You Can Make A Difference (Part 4 of 4)

Good day. This is the final post in this series.

From ‘The fruit of the Vine’ sermon series at Common Ground Church

1. The best thing to do is to wait on the Spirit and ask him to give you a revelation of Christ as your vine, and you as his branch, and that apart from him you can do nothing, not even love someone truly.

2. Ask him to forgive and cleanse you of all self-reliance.

3. Jesus blesses us as branches in two ways. Firstly, he enables us to bear fruit in the world, in our generation. Second, we may have power in prayer as we draw on the resources of heaven. God has called us for a purpose, and he will see to it that we have everything we need to fulfil it.

4. Remain in Christ with all your heart. Delight in him. Draw grace from him. Allow the Gardener to prune your tendency to rely on your own intelligence, talent, strategies or determination.

5. Fruit is the sign that we have a deep relationship with Christ. And prayer is the sign that we have a deep relationship with the Father. These are two great secrets in the Christian’s life.

6. "S. D. G." (for Soli Deo Gloria) As a doctrine, it means that everything that is done is for God's glory to the exclusion of mankind's self-glorification and pride. Christians are to be motivated and inspired by God's glory and not their own.

7. You are in the driver’s seat, but God is directing.

8. Physically we deteriorate as we age, but the inner you (your soul) grows all the time (through the Holy Spirit) in spiritual growth.

9. Choose a behaviour and character that reflects your identity in Christ.

Also see ‘Your best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential.’ By Joel Oesteen, and

‘Every Good Endeavor’ by Tim Keller, and

my extracts from Joyce Meyer’s Fruits of the Spirit CD box set soon to be posted on my blog.

If you fail to prepare, you may as well prepare to fail.

Some Bible Verses about taking action:

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:17

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:23-25

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:18

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21

“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” I Peter 1:13

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17

James 2:14-17 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Colossians 3:23-24 ESV

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 11:9 ESV

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 ESV

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

James 1:5 ESV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

In summary, it seems that we are required to take action based on our calling and gifting after ensuring that we have strong faith in, and that we surrender to and act in reliance upon God and what His plan and will is for our life in the season we are facing.

We might experience dreams, words of wisdom, coincidences, feelings or promptings that point us in a certain direction before making a decision. Don’t spend too much time waiting for these, though.

The stronger your relationship is with God and the more you walk in step with the Holy Spirit, the more likely you are to discern God’s prompting and answers, albeit mostly via nudges instead of shoves.

If what we decide is aligned with Him, we will experience His peace in the decision and in the execution of that decision.

If not, He will let us know to change our direction, likely through experiencing pain, suffering, discomfort or discontent in that decision or action.

He will always help (equip) us to find a way to learn from, endure or find peace in a situation if we seek Him and His will and glorification in it.

Step out in faith, and He will meet you, use you, and equip you there.