CULTIVATING COMMUNITY!

"Cultivating Community" communicates relational identity that requires deposits from participants. Plural. Think reciprocity.

A continual devotion to apostles' teaching and fellowship of believers.

Cultivating Community in no way negates getting alone to spend time in prayer or meditating on God's Word.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that the "Lord has placed eternity in our hearts." Embedded in each of us is a sense of something more..... a longing.

Two needs of life resonate with each of us....to belong and to matter. Fellowship supports those truths. Longing for belonging.

Long to belong--a bedrock for Christian fellowship

Theology of Togetherness. Made to be known. Knowing we matter to God. 

NO "I"-dentity.

"We"-dentity. In Christ together.

Sounds like fellowship at its best.....aligned with awe and one purpose.

Single-mindedness in worship; yet, unity in diversity. Practicing/preserving that diversity without slamming another's politics or opinions on social media. Do unto others....for their benefit. (John 13:34)

You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. (John Bunyan)

A community coming together to know Him and make Him known not in words alone but in our actions. 

Cultivation that bears fruit of awe and purpose that blesses community.

PRAYER POSITION OF THE HEART!

Prayer is more than words.

Prayer is a position of the heart!

A position with depth.

Well said, John Bunyan.

Enough said!

CHOOSE: TO FILL HEART WITH GOOD THINGS

Choosing to fill a heart with good things boils down to filling it with truth. God's word is truth. When words pour forth from a heart filled with his word, those words are seasoned with Scripture. Think "salt." (Matthew 15:13)

Worthy Words. Words that honor His name.

The story is told of John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, who said it was "hearing a group of women talk about the things of God and the work of God in their hearts," which brought about his own conversion. Bunyan certainly "took notes" of their words and then acted on what he heard.

Matthew 12:34 says , "For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

A good choice, to fill one's heart with good things because one never knows who might listening.

"frui-TEA" cuppa choice

Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others. (Galatians 6:4, CEV) 

"Commit to be Fit"---was my month pledge to exercise classes at GAC, a health club. 
I've been very diligent-----because there's a prize that will benefit my grands. 
Others are doing it better than I, without regard to the prize. They actually go beyond the facility with their "Bit- Fit" that continues to monitor their fitness level. But God....says "Don't Compare."

In my daily life maybe I need an exercise that will please Him. A spiritual "Boot Fruit" to give me a kickstart and a monitor that would include a read out of verses to keep me motivated. Motivated to: Love God; love others; serve God; serve others. All fruit bearing exercises!

Reminders that apart from Him I can bear no fruit, (John 15:5) fruit bearing is in His time, (Psalm 1: 3) a good tree bears good fruit.., (Matthew 12:33) what "good" fruit looks like, (Galatians 5:22) love is the fruit that sets Christ's disciples apart. (John 13:35)
"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8)
Is a fruitful life necessary for bearing the right testimony to others? The oh so quotable John Bunyan says it well.

So......with my morning cuppa "frui-TEA," I had a choice to make, fruitless or fruitful. The criticisms of those who don't understand the "shape" of my ministry don't count. Only God's approval matters. A raised fruitful cup of praises to the One whom I represent.