What Are You Growing?

WHAT ARE YOU GROWING? GUIDED GROWTH...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Text:

2 Corinthians 9:6 (KJV) But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he

which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT) Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.

But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

GOD HAS A PLAN --- A MUSTARD SEED PLAN... YOU MAY BE LITTLE BUT GROW...

Do not consider how small we are...

DREAM OF GOD'S GROWTH PLAN...

Luke 13:19 (KJV) It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and

it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

GROW:

to develop to maturity, advance, increase in size and the amount of intensity,

to flourish, to ripe...

John 4:35 (KJV) Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto

you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

MATURITY:

Date at which something is due or expected...

Careful consideration and plans to attain peak of growth and development.

GOOD HEALTHY GROWTH AND MATURITY COME ABOUT BY A WILLFUL CHOICE,

TEAMED WITH A DESIRE TO DISCIPLINE SELF TO GROW...

1 Corinthians 9:27 (KJV) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any

means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

ARE WE HUNGRY? DO WE DESIRE TO GROW?

WILL WE STAY IN PERPETUAL BABYHOOD?

1 Peter 2:2 (KJV) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Peter 2:2 (NLT) Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into

a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,

GOD'S DESIGN IS TO PROGRESS, GROW AND DEVELOP...

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED GROWTH ALWAYS GROWS TOWARD THE LIGHT...

GROWTH IS A PRODUCT OF CHANGE...

METAMORPHOUS...

COMPLETE?

INCOMPLETE...

EGG

LARVA---CATERPILLAR

PUPA--- COCOON

ADULT--- BUTTERFLY...

Good healthy growth is planted and on purpose.

Let us say: I WANT AN APPLE!

So let us grab and apple seed, and go out and plant it...

Let us go out tomorrow and pick an apple and eat it? ????

EVER CONSIDER A LIFE THAT WAS FOCUSED ON GROWTH AND FRUIT?

THERE WAS A MAN NAMED JOHN CHAPMAN.

In 1774 Elizabeth Simonds and Nathaniel Chapman

HE LIVED FROM 9/26/1774 TO 3/18/1845...

He was born in Leominister, Massachusetts...

John died at the age of 70 in FORT WAYNE, INDIANA...

JOHN CHAPMAN MADE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS LIFE...

It is written that John Chapman one summer attended an open air revival service near

Mansfield, Ohio.

The preacher was long winded and was preaching about JOHN THE BAPTIST making

sacrifices, not living in extravagance, being a PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN...

It is reported that JOHN CHAPMAN, went up to the preacher and placed his bare

foot on the stump and said: HERE I AM, HERE IS YOUR PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN.

JOHN TRAVELED PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, AND

ONTARIO, CANADA. John gladly preached the message of Jesus as he traveled.

He touched many people, especially the NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS...

JOHNNY WORE A TIN POT ON HIS HEAD AS A CAP OR HAT...

AND THE TIN UTENSIL BECAME A TRADE MARK FOR JOHNNY...

JOHN STUDIED UNDER A MR. CRAWFORD --- ABOUT TREES...

HE LOVED APPLE TREES --- HIS JOURNEY IS ABOUT TWO THINGS...

MISSIONS AND PLANTING APPLE TREES...

John planted ORCHARDS where ever he traveled and preached the Gospel...

NO ONE KNOWS JOHN CHAPMAN UNTIL YOU HEAR HIM BY HIS NICK NAME:

JOHNNY APPLESEED... was a preacher of GROWTH and he preached and sowed

apple seeds and showed people how to prune and grow healthy fruit trees.

Galatians 6:6 (KJV) Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in

all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he

also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the

Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season

we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:6 (MSG) Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that

you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things

that you have and experience. 7 Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants,