Sowing, Reaping, and Bearing Fruit

A WORD FOR 2010

The Bible describes life as a process of sowing seeds and reaping fruit.

Times of challenge and transition are described as “pruning” and we have all been through that in 2009.

We need to align our lives with God’s heart for the coming year so that we can be “fruitful” in all ways, in our spiritual lives, professional lives, and our relationships with others.

• “FRUIT” IS USED 392 TIMES
• The word FRUIT is used extensively throughout the Bible as a metaphor for THE RESULTS OF YOUR ACTIONS.
• Fruit grows exponentially. An apple tree produces 200 pounds of apples a year.
• Our original state with God was described as a garden of fruit trees.
• Jesus cursed a fig tree because it did not bear fruit in its proper season.
• Heaven is described as having a river with a fruit tree that bears 12 kinds of fruit.

Galatians 6:7-9 (NLT) Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV)

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV) CONTINUED
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

John 15:1-6 (NKJV)

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Galatians 5:19-23 (NIV)

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS

• What are ways that you’ve seen the results of your previous actions produce “fruit”, both good and bad?
• What fruit (results) do you want to see in your life?
• What seeds of actions and attitudes are you planting?