change it.
- Ask God to grow you and embrace the growth as it comes. (Sometimes there are growing pains, but don’t stop).
6. NOT
!
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. —Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Not Yet, But I Will Be
My life can change and I can grow. No matter what my situation is,. with the right conditions, God’s work will be effective in me!
Don’t be discouraged. He who began a good work in you will finish it!
Questions for Reflection:
1. Have you ever had success growing something? If so, what was it?
2. Why is growth a central piece of being a follower of God?
3. What are some things that you have seen God use in your life for growth?
4. What are the biggest deterrents to growth in the life of a believer?
5. What is one way you could change the environment of your life to be more conducive for growth? What could change?
6. How do difficulty and trials play into personal growth?
7. How do spiritual disciplines play into personal growth?
8. If Jesus himself were to be present next to you, what would you ask him to do in your life?
Social media post Ideas:
Growth comes from encounter and environment
rooted #grow #Godsgreenthumb
Not Yet, But I will be
rooted #grow #stillgrowing
Growth is a GodThing
rooted #grow #growup
If it doesn’t test you, it can’t transform you