The Sermon Growing Season by David McGee
May 26, 2013
Growing Season (40:20)
Referenced Scriptures: Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:3-6; Ephesians 4:4-13
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Philippians 1:6
6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:3-6
3) I thank my God whenever I remember you,
4) always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy,
5) for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;
6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:4-13
4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;
5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.
7) But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8) Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."
9) Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10) He who descended is the same also who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11) He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
12) for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
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While that this is not the message I have this morning is called the growing season. The growing season and the Scripture is Philippians chapter one verse six being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work and you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The message Bible starts it out in Philippians, chapter one beginning in verse three. Every time you cross my mind. I break out and ask explanations of thanks to God, every time you cross my mind. I break out an exclamation of thanks to God each exclamation is a trigger to pray. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I'm so pleased that you have continued on in this with us believing in proclaiming God 's message from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work, and you would keep it would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears there's never been a slightest doubts that God who started this great working, you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing planning. So God is at work in our lives and there is not the slightest doubt that God is not going to complete the work that he was doing our lives, and whenever I was thinking of this idea of growing season, I came across this power plant a garden and vice larger garden, get for your onions and all act as though no. But anyhow to plant your garden. First come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses and for the garden of your day the living plant, three rows appease piece of my piece of heart and peace of soul platform rose the squash squash gossip squash indifference squash rumbling and squashed selfishness plans for Rose, the lettuce lettuce. The faithful, let us be kind. Lastly patients let us really. The Alanis really love one another. So far no garden is complete without a turn up turn up for the meetings turn out for service turn up to help one another and to conclude your garden. You must have fine fine for God line for each other fine for family and time for friends water freely with patients and cultivate with love to let your guard. So time a growing season and I think of the idea that I'm growing and planting it always entered into our harvests are growing season of ill be begin to plant tomorrow being Memorial Day. My dad always said, never plants or flowers before Memorial Day and have flowers and probably thought they were not defrosted and remind my wife was at reminding me. You know your dad always adult plan before Memorial Day and I planted them in. They almost got frosted so but the idea that Paul is presenting here in inverse six says that you will be in full bloom. You will be in full bloom when Christ returns. I like that I was big, meaty translation for today's message you want to follow your they complain in every way whenever Christ turns so the idea Paul presents is that when God starts a project before in relation. So, when God starts a project he plans to finish it on. I find it hard to finish a project. What happens you get started and then what happens if they get something else. Now there's something else comes up another project comes up you don't do that for a while and then what happens, something else comes up, and Uganda. Another project on the list of projects to do again. Now I remember I was talking this one couple months and she was always complaining about him not doing enough, doing his projects. Okay, so I had the bright idea to it. Also, you know, then he doesn't know, maybe Jeremy don't have an understanding of what you're supposed to do, so maybe you should write down a analyst of things you would like the opposite. He worked all night and she worked all day so they were not anywhere home to communicate their needs back and forth size and write some things that while the next time I saw them. They came in and she had four pages. She had written for him to do a one day. Now those four pages of stuff I said you think this is a lot. She is well acted, written anymore. The enough okay so there are many times are more projects than we can accomplish so the challenge becomes a separate and prioritize and in all those types of things. So, if in our Christian life. You feel that you're not getting anywhere if in our Christian life. We feel like were getting started and we get distracted only go back and we just started illegal by remember this, God is not thinking of someone else Pentagon is not passing you by for some other need, God is focused on completing you. God is focused on our individual completion and grow where you want to become distracted in our faith, and whatever we think of the IPM that there are more important things to do in our life and to be faithful to God. We are really being distracted by the wrong things. There is nothing more important for us than our relationship with God and our relationship with God 's image and yell about that lady that went behind the Iron Curtain, bacterial, some thirty five years ago when behind the Iron Curtain to bring Bibles to the people who were oppressed and persecuted. She working out. She brought out these stories about how the people would have their mind. He raised and they would still be able to quote Scripture, and it was that type of understanding that our relationship with God is into something and we make up our minds to do it. It's not about making up your mind to be a better Christian. It's about praying that God would help you become a better Christian, that God would help you become the person that he wants you to be because he created us with a package he created us with an intention. Now he created us with a purpose and our life then is about discovering that purpose about discovering how that God is going to bring out the best in us to accomplish that purpose. So God has not given up on us if we get discouraged, is simply that we've lost our focus. We lost our focus. God has left us. We left him never in the story. The little lady was complaining to her husband about how that when we were dating, you know, we always got together and how that whenever we went anywhere. We are always together and this is back when the days leading up bucket seats. Okay, enough is enough. This is whenever they had been seated across the front. Some of stunning what that is. But now we have a better