Monday, May 19, 2008

The proper environment for life and growth

Although I always have a wide range of things that I blog about, I've had in mind lately that I want to get back to blogging more about things such as being established in grace and growing in grace, which is really what I like writing about and discussing the most. A post from Kent this morning stirs my heart along these lines. Being established in grace, and being able to have healthy and vibrant growth, depends on several things. Using his own garden as an example, as he often does, Kent talks about how the environment plays such a huge role in all this.

He says, "Relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit is the environment we belong in and will thrive in. Outside of that environment the colors will be flat and the fruit will fade fast. Many times fruit will not even be produced. All the energy is spent on the scramble to survive."

See the whole post here.


Heb 13:9 (NKJV)
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods [read: laws] which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Col 2:6-7 (NKJV)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Col 2:7 (NLT)
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.

Ps 92:12-15 (NKJV)
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

4 comments:

  1. Joel, I'm glad you'll be posting more about growing and being established in grace. Your blogs about grace have been a great encouragement to me and I look forward to reading what you will be sharing.

    Aida

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joel, I love the scripture you attached to these thoughts. It is all about grace.

    I stop by here regularly and enjoy many of the things you share here.

    Learning to rest in Him and to allow his grace to transform us seems to be the on going message I am hearing these days. As that becomes a reality in our lives we then get to take that to those struggling in this culture we live in, that is absolutely void of grace.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Internet was down most of the day. Geesch, you don't know what you've got till it's gone!

    Aida and Kent,

    The encouragement is mutual! Our culture has indeed been void of grace for a long time, and I'm glad to have found a seemingly growing number of people who are growing in grace and unabashedly sharing it! It's very encouraging.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "I'm glad to have found a seemingly growing number of people who are growing in grace and unabashedly sharing it! It's very encouraging."

    me too and yes it is.

    ReplyDelete