Guest Speaker | Pastor Sarah Wherli | Flourish Together
You were made to flourish!
Psalms 92:12-15 (AMP) says “The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful]; They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; They will flourish and be [a]vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; [They are living memorials] to declare that the LORD is upright and faithful [to His promises]; He is my rock, and There is no evil in him!”
(show photo of palm tree in storm during the story / then after the palm tree in sun)
To FLOURISH MEANS: to grow, thrive, prosper, expand, increase, multiply, spring up, shoot up, bloom, blossom, bear fruit, burst forth!
1. Stay Connected to THE Source
John 15: 5-8 (MESSAGE) Jesus said “I am the Vine; you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce fruit, when you mature as my disciples.”
What you feed grows!
2. Tend the Soil of your heart
Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23 (NIV) Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.
This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
The seed is the word and the soil represents our heart.
Different types of Soil Jesus taught about:
Proverbs 4:23 NIV- says, “Guard your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life.”
Quote: “Your mind is a garden your thoughts are the seeds; you can plant flowers or weeds.”
3. Plant Seeds
Gen. 8:22 says as long as the earth remains there will be seed time and harvest!
We can sow seeds of our time, talent, treasure and our words!
Romans 4:17 says we serve a God who “calls those things that are NOT as though they WERE.”
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
2 Corinthians 4:13 The Spirit of Faith is I believe and therefore I speak.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NIV) “The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
4. Expect & Steward the HARVEST
Galatians 6:9 says, “Don’t grow weary in well doing- for in DUE season you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up.”
You may sow a seed, and water it but GOD is the ONE WHO MAKES THINGS GROW (1 Cor. 3:6).
Start where you are with what you have!
Isaiah 55:10 says - “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Elizabeth Elliot said: “Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith!”
Trust God’s timing! He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Psalms 92:12-15 (AMP) says “The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful]; They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; They will flourish and be [a]vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; [They are living memorials] to declare that the LORD is upright and faithful [to His promises]; He is my rock, and There is no evil in him!”
(show photo of palm tree in storm during the story / then after the palm tree in sun)
To FLOURISH MEANS: to grow, thrive, prosper, expand, increase, multiply, spring up, shoot up, bloom, blossom, bear fruit, burst forth!
1. Stay Connected to THE Source
John 15: 5-8 (MESSAGE) Jesus said “I am the Vine; you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce fruit, when you mature as my disciples.”
What you feed grows!
2. Tend the Soil of your heart
Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23 (NIV) Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.
This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
The seed is the word and the soil represents our heart.
Different types of Soil Jesus taught about:
- Pathway soil- Represents a person hears the word receives it gladly but because there is no root, the enemy immediately comes to try to steal the word.
- Rocky soil – Someone who hears the word but when trouble, offence or persecution comes they fall away.
- Thorny soil – Represents those who hear the word but then the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word making it unfruitful.
- Good Soil – Those who hear the word, understand it and it produces fruit.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV- says, “Guard your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life.”
Quote: “Your mind is a garden your thoughts are the seeds; you can plant flowers or weeds.”
3. Plant Seeds
Gen. 8:22 says as long as the earth remains there will be seed time and harvest!
We can sow seeds of our time, talent, treasure and our words!
Romans 4:17 says we serve a God who “calls those things that are NOT as though they WERE.”
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
2 Corinthians 4:13 The Spirit of Faith is I believe and therefore I speak.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NIV) “The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
4. Expect & Steward the HARVEST
Galatians 6:9 says, “Don’t grow weary in well doing- for in DUE season you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up.”
You may sow a seed, and water it but GOD is the ONE WHO MAKES THINGS GROW (1 Cor. 3:6).
Start where you are with what you have!
Isaiah 55:10 says - “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Elizabeth Elliot said: “Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith!”
Trust God’s timing! He makes all things beautiful in His time.