- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
LASTING SUCCESS
'Whoever lives in Me...shall produce a large crop of fruit.' John 15:5
No matter what you think of the songs in the Top 40, it's no mean feat to get a song in to the charts. But it's when artists get there on a regular basis that they go from 'one-play' to Coldplay. Lasting success over a period of time obviously requires more than one moment of inspiration. God wants us to be in the habit of being successful too - on His terms. That means caring for the needy, keeping yourself from being polluted by sin, and making time to seek Him regularly. And while He knows that we won't be on top form all the time, He does want us to try to live the best we can, every day.
We can't do that in our own strength. That's why today's verse says 'Whoever lives in Me... shall produce a large crop of fruit.' He wants you to live in a way that's obviously Christ-like. Whatever you work at in that way, God does want you to do it well. But more than that, He wants you to do it with Him. Now, He created the universe without you, so He doesn't need your help in solving the world's problems. But He invites you to the table to let you play a part, through Christ.
Carve out prayer time every day and be faithful to it. Try to be kind to those who you would otherwise look past. Be honest with the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to protect your heart from wrong desires. Then you will be well on your way to lasting success!
What now? One of the best ways to start praying is to remember to keep your thoughts and feelings, whatever they are, open to God. Not special, holy thoughts and feelings - just what you keep inside you everyday. Ask Him to enter into it and watch Him get to work!
written by Bob Gass
'Whoever lives in Me...shall produce a large crop of fruit.' John 15:5
No matter what you think of the songs in the Top 40, it's no mean feat to get a song in to the charts. But it's when artists get there on a regular basis that they go from 'one-play' to Coldplay. Lasting success over a period of time obviously requires more than one moment of inspiration. God wants us to be in the habit of being successful too - on His terms. That means caring for the needy, keeping yourself from being polluted by sin, and making time to seek Him regularly. And while He knows that we won't be on top form all the time, He does want us to try to live the best we can, every day.
We can't do that in our own strength. That's why today's verse says 'Whoever lives in Me... shall produce a large crop of fruit.' He wants you to live in a way that's obviously Christ-like. Whatever you work at in that way, God does want you to do it well. But more than that, He wants you to do it with Him. Now, He created the universe without you, so He doesn't need your help in solving the world's problems. But He invites you to the table to let you play a part, through Christ.
Carve out prayer time every day and be faithful to it. Try to be kind to those who you would otherwise look past. Be honest with the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to protect your heart from wrong desires. Then you will be well on your way to lasting success!
What now? One of the best ways to start praying is to remember to keep your thoughts and feelings, whatever they are, open to God. Not special, holy thoughts and feelings - just what you keep inside you everyday. Ask Him to enter into it and watch Him get to work!
written by Bob Gass