seat. He always sat in the middle set, plus utilities. The bluesy duet together going on their new, thereby they're dating there. This, and as it will business up together and now where you know you're over there. I'm overhearing the lowest Ahern says I moved, but God looks at Austin. He says I haven't changed our change Simon Rose, I'm still the same yesterday today and forever changed. What's going on in yourself that have lost the focus and move the way. So remember, God has not given up on you. It's the growing season, too much rain or too little rain too much sun, too little sun, you know, there's so many things that can go wrong and I know many times don't think about that the eye. I think of whenever we were farming and I think of this with farmers. That's whenever they plant the crops that there's too much rain, the seed rots in the ground molding dies if there's no rain is no water for two draw by. So there's got to be the right amount of sun in the right temperature in over the ground needs to be a certain temperature. When we were in vain. They grew potatoes. Okay, potatoes, amendment, more than Maine potatoes and they went they would tell you the number of degree days. What are the number of degrees. They were how temperature as the great days that they could tell you when the potatoes were the right time. The harvest because it had a late spring and a Mary early fall and you had unlimited growing season and they would count the number of days degree days that would than it would take for potatoes to grow. So if you had, they would start a certain date and they would reach a degree day in the fall because if you waited too long in the fall. The call weather came from the ground. You couldn't dig potatoes and interview waited through in the spring. If you can get them in the ground quick enough if it were a late spring and the snow didn't melt and you have a lot of moisture. You couldn't even feel so you're always pressed for these degree days and farmers were constantly watching the degree days. How many degrees until we can harvest while in our lives. God has a growing season and are growing season is the rest of our life and that there are two great days. Sometimes we are a bit cold or too hot or too moist. Sometimes we lose focus and the challenge here in Philippians is saying that whatever happens, there has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that God, who started his great great working you want to edit Bob O'Keefe added area graduating from high school. I remember when that happened to me. You know, I remember that I jumped right out of within four weeks. I was in college now going to summer school and my neo- my family. They bought you I was always the chief Bill thrower in we were there we rebel, hey, sorry to remind you all these things I didn't like it. But anyhow it valiantly belted twenty thousand twenty five thousand dollars a year and when I left for college. My dad don't block a bill for our. It was an attachment on back in the mail. They withdraw the nails and the why didn't you know they will so my dad, Bonneville power, so they only have to unload the wagons not load them up in, so why can we do that when I was still there. I don't know, but so I was leaving and they were back and they were getting something else, but our life is a growing season. Our life is a time in which we are going to development. There are going to be times of change. So in the next few weeks and months, you're headed off to the military right thumb. Yes no and O'Brien is going to college. I do not try where you go you in West Virginia West Virginia after I went, West Virginia, the Mountain State. Therefore, free trade Council, I was invited. I thought how I was missing a graduation sorry but anyhow, we have this going on in our life. There's a growing and is a changing season. Your Pentagon have a big adjustment that now. Well, we'll see what we'll talk about that another time. So anyhow, there is not over yet. You know it's it's part of the process of change is part of the process of becoming who we are as a person. So we do not think of life as solidly as human. That's all about me. It's about God in us. We are God 's creation in God 's planning in Arlington. I went to Salem College in West Virginia and Iowa applied to one call I got in and went behind, but while I was there I went to a church that was in Clarksburg, West Virginia and I went to a church and that's right heard about Zion Bible college and it was while I was in college to be a phys ed teacher that God called me to the ministry and were heard about the school that I attended that I'd never heard of before, so I actuality, going to college was where I found the call and the school that I should go to to to be a minister. And it was the time that I met Rob. That's why met Rhonda was in West Virginia. So far, going to school was one of the biggest changes the one of the biggest opportunities that brought the my life experiences took an entirely different direction. Not because I stay there, but because they went there and say, God has a way of working in the little things in the bank, things, or the ordinary things of my life to bring about what we need because God has begun a working you and he will keep adding people working in your life working in your life working in your life through every day. Every situation, no matter what happens. You see God at work in us no matter what happens when you look back over iPod is a look back over your life. He looked at her life were whereat said let's go this way, let go forward. Our life is in front of us, so, God continues his work throughout our lifetime in our lifetime. Work will not be finished is built until we stand face-to-face with God. So where do you stand face-to-face with God. So we begin today, preparing for that face-to-face with God, not out of fear by not allowing because God loves here are voice. God loves to see. I hear us be in fellowship where he loves that I have even to the nursery to buy flowers yet and shrubs and all anybody vendor nurturing. I've been to probably eight NL. What we wanted to yesterday with Rachel Lynn, here are the Home Depot and Lowes and Walmarts and in Minnesota and then the ones that are misdemeanors and the other lobby selling. There are rounds and I think I have well over a hundred flowers planted, but you planting one four to watch them grow you for realizing you and I'll be set up there and talk to them. Please know I don't do that stuff, but your platinum wide to watch them grow. While God has a plan. God is planting and working in our lives so that we would grow and the experiences that we have is it's a growing experience. It will be good for you. I want that doesn't kill you only could make it better. I don't believe that God 's work in our lives to work in our hearts. So we see you plan things to watch them grow. God has a purpose for you to watch you grow and to become. And it's not over because you're not standing face-to-face with God. So you have still have room for growth. How many know that the person beside you, has room for growth is that it will doubt we'd have seeds that we brought back from can the win at the Canada last year and that this botanical garden. We were a bad and so was I without about beautiful than I think I fit the people worked there every night and