Too many folks who come to church love Jesus (I believe and hope), but bear no fruit for Him. Like the seed scattered among the weeds, they grow, but bear no fruit because they are choked out by the concerns of life: jobs, money, social positioning, or, heck, even “I have my own affairs to tend to.” Unfortunately, Jesus doesn’t give them points for second place. In the parable of the four soils, only one set of the seeds scattered gets credibility: that which lands on good soil and bears fruit.
What’s my point? Don’t be choked out by the weeds. Go and bear fruit for Jesus. Loved ones, life is short. We came into the world naked and we shall leave it with as much as we entered it. What we can bring with us is those we brought to Jesus. When I stand before Christ, I want to see you there! My prayer for you is that you have someone in mind that YOU want to see with Jesus. We weren’t saved and sanctified to merely grow, we were saved and sanctified to multiply! What is more, the fruit we bear doesn’t come from ourselves, but from our abiding and dependencies on Jesus. The more we focus on Him and His words, the harder it is for the cares of the world to keep us from fruitfulness. And He gives us His Holy Spirit to keep us growing up in to Him. You’re not alone, nor are you your own. You were bought with a price and for a purpose. Abide in Christ, and He will show you everything you need to know.
Luke 8:4-16
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
John 15:1-11
“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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

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