Using agriculture as a metaphor for spiritual growth, this sermon focuses on the importance of cultivating a "root system" by keeping our hearts. Just as trees need roots to bear fruit, we must tend to our inner life to produce lasting spiritual fruit. We often prioritize the external—our "branches" of doing and achieving—while neglecting the hidden life of the heart.

Scripture References

• Genesis 2:4-9: God plants a garden and forms man from the dust (humus), reminding us of our humble origins.
• John 15:1-8: Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. The command is to "remain" or "abide," focusing on the connection (root) rather than striving for fruit.
• Mark 7:14-23: Jesus teaches that defilement comes from within the heart, not from outside circumstances.
• Proverbs 4:23: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
• 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
• Ezekiel 36:26-27: The New Covenant promise: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you."

Key Points

1. Prioritize the Root Over the Fruit At the start of a new year, we naturally focus on external results (fruit). However, Jesus consistently points us to the unseen, hidden life (root). If we focus on remaining in Him, the fruit will take care of itself. We must resist the pressure to let our public persona outgrow our private character.
2. Keep Your Heart with All Vigilance The heart is not just emotions; it is the center of our being—mind, will, and desires. Like a musical instrument, it naturally goes out of tune and must be constantly tended. Proverbs 4:23 commands us to guard it above all else because everything in life flows from it. While the world (bosses, teachers, etc.) may only care about our production, God cares deeply about the condition of our hearts.
3. Stop Blaming and Start Investigating We often blame external circumstances or people for our reactions ("Look what you made me do"). But Jesus teaches that what comes out of us (anger, lust, pride) reveals what was already in us. Instead of blaming others for shaking the bottle, we should investigate what's inside.

Conclusion

Spiritual growth isn't just behavior modification; it's heart transformation. We cannot change our own hearts, but God can. The promise of the New Covenant is that God will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Our job is to tend the soil, stay connected to the Vine, and let His grace do the deep work of change.

Calls to Action

1. Invest in Your Marriage: Sign up for the marriage workshop on January 31st to intentionally shape your relationship.
2. Tend to Your Heart: Don't neglect your inner life for the sake of outer performance. Take time to stop and ask, "How is my heart doing?"
3. Journal Your Emotions: Use the simple exercise of writing down what you are Mad, Sad, Afraid, and Excited about to uncover what is truly going on inside you.
4. Stop Blaming: When negative reactions spill out, resist the urge to blame others. Ask God to show you the root of that reaction in your own heart.

Support the show

*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.

This sermon introduces the new year series, "My Job Depends on Ag," using agriculture as a metaphor for spiritual growth. The pastor begins with a confession about struggling to trust God with finances (both for the church's summer camp and the Amigo Row building project) and how asking for help led to miraculous provision. He emphasizes that spiritual growth is not like technology—it doesn't happen instantly with the push of a button. Instead, it's like farming: slow, incremental, often invisible, and dependent on creating the right conditions.

Scripture References
1 Corinthians 3:18: "And we all... are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory."

Romans 8:28-30: God's purpose is for us to be "conformed to the image of his Son."

Luke 8:4-15: The Parable of the Sower, illustrating four types of soil and the importance of perseverance for a harvest.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."

Key Points
Don't Settle for Less: The pastor's confession highlights the temptation to settle when tired of contending. Whether in finances, relationships, or faith, God often calls us to press on rather than accept the status quo. We need community to spur us on when our own faith is weak.

Growth is Like Agriculture, Not an App: Spiritual transformation is not a "zap" or a flash. It is organic, often invisible to the naked eye, and happens over time. Jesus used agricultural metaphors (soil, seed, harvest) because they accurately reflect how the Kingdom of God works.

Intentionality vs. Accident: No one accidentally gets a great marriage, a fit body, or a deep relationship with Jesus. While growth ultimately comes from God (like a tree growing), we must be intentional about creating the conditions for that growth (planting, watering, tending). We cannot drift into spiritual maturity.

The Parable of the Soils: Jesus explains that the same seed (God's Word) produces different results based on the soil of our hearts.

Path: The enemy snatches the word away.

Rocky Ground: No root; faith withers in testing.

Thorns: Choked by worries, riches, and pleasures; does not mature.

Good Soil: Hears, retains, and perseveres to produce a crop.

Conclusion
God has a plan for your growth in 2026. He desires your transformation even more than you do. While we must be intentional, we can rest in the promise that "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." We are invited to partner with Him, tending the soil of our hearts so that His Word can produce a harvest.

Calls to Action
Assess Your Intentions: On a scale of 1-10, how intentional are you about your spiritual growth? Move from hoping for accidental growth to planning for intentional formation.

Refuse to Settle: identify areas where you have stopped contending for God's best (marriage, health, faith) and ask Him for renewed faith to press on.

Tend Your Soil: As we begin this series, prepare your heart to receive God's Word. Identify any "rocks" or "thorns" (worries, distractions) that might be choking your growth.

Support the show

*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.

This sermon concludes the three-week series "God Our Home," connecting the longing for God's presence with the reality of Christmas. We recap that God's desire to dwell with His people is the entire storyline of the Bible—from Eden to the New Creation. However, significant barriers like disobedience, shame, lies, and God's holiness keep us from experiencing this intimacy.

The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus came to address every single barrier. He is the "obedience of the one" that makes many righteous. He clothes our shame so we can hide in Him rather than from Him. He reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling lies. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy, paying the entrance fee we could never afford. And He empowers us to forgive by first forgiving us.

Scripture References

• Revelation 21:3: "I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst."
• Psalm 22:3: God inhabits the praises of His people.
• Deuteronomy 8:10-14: A warning not to forget God in times of plenty.
• John 8:28-29: Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father.
• Romans 5:19: "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
• Colossians 3:3: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
• Hebrews 4:15: We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.
• John 14:6-9: Jesus reveals the Father: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
• John 1:14: The Word became flesh, full of grace and truth.
• Matthew 6:9-15: The Lord's Prayer, emphasizing forgiveness.

Key Points

1. Jesus Addresses Our Barriers
   • Disobedience: Jesus' perfect submission overthrows our rebellion. His obedience is credited to us, making us righteous.
   • Shame: Instead of hiding from God in shame, we can hide in Christ. He clothes us in His righteousness, fully knowing and fully loving us.
   • Lies: Jesus reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling the enemy's lies about God's character.
   • Holiness: Jesus doesn't lower the standard; He pays the price. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy and blameless in God's sight.
   • Unforgiveness: We are empowered to forgive others because we have been forgiven a debt we could never pay.
2. How to Not Miss His Presence Like the characters in the first Christmas story who did experience God, we must:
   • Worship: Adore Him to gain perspective and crush comparison.
   • Ponder: Like Mary, treasure God's work in your heart. Be curious and wonder about Him.
   • Seek: Like the Wise Men, actively pursue Him. Don't assume His presence; hunt for it.

Conclusion

We don't have to live separated from God. Jesus, Emmanuel, has come to bridge the gap. He has dealt with our sin, shame, and separation so that we can once again stand in the presence of a holy God—not with fear, but with boldness and joy.

Calls to Action

1. Invite Someone: 80% of people are willing to come to church if invited. Use this Christmas season to invite someone to the Fox Theatre service.
2. Worship & Ponder: In the busyness of the season, take time to worship and ponder what Christ has done to bring you near.
3. Come to the Table: As you take communion, reflect on the cost Jesus paid to remove every barrier between you and the Father.

Support the show

*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.