Category: growth

growth

Do you have a mustard seed I can borrow?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

I won’t be giving it back for about twenty years. And it won’t be the same seed I borrow from you now. I hope that’s okay?

Mustard seeds fascinate me .  They start as a tiny seed, one of the smallest seeds in the world. The seeds grow into huge trees big enough for birds to nest in. Jesus taught the parable of the mustard seed in all three synoptic gospels.

“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.’ ”Mark 4:30-32 NIV.

And again in Matthew 17:20b Jesus said, “. . . if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Even though the mustard seed is a little-bitty seed, it’s a big deal in the Bible. Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven as like one. He also used the mustard seed to describe to his followers how faith works.

The parable teaches many lessons. That’s one thing I love about the Bible:its richness and depth. We can take a passage like the mustard seed parable and apply it in many ways in our lives. I read a blog recently about a Bible Study teacher who challenged his young students to grow their faith in practical, tangible ways, using the parable of the mustard seed.

When I read this parable I’m reminded of something I learned in elementary school about plants and seeds. Before the mustard seed can grow, or produce other mustard seeds, it must die.

When growers plant the mustard seed in the ground, the germination process begins. Only after it dies does it start to grow. It begins the process by growing roots into the soil to anchor the plant to a firm foundation. As the roots anchor the plant we begin to see tiny shoots, then a leaf, then more shoots, then some stems, then more shoots then more leaves. Eventually we see branches and eventually a sapling, that grows into what will eventually become a huge tree that produces more fruit.

All the growth and fruit from that one tiny seed would not be possible unless the seed died.

Does that remind you of someone? We would not be proclaiming the Gospel if Jesus had not died.  If he had gone on living for 20 or 30 more years teaching and performing miracles, and died of natural causes in his old age, we would have no Gospel to proclaim.  He had to be crucified and die a violent, painful death on the cross and shed His blood at Calvary for you and me to live in Him today and with Him some day in eternity. His death, burial and resurrection put to death the law and ushered us into grace. Just consider the fruit His death has produced. Can we even process that? More than 20 centuries have passed. No one can imagine the number of born from above believers his death has yielded.

Guess what. We have to die too if we are going to bear fruit for God. We can do all sorts of “good” things. We can pray, read the Bible, meditate on Scripture, go to church, serve on committees, usher, et. al. None of it glorifies God, however, if we’re not willing to follow Him to Calvary and be crucified with Him. We have to die first if we’re going to live for Him.

That’s why Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

There’s gonna be a bunch of us dead folks in heaven. How about you? Moved any mountains lately? Are you willing to die to live for Christ?

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16 THOUGHTS ON “PLEASE PASS THE MUSTARD SEED”

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  7. Amanda BethEditI love this: “Only after it dies does it start to grow.” There’s so much we can learn from that statement. We must die before we can truly live and grow in Christ. Thanks for sharing:) God bless!LikeReply
    1. Steven Sawyer EditAmen. Thank you for your wonderful comment.LikeReply
  8. granbeeEditSteve, dear man, oh wise Bible teacher, I just finished my comments on this article where you posted it at Christian Blessings! However, I will add here just this:we MUST be crucified WITH Him before we can be born again into new abundant life like this magnificent mustard tree! By the way, my paternal grandmother loved mustard greens so much that she wished she could figure out how to get her mustard seeds to grow half as big as the ones she knew grew in the Holy Land!LikeReply
    1. Steven Sawyer EditThank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I’m amazed at the number of Christians I know who don’t understand they have to die and be crucified to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. That’s what I’m attempting to do with this blog. In some ways I consider those believers a mission field. You are such a blessing to me. Thank you again for your comments and insight.LikeReply
  9. Noel WilliamsEditExcellent post Steven! Mountain, in that passage seems to be a metaphor but I do not think most of us understand that. Too often we fail to recognize the little miracles that God work in our lives. We are always looking for the big miracle that never happen.LikeReply
    1. Steven Sawyer EditThanks for the kudos. I agree with you about the mountain. I don’t always have mountains to move. Sometimes I just need faith for little things I need to accomplish with His guidance during each day.LikeReply
  10. SusanEditThis is a beautiful, wonderful, awesome post!!!! The parable of the mustard seed is etched in my heart for all time. You have reminded me of why. Thank you!LikeReply
    1. Steven Sawyer EditWow! Thanks so much for the kind remarks and encouragement. It’s comments like yours that keep me enthused about blogging for Christ. thanks again.LikeReply
  11. Mary Lou Roche (@marylouroche)EditThanks Steven, I needed this, it is a great explanation and I shared it.LikeReply
    1. Steven Sawyer EditYou are entirely welcome. I’m truly humbled that God worked through this message to bless you.LikeReply

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Unity please.

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

We inaugurated a new president, Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, on January 20.