this botanical garden, not during the day, but all night long to work in his garden is beautiful, bushes and flowers and everything just attack and of course I will plant some of those alumni have a botanical experience. What doesn't kill the plants will make them grow so so God is at work. He has planted the seed of his word in our lives. I planted the seed of his word, and whenever we come into challenges in our life were going to have the security of those seeds of an plan in our lives to make us grow in Ephesians chapter four, beginning at verse sports that you were. You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction. All of us. The body of Christ. Every individual is called to one goal in the same direction were going to heaven were going were on the way to heaven and were on the way to spiritual maturity. This is so stay together stay together in this grouping is aware as the body of Christ. Both outwardly and inwardly you of one master, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who rules over all works through all that is present in all, so when God was with us, working in us and throw us everything everything everything everything everything you are and think and do, is permeated with this oneness. Everything is permeated by this oneness that we have the same God. Now, we belong to one body we are united under Christ, he is ahead of its urgent God has given you those abilities and purpose for your life is given it all to you and it is those promises that are in your life that cause you to become the person, should be no. We have, we gradually know, college, high school, has been up preparation of the place of torture and after you don't know in my pages are for the young of May event was tortured by cantonment. But anyhow caught is the place of where you go there's a story and bear with me as I tell the store. I told her what the purchase of one of the Earth is not about so I'll try and tell the story correctly, there was this ghost of a person with a shadow of a man, and on his shoulder was this dark lizard in this lizard walk with this guy everywhere the shadow of a man, and this lizard would always have things to say whisper in his ear. This shadow. This dark blizzard would be in all, while question everything that he did would wonder what no challenge all of his thoughts and everything went together, there would be this challenge. He really wanted to do that really important that really matter is really to make a difference. And so the shout of a man was constantly in going back and forth with this discussion and and and never really getting anywhere about always being challenged in the shadow of a man that God and God said to the shadow of a man, you've got to get rid of the lizard and the menthol of this has been my constant companion. This is been part of for all my life I've always kept this lizard on my shoulder. It's been with me everywhere I go, God said you've got to get rid of it was so the man said, finally said okay God, you can have those got took the lizard broke its back intro to the ground again became horse, a white horse and man became a man and not the shadow of a man who got on his horse he rode into his huge. You see, our thoughts should be the things that supports us and carry us not challenge us in questions and bring down because the shadow of a man is the shadow of what we're just the shadow of ourselves with our doubts and with our fears and with all things, but really the thoughts and intents of our heart should be. The things that support us and carry us both the thoughts of our life should be supported. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God is well able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask nothing. These are the challenges of the word. The seed of God that is in our heart that supports us and enables us to go forward into our life, it would become a real person, not the shadow of what we are, but we become the person God created us to be verse seven says, but that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same brawl going of one God, one Lord, one baptism, while going the same direction as is, but that doesn't mean you all look and speak and act the same evening to draw the look like me and talk like me and act like me and be like me. What a terrible places would peak at you I'll be all the terrible now. I asked of. I absolutely arrested, beaten the glare from the Windows is not blinding it was a no go in there is more to life then just us. If the person God wants us to be so, so we don't all look the same with him all speak the same with all my same verse seven on the generosity of Christ. Each of us is given his own gift out of the generosity of Christ. We are each given our own gifts you I each one of us have our own gift things we all say hi. Have special gift things ready. I have special gifted ready. I have special gifting of a believe that it didn't jump up liberal than later. Now I we all have our special guest things that I have my special gifting ring keeps saying to you believe it are have my special gifting to believe that yet. I have my special gift things to yell at the more of the stories you have your special gift things that we got this. We have special gifting is a regular work. I'm not making this up out of out of the generosity of Christ. Each of us is given his own gift out of the generosity of Christ. God gave you a special gift the text for this is decline the high mountain. He captured the enemy and sees the beauty behind it all out and gifts to the people if saying that that Jesus Christ is the one who hung on the cross. I descended into the lower parts of the year. TrackBack the case of death, hell and the brain, and he then came the gift things back to loss by the power of his Spirit in his word, is it not true that the only only the one who climbed up also climbed down to the Valley, the earth and the one who climbdown was the one who climbed back up to the highest of heaven. That's speaking of Jesus, he handed out gifts. There's that word again. He handed out gifts above and below, fill the earth with his gifts fill the earth with his gifts were these gifts where these guests. The menu in believers. These gifts are a new wholesale from the jewel when it see you got. We've got called by the gift things that are ours believe that God has given us a place and given these gifts to us. God is about sending at the howler, bring the family dog is about living within our hearts and lives that we can become the person that God wants us to be and that heaven is a reward in heaven is our place, which anyway don't have to worry about hell. Why, because I'm focused on heaven. I don't have to worry about the devil. Why, because I'm focused on Christ, what the devil going. I don't know what's Jesus doing what's this dark lizard saying I don't know of focusing on the word of God. The dark lizards in the snoring is robbing us of the true nature of who we are to give things of God are about helping us become in full bloom planting the seeds of his work will apply down. We got all that he handed out gifts above and below and he handed all gifts of apostles and prophets and evangelists, and pastor teachers to train Christ followers and skilled sermons, work, working within his body. Christ's body, the church and tell were all moving