1.Several conditions need to be present for grapes to grow. Manure stinks, but it is a very effective fertilizer for their growth. Much like grapes, while we always need to be connected to the vine to have any chance at life, messy situations help us reach our potential. For some, it might be an unfavorable doctor’s report. For others, it might be the unexpected loss of income. What “stuff” have you experienced recently that stinks? How is God using it to help you grow into a riper fruit?
2. One of the worst things a Christian can do is allow their fruit to shrivel up and turn into raisins. While raisins can still provide a level of nutrition, they lack seeds, meaning the stage of fruitfulness has passed. Has God ever put something in your heart that you didn’t obey promptly? What were the results of your choices? How can you use that experience to produce better fruit during the next harvest?
3. We all have desires and have good reasons for having them. Some desires are born of unmet needs from different areas of our lives. Others are born from the fruit we’ve seen in someone else’s life. But those aren’t the desires God promises to provide. The desires God places in our hearts, those that will bring glory to His name and provide fruit for His Kingdom, are what He promises to give us in John 15:7-8. Or, as Pastor Randy put it, “Prayers are granted when prayers are given.” Think through some of the desires in your heart right now. Where do they come from? What desires do you need to let go of, and which should you make a higher priority?