We’ve just completed the most significant benchmark in our entire democracy–the transfer of power from one presidential administration to another–pageantry we perform and celebrate every four years.

Vice President Kamila Harris
President Joe Biden

The quote that impacted me most in Mr. Biden’s inaugural address, and one I can imagine myself quoting in future blog posts, is what he said about unity. Mr. Biden said, “With unity we can do great things. Without unity, there is no peace.”

Unity please. We so desperately need unity in this country in this day and time, especially since Trump, in his last weeks in office tried to split our country apart even more.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King said, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:31 to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

We can’t even begin to change our attitudes about being united with our fellow man until we undergo a transforming change of our collective hearts.

And God is the only one who can do that.

Are you prepared for Him to do that in your heart?

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A Personal Relationship With God, Almighty God, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principals, Christian community, God, God's love, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Word, growth, How God Loves Us, In the presence of God, knowing God, Lessons learned, Love, protection, Relationship With God, Trials and tribulation, trusting God, Truth

Our afflictions

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

I have refined you, though not as silver;
    I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10

Raise your hand if you like afflictions

Nobody. Right? Well guess what? Afflictions are good for us. So are trials and tribulations and struggles. Before you click off my blog and tell me I’m crazy. . .

keep reading
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adapting to change, attitude, behvior, Bible, changes, Friendship, God, God's Power, God's purpose, Grace, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, knowing God, Love, Loving God, peace of God, perseverance, Praise, Prayer, Psalms, sanctification, Satan/sin/evil/temptatioon, Surrender, The Gospel, The Solution

What brand of nacre do you use?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

No, it’s not misspelled. What brand of  n-a-c-r-e  do you use?

 Of course that begs the question,  what on earth is necra?

Nacre is the filmy layer of goo an oyster secretes to cover a grain of sand that has embedded itself in the oyster shell and become a nasty irritant.  The necra eventually hardens around the irritating grain of sand and exerts so much pressure on the  grain of sand  that it over time it becomes a beautiful diamond.of inestimable value.

Back to the main question– what brand of necra do you use?  Of course we don’t have any necra laying around when things irritate us to the point of distraction. Walmart doesn’t carry it. either. And there’s no limit to  the kind or severity of irritants we experience. The irritant can be is pesky as a snoring spouse or a banging toilet or a neighbor who parks two of his wheels on your grass.

Admit it. Things and people  irritate us almost every day.

Unlike the oyster we don’t have any goo to make the irritation go away or turn it into a sparkling diamond. If we don’t dispatch that pesky irritation, it will continue to fester and gnaw at us and make us miserable.

Let me  share  a two-step process it is guaranteed to minimize or completely eradicate any irritation you might experience.

Bathe yourself  in Psalms

It doesn’t matter which Psalms you read.  Just open your Bible and start reading Psalm after Psalm. . The Psalms will begin changing your attitude and lifting your Spirit.  Reading Psalms will give you an entirely new perspective of your irritations and give you God’s perspective and scriptures on how to handle them.

Remember, recite and meditate on Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 is not just a promise God makes to us. It is something God does for us in our daily lives.  First of all every choice we make and everything we do gets filtered through God’s love and grace for us. And he uses our choices, decisions and actions for our ultimate good.  So if you are dealing with irritations in your life keep in mind  that God is going to turn it all into something for our good.

And bye bye irritations .If you don’t believe this method will work for you, try it and prove me wrong.

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abiding in Christ, change, choices, God's Sovereignty, Grace / Mercy, growth, Love, showing love, Trials and tribulation, trusting God, Truth

She learned trust in the pool

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

She was five. Already brave and outgoing. And, like her dad, a type A who never met a stranger.  But she tip-toed around water.  She was okay walking around in the shallow end wearing her swimmies. Those kept her head above water.

I thought it was time she lost her fear of the water.  We moved down to the waist-high area of the pool.  I stood in the water a few feet from the edge.

“Jump in, Leah,” I said.

She would have no part of it. She stood on the bank with one of those 5-year-old “No, I’m not going to” defiant objections.

“Oh, come on. Daddy’s right here. I’ll catch you.”  I spread my arms wade apart. “I’ll catch you.”

“No! I’ll get water in my nose.”

This war of pleas and objections went on for 10 minutes. She finally worked up the courage to walk to the edge of the pool. “Hold your nose and jump in,” I said. “I’ll catch you. I promise. Just trust me.

She finally held her nose and jumped. I dunked her head under water for two seconds. She survived! She thought jumping intotrust and obey the pool and daddy catching her was a blast!

So, my five-year-old jumped off the edge of the pool and daddy caught her . . .again and again . . .for the next 45 minutes! She never got tired. Daddy did. Or we’d still be at that pool.