rhythmically and easily with each other that the body were growing problem in the same direction, Rob one to heaven, but we each have a purpose in each part of the body functions differently. The head functions differently than the hands and fingers functioned in the labor hotels and anything differently than they are about and it's all part of a walking process in the living process. The thinking process. The growing process efficient, graceful leaves me out if an graceful outlines, graceful, once we won't go there. In response to God 's son fully mature adults growing, maturing, developing God has a place across a mobility. There's a time and place for that is not a hymn Jerusalem we are fully developed and without and without fully alive like Christ without insight were fully alive in Christ. That is all doing something moving. And also we are all moving rhythmically versus lay gracefully listening to God still small voice on the inside, giving us direction and calling our life to follow him. God is about working in us that we become that person. The guy called us to be responding to the warmth of the sun, warmth of God 's son Jesus Christ. He loves us unconditionally. We are the body of Christ. It's growing season. It's growing since we all have a purpose. Paul said there was never been the slightest doubt in my mind that God who started this great work, and you would keep at it. Think of this for your own life. Think of it, for the life of those who are experiencing difficulties in their life. Think of it as people you have never darkened the door of a church raise cigarette in the context. God has a great work that he wants to do and pray for them right for yourself. Take those think you know it's about whining prayers got to listen to whining prayers to the whining prayers of God. This is a terrible day. I wish it were better to plan, but I sure did. I told God. This is a terrible day, and I don't like it the way it is a long life for the better. I'm in hard whiners of heart about whining, complaining, I don't like the taste of this. No whining or complaining you know that you probably I prayed. I told God will whining prayers. I hate whining, whining and whining like going by whining people live, it's cold outside the ghetto. I would come to become the church. The name of it was cold outside and want to get called like one. Fly displayed, and then you holy rollers are Holley, Rosen, those woke up on the temperature put a blanket on rollover. I'm only enough. I don't need to go to church at whining now get on get up and get going now it's time to move its time to why it's hard to believe it's time to joke this time to go in all this time to refocus this time to understand it's time. This is the time. This is the place you are the person. This is the time. This is the place you are the person that God is called BU with your gift things to live your life with God here and now. And wherever you go around the world to West Virginia to Virginia wherever you go. You're never out of God 's presence. You are never alone. God is with you. You are the person. This is the place where God is going to grow in your life, wherever it may be take the pressure off yourself. It's not up to you. It's not up to you. If God and you together. This isn't a self-centered me centered lifestyle. This is gone and I together, becoming the person that God created me to be fulfilling a plan that he wants me to live. This is his temple. This is just dwelling place. This body is his growing place. And when God is growing interest. It is the power of God working through us to become what God wants us to be to become that person that God wants us to be an area. How many difficulties does it take for us to get there down now the worst in the process on the high mountains. The decline in order for me to get there. I don't know, but I got another one decline a minivan. I have to go through him. Sure, there's another one. I need to go through, but it's all part of the growing process. He has planted his gifts in ops. He will bring out the best in us. He has planted a variety of gifting in his body. All are uniquely use. All are uniquely different and I'll be go to the greenhouse. How many different kinds of roses either on a different kinds of ways and petunias, either. How many different types of the left side. I made those hundreds of thousands of different varieties, but they're all flowers were all his children uniquely different with unique gifts refused to listen to the dark lizard and become a shadow of a person through doubts and remorse, the sugar would produce become the person of faith in which you remember why you're here. God has a purpose for my life. This is part of the purpose. This is part of the calling. This is part of what God want me to do and to accomplish that I will write these things because they are the strength of my life. They come from God. There planted in my life and I will reap a harvest of what I planted of hope of peace of July of prayer of knowing that God will do a good thing in the that he was begun a good work in the welcome places always been faced with me but you all know, outlining my name. I mean it knowledge in my own got done and you just use that as a stepping stone to become that person. And guess what, if the work is great enough, you probably won't be completed in your lifetime. If the work that God wants to do when you is great enough, it will carry on in your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. If the call is great enough, we will never complete. We will just begin to scratch the surface. That's why we need to grow in the grace of God plant the seeds and allow them to mature and they will go far beyond what we could ever think or imagine. I never imagined that going to West Virginia to be a football coach would bring me here never, ever thought that going to West Virginia to be a football coach would lead to being a pastor never in my life that I think that God has a way of taking a step-by-step through each situation because we are in the process of becoming it. It is his seat. His word is planted in your life allowed to nurture and grow, get rid of the lizard get rid of the lizard that takes you away from becoming a person and allow the power of the presence of God the power of the word of God to make you a whole person complete being transported and growing in our relationship with Christ was the middle hearts in our lives commit them to God. God, I committed myself to give a man. God, I commit myself to you all of the difficulties my sins. Oh God, I ask you for forgiveness. He who thinks he hasn't send slowly folding himself now we need to last God for forgiveness every day, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within because I need that. That's the proper soil for things to grow. That's the nurture the nutrients that I need getting out the weeds that will choke out the truth allow the word of God to dwell in us richly pray, read the scripture know God has a purpose for you. You are uniquely different than those who are not Christians. You have a different standard. You have a different goal but of a different purpose. Don't allow the shadow of the wizard to create you make US a shadow of a person complete to your Christ, father, thank you for hearing our prayers knowing our needs less old Lord, our hearts in our lives as we come before you in this moment of time, we asked the Lord that you break the back of those doubts and fears, make us a shadow of a person give us the truth of your word, and Mitchell, the life of your spirit. The power on your Lovin the grace and the her seat to face the obstacles of life. Knowing God that we are, what you in on us are well able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or even imagine. Thank you, oh God, that that is still before us as we serve everyone said amen. God bless youWhile that this is not the message I have this morning is called the growing season. The growing season and the Scripture is Philippians chapter one verse six being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work and you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The message Bible starts it out in Philippians, chapter one beginning in verse three. Every time you cross my mind. I break out and ask explanations of thanks to God, every time you cross my mind. I break out an exclamation of thanks to God each exclamation is a trigger to pray. