| We all know what Miracle-Gro is. You use it in your veggie garden, flower garden and even your lawn to get bigger and better plants. Miracle-Gro boasts that if you use it (as Directed) you can grow plants twice as big! Double the yield, that’s quite the improvement! Jesus and the New Testament uses a lot of agricultural analogies. |  |
| Jesus describes those who believe in him, the gospel, and the kingdom of heaven in many ways. People who believe in him are like a tree that bears fruit. The kingdom of heaven like a mustard seed. Then there is the parable of the Sower. Paul uses the imagery of the fruit of the Spirit. Our walk with Christ is a lot like a plant. First, it starts as a small seed. Then it breaks through the soil into the light. The more care and attention we give our walk the more we will be like Christ. Prayer, Reading the Bible, and gathering with other Christians are all things that will help us walk a better life in Christ. The Bible teaches us how to be the best Christian we can possibly be. You could say, “The Bible is the Miracle-Gro for the Christian life”. Why is it important to grow as a Christian? If we don’t grow, we will ultimately become inefficient as Christians. The Bible warns us about being complacent. The author of Hebrews tells us to leave the elementary doctrines and get to the meat of our Christianity. Peter says in his letter, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ”The writer of Hebrews also tells us not to give up meeting together. Peter also says this, “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.” So, let’s keep from being inefficient as Christians. Let us continue to fill our spiritual lives with spiritual Miracle-Gro so that we are “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect.” |