Aug. 29, 2021

The goal for living with margin is so that you can be more effective, with less stress and less pressure. We’re the happiest when we’re being productive. The Bible calls this word stewardship. 

Are you making the most off of what you've been given? God is responsible for what he gives you, but you are responsible for what you do with it.

It’s not about how much more you can get done, it’s about doing the right thing. Bible term for productivity is fruitfulness. He wants us to be productive. He tells us to go and bear fruit.

What do you really want to accomplish with your life?

Principles that Produce Productivity:

1) Bearing Fruit Brings Glory to God

-Bearing Fruit Shows that I am a Disciple

-God Wants Me To Bear Much Fruit

-Bearing Fruit is the Purpose of My Salvation

2) A Truly Productive Life Is One Where The Fruit Lasts

-Fruit of Repentance - turn away from self-centeredness and turn to God

-Fruit of the Spirit - God wants us to have good character: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

-Fruit of Bringing Someone to Christ - We are to lead people to Jesus and do it now, 

-Fruit of the Ministry to Other People - Jesus took bearing fruit very seriously. A non-productive Christian is a contradiction. God says fruit gives Him glory. Bearing fruit is proof of our salvation.

It’s the heartbeat of God for us to bear fruit!

4 Conditions of Fruitfulness:

1 - Cultivate deep roots 

2 - Eliminate The Weeds In Your Life

God is a God of Balance!

Wisdom - intellectual growth

Stature - physical growth

Favor with God - spiritual growth

Favor with Man - social growth

3 - You Must Cooperate with God's Pruning in Your Life  - Pruning improves shape and stimulates growth.  

God uses 3 Things to Prune Us: Problems, pressures and people. God can use every circumstance in our life to help us grow.

4 - You Must Wait Patiently and Expect a Harvest - For us to be most productive, we have to die to our old nature. It takes trust and faith us to allow this to happen. We must trust God to do what is needed in our life.

Remain - Don’t give up. Stay in contact. Depend on Him. Keep plugged in and pray, wait & expect, and God will reward you at the proper time.