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I'm so pleased that you have continued on in this with us believing in proclaiming God 's message from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work, and you would keep it would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears there's never been a slightest doubts that God who started this great working, you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing planning. So God is at work in our lives and there is not the slightest doubt that God is not going to complete the work that he was doing our lives, and whenever I was thinking of this idea of growing season, I came across this power plant a garden and vice larger garden, get for your onions and all act as though no. But anyhow to plant your garden. First come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses and for the garden of your day the living plant, three rows appease piece of my piece of heart and peace of soul platform rose the squash squash gossip squash indifference squash rumbling and squashed selfishness plans for Rose, the lettuce lettuce. The faithful, let us be kind. Lastly patients let us really. The Alanis really love one another. So far no garden is complete without a turn up turn up for the meetings turn out for service turn up to help one another and to conclude your garden. You must have fine fine for God line for each other fine for family and time for friends water freely with patients and cultivate with love to let your guard. So time a growing season and I think of the idea that I'm growing and planting it always entered into our harvests are growing season of ill be begin to plant tomorrow being Memorial Day. My dad always said, never plants or flowers before Memorial Day and have flowers and probably thought they were not defrosted and remind my wife was at reminding me. You know your dad always adult plan before Memorial Day and I planted them in. They almost got frosted so but the idea that Paul is presenting here in inverse six says that you will be in full bloom. You will be in full bloom when Christ returns. I like that I was big, meaty translation for today's message you want to follow your they complain in every way whenever Christ turns so the idea Paul presents is that when God starts a project before in relation. So, when God starts a project he plans to finish it on. I find it hard to finish a project. What happens you get started and then what happens if they get something else. Now there's something else comes up another project comes up you don't do that for a while and then what happens, something else comes up, and Uganda. Another project on the list of projects to do again. Now I remember I was talking this one couple months and she was always complaining about him not doing enough, doing his projects. Okay, so I had the bright idea to it. Also, you know, then he doesn't know, maybe Jeremy don't have an understanding of what you're supposed to do, so maybe you should write down a analyst of things you would like the opposite. He worked all night and she worked all day so they were not anywhere home to communicate their needs back and forth size and write some things that while the next time I saw them. They came in and she had four pages. She had written for him to do a one day. Now those four pages of stuff I said you think this is a lot. She is well acted, written anymore. The enough okay so there are many times are more projects than we can accomplish so the challenge becomes a separate and prioritize and in all those types of things. So, if in our Christian life. You feel that you're not getting anywhere if in our Christian life. We feel like were getting started and we get distracted only go back and we just started illegal by remember this, God is not thinking of someone else Pentagon is not passing you by for some other need, God is focused on completing you. God is focused on our individual completion and grow where you want to become distracted in our faith, and whatever we think of the IPM that there are more important things to do in our life and to be faithful to God. We are really being distracted by the wrong things. There is nothing more important for us than our relationship with God and our relationship with God 's image and yell about that lady that went behind the Iron Curtain, bacterial, some thirty five years ago when behind the Iron Curtain to bring Bibles to the people who were oppressed and persecuted. She working out. She brought out these stories about how the people would have their mind. He raised and they would still be able to quote Scripture, and it was that type of understanding that our relationship with God is into something and we make up our minds to do it. It's not about making up your mind to be a better Christian. It's about praying that God would help you become a better Christian, that God would help you become the person that he wants you to be because he created us with a package he created us with an intention. Now he created us with a purpose and our life then is about discovering that purpose about discovering how that God is going to bring out the best in us to accomplish that purpose. So God has not given up on us if we get discouraged, is simply that we've lost our focus. We lost our focus. God has left us. We left him never in the story. The little lady was complaining to her husband about how that when we were dating, you know, we always got together and how that whenever we went anywhere. We are always together and this is back when the days leading up bucket seats. Okay, enough is enough. This is whenever they had been seated across the front. Some of stunning what that is. But now we have a better seat. He always sat in the middle set, plus utilities. The bluesy duet together going on their new, thereby they're dating there. This, and as it will business up together and now where you know you're over there. I'm overhearing the lowest Ahern says I moved, but God looks at Austin. He says I haven't changed our change Simon Rose, I'm still the same yesterday today and forever changed. What's going on in yourself that have lost the focus and move the way. So remember, God has not given up on you. It's the growing season, too much rain or