Once my daughter learned her daddy would do what he said he would do, she trusted him.

Isn’t that true with our Daddy? When we learn once that we can trust God to do what He says He will do in a circumstance we surrender to Him, isn’t it easier, the next time to trust him with another circumstance or trial or dilemma?

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, Almighty God, application, Bible Study, Biblical Principals, God, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, growth, humility, Obedience, Righteousness, Truth

Lessons God teaches us

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advice, Almighty God, behavior, change, changes, choices, finding your way, freedom, God, God's love, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, hope, humility, knowing God, Love, Loving God, loving others, Peace, Service, Truth

3 steps to end hatred

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, Almighty God, Biblical Principals, choices, finding your way, God's love, God's omnipotence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, hope, In the presence of God, Loving God, loving others, Obedience, Relationship With God, Righteousness, sanctification, Serving others, Surrender, Truth, Worship

Are you in or are you out?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, angels, attitude, Bible Study, Biblical Principals, change, changes, choices, Christian community, Christianity, finding your way, freedom, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Heaven, hope, kindness, knowing God, Love, Peace, Surrender, Truth

Where will you go when you die?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

Kemosabe1
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A Personal Relationship With God, acceptance, attitude, Biblical Principals, changes, choices, Christian community, Forgiveness, freedom, God, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Guest Blogger, How God Loves Us, humility, In the presence of God, kindness, Love, Obedience, patience, peace of God, Praise and Worship, Relationship, Relationship With God, sanctification, Serving others, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

Why forgive?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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How do we get right with God?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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Are you doing enough for God?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, Almighty God, attitude, behavior, choices, God, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, kindness, Love, Loving God, loving others, patience, peace of God, Personal, protection, Righteousness, Serving others, showing love, The Holy Spirit, trusting God, Truth

God’s free gift of grace, to me, is. . .

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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acceptance, adapting to change, attitude, changes, choices, God, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's Sovereignty, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, helping, hope, humility, Jesus, kindness, loneliness, Love, Peace, Personal, protection, reaching out, Relationship With God, showing love, Trials and tribulation

My inevitable but necessary 31-day sabbatical has ended. I am home. I will publish my next “For His Glory” post on Wednesday, May 17.

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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About me, acceptance, adapting to change, attitude, behavior, change, changes, choices, Christian community, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's Sovereignty, Grace, growth, humility, Lessons learned, Life, managing change, showing love, Trials and tribulation, trusting God

Today is National Bipolar Day

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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attitude, behavior, changes, choices, God, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Guest Blogger, Lessons learned, managing change, Obedience, trusting God

What’s your AQ — Attitude Quotient?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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Do I have to draw you a picture?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

“Well, [pause] yes,” he said. [Pause again] “Sometimes you may have to.” Continue reading →

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application, Bible, Blood of Christ, changes, Creation, freedom, God's love, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, growth, knowing God, Obedience, showing love, Truth

. . .and on the 8th day . . .

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, application, attitude, behavior, Biblical Principals, choices, finding your way, freedom, God, God alone, God's love, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Guest Blogger, humility, knowing God, Lessons learned, managing change, Practicing Religion Or Living In Faith?, protection, reaching out, sanctification, Serving others, sharing, showing love, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

What’s your FQ? your faith quotient?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, Biblical Principals, change, changes, choices, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's purpose, God's Will, Grace / Mercy, growth, Guest Blogger, Identity In Christ, If You Are In Christ . . ., kindness, knowing God, Lessons learned, Love, loving others, Peace, Prayer, Relationship With God, Righteousness, Service, Serving others, showing love, Surrender

What’s your WQ–Winning Quotient?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, adoption, Almighty God, behavior, changes, choices, Christian community, Christianity, Friendship, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Identity In Christ, If You Are In Christ . . ., knowing God, Loving God, loving others, Obedience, Serving others, showing love

How do we know the one true Church?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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abiding in Christ, acceptance, Biblical Principals, Christianity, conversation, Friendship, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, If You Are In Christ . . ., knowing God, Love, loving others, Obedience, Peace, Praise, Salvation Plan, sanctification, The Church, the cross of Christ, The Gospel, The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Baskin Robins Christianity

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A Personal Relationship With God, acceptance, changes, choices, coaches, God, God's omnipotence, Grace, growth, humility, mentoring, Obedience, perseverance, Personal, Serving others, Stewardship, Truth, undaunted

What is your TQ-Team IQ?

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, adapting to change, attitude, change, choices, finding your way, Friendship, God, God's love, God's omnipotence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, humility, If You Are In Christ . . ., kindness, knowing God, Loving God, perseverance, sanctification, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

Failure in 2017

Posted on by Steve Sawyer

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A Personal Relationship With God, changes, choices, God, Grace, growth, Guest Blogger

Capital of dreams

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