Endeavor to be Fruitful

Pray – (1/2 minute)

Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. . . He said, ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’? But you have made it a ‘den of robbers’. The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.” (Mark 11:15-18)
  Passage: John 15:1-5; Galatians 5:22-25

        When God gave the design for the Temple, it was divided into different sections. The first section was called the Court of the Gentiles, where any non-Jew could come to learn more about the God of Israel and what it would take to become a part of God’s people. When Jesus started His public ministry, the Jewish leaders had allowed that area to be used to see animals for sacrifice to people who traveled from out of town for the Passover. When Jesus drove out those who were selling the animals, He pointed out that God had a purpose for the area to be used to bring people to God. They had lost that purpose.
        It’s easy for a church to lose the focus on the purpose God has for it to reach their world for Christ. It’s easy for believers to let the sin nature grow weeds around the new nature of the Spirit and choke out the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit within their lives. Both collectively and individually, believers must endeavor to the fruitful and keep their focus on what really matters to God. People. All people. Pray for fruitfulness.  

Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)