too little rain too much sun, too little sun, you know, there's so many things that can go wrong and I know many times don't think about that the eye. I think of whenever we were farming and I think of this with farmers. That's whenever they plant the crops that there's too much rain, the seed rots in the ground molding dies if there's no rain is no water for two draw by. So there's got to be the right amount of sun in the right temperature in over the ground needs to be a certain temperature. When we were in vain. They grew potatoes. Okay, potatoes, amendment, more than Maine potatoes and they went they would tell you the number of degree days. What are the number of degrees. They were how temperature as the great days that they could tell you when the potatoes were the right time. The harvest because it had a late spring and a Mary early fall and you had unlimited growing season and they would count the number of days degree days that would than it would take for potatoes to grow. So if you had, they would start a certain date and they would reach a degree day in the fall because if you waited too long in the fall. The call weather came from the ground. You couldn't dig potatoes and interview waited through in the spring. If you can get them in the ground quick enough if it were a late spring and the snow didn't melt and you have a lot of moisture. You couldn't even feel so you're always pressed for these degree days and farmers were constantly watching the degree days. How many degrees until we can harvest while in our lives. God has a growing season and are growing season is the rest of our life and that there are two great days. Sometimes we are a bit cold or too hot or too moist. Sometimes we lose focus and the challenge here in Philippians is saying that whatever happens, there has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that God, who started his great great working you want to edit Bob O'Keefe added area graduating from high school. I remember when that happened to me. You know, I remember that I jumped right out of within four weeks. I was in college now going to summer school and my neo- my family. They bought you I was always the chief Bill thrower in we were there we rebel, hey, sorry to remind you all these things I didn't like it. But anyhow it valiantly belted twenty thousand twenty five thousand dollars a year and when I left for college. My dad don't block a bill for our. It was an attachment on back in the mail. They withdraw the nails and the why didn't you know they will so my dad, Bonneville power, so they only have to unload the wagons not load them up in, so why can we do that when I was still there. I don't know, but so I was leaving and they were back and they were getting something else, but our life is a growing season. Our life is a time in which we are going to development. There are going to be times of change. So in the next few weeks and months, you're headed off to the military right thumb. Yes no and O'Brien is going to college. I do not try where you go you in West Virginia West Virginia after I went, West Virginia, the Mountain State. Therefore, free trade Council, I was invited. I thought how I was missing a graduation sorry but anyhow, we have this going on in our life. There's a growing and is a changing season. Your Pentagon have a big adjustment that now. Well, we'll see what we'll talk about that another time. So anyhow, there is not over yet. You know it's it's part of the process of change is part of the process of becoming who we are as a person. So we do not think of life as solidly as human. That's all about me. It's about God in us. We are God 's creation in God 's planning in Arlington. I went to Salem College in West Virginia and Iowa applied to one call I got in and went behind, but while I was there I went to a church that was in Clarksburg, West Virginia and I went to a church and that's right heard about Zion Bible college and it was while I was in college to be a phys ed teacher that God called me to the ministry and were heard about the school that I attended that I'd never heard of before, so I actuality, going to college was where I found the call and the school that I should go to to to be a minister. And it was the time that I met Rob. That's why met Rhonda was in West Virginia. So far, going to school was one of the biggest changes the one of the biggest opportunities that brought the my life experiences took an entirely different direction. Not because I stay there, but because they went there and say, God has a way of working in the little things in the bank, things, or the ordinary things of my life to bring about what we need because God has begun a working you and he will keep adding people working in your life working in your life working in your life through every day. Every situation, no matter what happens. You see God at work in us no matter what happens when you look back over iPod is a look back over your life. He looked at her life were whereat said let's go this way, let go forward. Our life is in front of us, so, God continues his work throughout our lifetime in our lifetime. Work will not be finished is built until we stand face-to-face with God. So where do you stand face-to-face with God. So we begin today, preparing for that face-to-face with God, not out of fear by not allowing because God loves here are voice. God loves to see. I hear us be in fellowship where he loves that I have even to the nursery to buy flowers yet and shrubs and all anybody vendor nurturing. I've been to probably eight NL. What we wanted to yesterday with Rachel Lynn, here are the Home Depot and Lowes and Walmarts and in Minnesota and then the ones that are misdemeanors and the other lobby selling. There are rounds and I think I have well over a hundred flowers planted, but you planting one four to watch them grow you for realizing you and I'll be set up there and talk to them. Please know I don't do that stuff, but your platinum wide to watch them grow. While God has a plan. God is planting and working in our lives so that we would grow and the experiences that we have is it's a growing experience. It will be good for you. I want that doesn't kill you only could make it better. I don't believe that God 's work in our lives to work in our hearts. So we see you plan things to watch them grow. God has a purpose for you to watch you grow and to become. And it's not over because you're not standing face-to-face with God. So you have still have room for growth. How many know that the person beside you, has room for growth is that it will doubt we'd have seeds that we brought back from can the win at the Canada last year and that this botanical garden. We were a bad and so was I without about beautiful than I think I fit the people worked there every night and this botanical garden, not during the day, but all night long to work in his garden is beautiful, bushes and flowers and everything just attack and of course I will plant some of those alumni have a botanical experience. What doesn't kill the plants will make them grow so so God is at work. He has planted the seed of his word in our lives. I planted the seed of his word, and whenever we come into challenges in our life were going to have the security of those seeds of an plan in our lives to make us grow in Ephesians chapter four, beginning at verse sports that you were. You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction. All of us. The body of Christ. Every individual is called to one goal in the same direction were going to heaven were going were on the way to heaven and were on the way to spiritual maturity. This is so stay together stay together in this grouping is aware as the body of Christ. Both outwardly and inwardly you of one master, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who rules over all works through all that is present in all, so when God was with us, working in us and throw us everything everything everything everything everything you are and think and do, is permeated with this oneness. Everything is permeated by this oneness that we have the same God. Now, we belong to one body we are united under Christ, he is ahead of its urgent God has given you those abilities and purpose for your life is given it all to you and it is those promises that are in your life that cause you to become the person, should be no. We have, we gradually know, college, high school, has been up preparation of the place of torture and after you don't know in my pages are for the young of May event was tortured by cantonment. But anyhow caught is the place of where you go there's a story and bear with me as I tell the store. I told her what the purchase of one of the Earth is not about so I'll try and tell the story correctly, there was this ghost of a person with a shadow of a man, and on his shoulder was this dark lizard in this lizard walk with this guy everywhere the shadow of a man, and this lizard would always have things to say whisper in his ear. This shadow. This dark blizzard would be in all, while question everything that he did would wonder what no challenge all of his thoughts and everything went together, there would be this challenge. He really wanted to do that really important that really matter is really to make a difference. And so the shout of a man was constantly in going back and forth with this discussion and and and never really getting anywhere about always being challenged in the shadow of a man that God and God said to the shadow of a man, you've got to get rid of the lizard and the menthol of this has been my constant companion. This is been part of for all my life I've always kept this lizard on my shoulder. It's been with me everywhere I go, God said you've got to get rid of it was so the man said, finally said okay God, you can have those got took the lizard broke its back intro to the ground again became horse, a white horse and man became a man and not the shadow of a man who got on his horse he rode into his huge. You see, our thoughts should be the things that supports us and carry us not challenge us in questions and bring down because the shadow of a man is the shadow of what we're just the shadow of ourselves with our doubts and with our fears and with all things, but really the thoughts and intents of our heart should be. The things that support us and carry us both the thoughts of our life should be supported. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God is well able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask nothing. These are the challenges of the word. The seed of God that is in our heart that supports us and enables us to go forward into our life, it would become a real person, not the shadow of what we are, but we become the person God created us to be verse seven says, but that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same brawl going of one God, one Lord, one baptism, while going the same direction as is, but that doesn't mean you all look and speak and act the same evening to draw the look like me and talk like me and act like me and be like me. What a terrible places would peak at you I'll be all the terrible now. I asked of. I absolutely arrested, beaten the glare from the Windows is not blinding it was a no go in there is more to life then just us. If the person God wants us to be so, so we don't all look the same with him all speak the same with all my same verse seven on the generosity of Christ. Each of us is given his own gift out of the generosity of Christ. We are each given our own gifts you I each one of us have our own gift things we all say hi. Have special gift things ready. I have special gifted ready. I have special gifting of a believe that it didn't jump up liberal than later. Now I we all have our special guest things that I have my special gifting ring keeps saying to you believe it are have my special gifting to believe that yet. I have my special gift things to yell at the more of the stories you have your special gift things that we got this. We have special gifting is a regular work. I'm not making this up out of out of the generosity of Christ. Each of us is given his own gift out of the generosity of Christ. God gave you a special gift the text for this is decline the high mountain. He captured the enemy and sees the beauty behind it all out and gifts to the people if saying that that Jesus Christ is the one who hung on the cross. I descended into the lower parts of the year. TrackBack the case of death, hell and the brain, and he then came the gift things back to loss by the power of his Spirit in his word, is it not true that the only only the one who climbed up also climbed down to the Valley, the earth and the one who climbdown was the one who climbed back up to the highest of heaven. That's speaking of Jesus, he handed out gifts. There's that word again. He handed out gifts above and below, fill the earth with his gifts fill the earth with his gifts were these gifts where these guests. The menu in believers. These gifts are a new wholesale from the jewel when it see you got. We've got called by the gift things that are ours believe that God has given us a place and given these gifts to us. God is about sending at the howler, bring the family dog is about living within our hearts and lives that we can become the person that God wants us to be and that heaven is a reward in heaven is our place, which anyway don't have to worry about hell. Why, because I'm focused on heaven. I don't have to worry about the devil. Why, because I'm focused on Christ, what the devil going. I don't know what's Jesus doing what's this dark lizard saying I don't know of focusing on the word of God. The dark lizards in the snoring is robbing us of the true nature of who we are to give things of God are about helping us become in full bloom planting the seeds of his work will apply down. We got all that he handed out gifts above and below and he handed all gifts of apostles and prophets and evangelists, and pastor teachers to train Christ followers and skilled sermons, work, working within his body. Christ's body, the church and tell were all moving rhythmically and easily with each other that the body were growing problem in the same direction, Rob one to heaven, but we each have a purpose in each part of the body functions differently. The head functions differently than the hands and fingers functioned in the labor hotels and anything differently than they are about and it's all part of a walking process in the living process. The thinking process. The growing process efficient, graceful leaves me out if an graceful outlines, graceful, once we won't go there. In response to God 's son fully mature adults growing, maturing, developing God has a place across a mobility. There's a time and place for that is not a hymn Jerusalem we are fully developed and without and without fully alive like Christ without insight were fully alive in Christ. That is all doing something moving. And also we are all moving rhythmically versus lay gracefully listening to God still small voice on the inside, giving us direction and calling our life to follow him. God is about working in us that we become that person. The guy called us to be responding to the warmth of the sun, warmth of God 's son Jesus Christ. He loves us unconditionally. We are the body of Christ. It's growing season. It's growing since we all have a purpose. Paul said there was never been the slightest doubt in my mind that God who started this great work, and you would keep at it. Think of this for your own life. Think of it, for the life of those who are experiencing difficulties in their life. Think of it as people you have never darkened the door of a church raise cigarette in the context. God has a great work that he wants to do and pray for them right for yourself. Take those think you know it's about whining prayers got to listen to whining prayers to the whining prayers of God. This is a terrible day. I wish it were better to plan, but I sure did. I told God. This is a terrible day, and I don't like it the way it is a long life for the better. I'm in hard whiners of heart about whining, complaining, I don't like the taste of this. No whining or complaining you know that you probably I prayed. I told God will whining prayers. I hate whining, whining and whining like going by whining people live, it's cold outside the ghetto. I would come to become the church. The name of it was cold outside and want to get called like one. Fly displayed, and then you holy rollers are Holley, Rosen, those woke up on the temperature put a blanket on rollover. I'm only enough. I don't need to go to church at whining now get on get up and get going now it's time to move its time to why it's hard to believe it's time to joke this time to go in all this time to refocus this time to understand it's time. This is the time. This is the place you are the person. This is the time. This is the place you are the person that God is called BU with your gift things to live your life with God here and now. And wherever you go around the world to West Virginia to Virginia wherever you go. You're never out of God 's presence. You are never alone. God is with you. You are the person. This is the place where God is going to grow in your life, wherever it may be take the pressure off yourself. It's not up to you. It's not up to you. If God and you together. This isn't a self-centered me centered lifestyle. This is gone and I together, becoming the person that God created me to be fulfilling a plan that he wants me to live. This is his temple. This is just dwelling place. This body is his growing place. And when God is growing interest. It is the power of God working through us to become what God wants us to be to become that person that God wants us to be an area. How many difficulties does it take for us to get there down now the worst in the process on the high mountains. The decline in order for me to get there. I don't know, but I got another one decline a minivan. I have to go through him. Sure, there's another one. I need to go through, but it's all part of the growing process. He has planted his gifts in ops. He will bring out the best in us. He has planted a variety of gifting in his body. All are uniquely use. All are uniquely different and I'll be go to the greenhouse. How many different kinds of roses either on a different kinds of ways and petunias, either. How many different types of the left side. I made those hundreds of thousands of different varieties, but they're all flowers were all his children uniquely different with unique gifts refused to listen to the dark lizard and become a shadow of a person through doubts and remorse, the sugar would produce become the person of faith in which you remember why you're here. God has a purpose for my life. This is part of the purpose. This is part of the calling. This is part of what God want me to do and to accomplish that I will write these things because they are the strength of my life. They come from God. There planted in my life and I will reap a harvest of what I planted of hope of peace of July of prayer of knowing that God will do a good thing in the that he was begun a good work in the welcome places always been faced with me but you all know, outlining my name. I mean it knowledge in my own got done and you just use that as a stepping stone to become that person. And guess what, if the work is great enough, you probably won't be completed in your lifetime. If the work that God wants to do when you is great enough, it will carry on in your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. If the call is great enough, we will never complete. We will just begin to scratch the surface. That's why we need to grow in the grace of God plant the seeds and allow them to mature and they will go far beyond what we could ever think or imagine. I never imagined that going to West Virginia to be a football coach would bring me here never, ever thought that going to West Virginia to be a football coach would lead to being a pastor never in my life that I think that God has a way of taking a step-by-step through each situation because we are in the process of becoming it. It is his seat. His word is planted in your life allowed to nurture and grow, get rid of the lizard get rid of the lizard that takes you away from becoming a person and allow the power of the presence of God the power of the word of God to make you a whole person complete being transported and growing in our relationship with Christ was the middle hearts in our lives commit them to God. God, I committed myself to give a man. God, I commit myself to you all of the difficulties my sins. Oh God, I ask you for forgiveness. He who thinks he hasn't send slowly folding himself now we need to last God for forgiveness every day, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within because I need that. That's the proper soil for things to grow. That's the nurture the nutrients that I need getting out the weeds that will choke out the truth allow the word of God to dwell in us richly pray, read the scripture know God has a purpose for you. You are uniquely different than those who are not Christians. You have a different standard. You have a different goal but of a different purpose. Don't allow the shadow of the wizard to create you make US a shadow of a person complete to your Christ, father, thank you for hearing our prayers knowing our needs less old Lord, our hearts in our lives as we come before you in this moment of time, we asked the Lord that you break the back of those doubts and fears, make us a shadow of a person give us the truth of your word, and Mitchell, the life of your spirit. The power on your Lovin the grace and the her seat to face the obstacles of life. Knowing God that we are, what you in on us are well able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or even imagine. Thank you, oh God, that that is still before us as we serve everyone said amen. God bless you