Power of Position

Church Stories and Pics

I want to celebrate today the goodness of God.

Our mission has been and continues to be “To lead people to Full Lives Christ”

For us to help people grow into the fullness of all that God has called them to be and put inside of them.

Today we are going to kick off a new series that will help us flourish into that.

Planted.

INTRO

This is a seed...

Seeds are fascinating .

It’s amazing all that is contained inside.

The potential for a massive tree and potential a forest.

Abundance of fruit.

This think is full of potential, purpose and destiny.

It has something that it is intended to be.

This seed is alive.

But it is dormant. Seeds can live for years never sprouting.

Some seeds that were still alive have been found in china that were about 500 years old!

It has purpose to produce.

the seed alone cant become all it’s purposed to be.

A seed needs the right soil.

The right conditions in the right ground bring out something much greater than what we see in this seed.

IT MATTERS WHERE IT’S PLANTED.

I am this seed.

As kid I remember a couple times that I really wanted to learn to do something.

1. Ride a Bike.

I was placed where there was a bike.

The people around me knew how to ride and showed me, worked with me, helped me, encouraged me.

And I learned how to ride a bike!!

2. I wanted to learn karate.

But I never took lessons, I watch tv. Good enough and cheaper.

I was convinced I knew karate after the karate kid.

I even tried to teach people…

It mattered where I was planted.

It had the ability to bring out the potential on the inside of me, or not...

You are the seed.

IT MATTERS WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED.

Are you planted in a place that brings out the purposed placed inside of you??

The soil will either drain, diminish and destroy what the seed could be.

Or it will supply, nourish, and make it flourish.

Psalm 92:12-14

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,”

Date Palm Tree - Massive and impressive and beautiful.

Can produce up to 200 lbs of fruit!

Cedar of Lebanon - mentioned throughout the bible.

Everything built in the temple made from it.

Strong, durable, stable.

Stay Fresh and Green

This is an analogy used to describe a life that is properly planted.

Flourishing in its purpose, strong, stable, vibrant.

How descriptive of your life does this analogy feel??

Where are you planted?

What do I mean by planted?

It’s where the roots of my life grow into.

Where what I base my life upon.

What I trust in to be my source.

What I depend on to complete and fulfill me.

It’s what I keep my life close to.

I’m a product of my planting.

If I’m honest, I’m too guilty of planing myself in wrong places.

Places I feel with give me what I need at the moment.

Whatever makes me feel needed. Accepted. Wanted. Happy.

Planted in needing those clicks and compliments.

Planted in whatever makes me feel successful or where I can accumulate more stuff.

Planted in whatever makes me feel safe, comfortable.

But no level of accolades, accumulation or self preservation can fulfill and sustain me.

so like the seed, who we really can be and are called to be lies dormant.

Psalm 92:7

“that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.”

(same Hebrew word for flourish, but not lasting)

On the outside everything may look good.

I can wear a Karate gi, and watch all of karate kid movies and cobra kai (which I have)

But when a fight comes, I don’t think my tv karate skills will work.

The quality of the soil we’re in reveals itself when the seasons change and the storms hit.

Every tree goes through the same seasons.

Every tree will experiences rain, hail, wind.

Some trees wither and some trees flourish.

Some trees break and some bend.

some are uprooted and some remain.

What is actually being produced in my life??

Your soil won’t change all your circumstances, but It will change how you weather it.

The wrong soil, placement, planting in life, can’t give you what you need to really flourish in life, to sustain and remain.

It Matters Where we’re planted.

Where is that?

I’ve heard the statement Bloom where your planted.

There is truth to this. It’s learning to thrive no matter where you are.

But I want to reframe it a little, we need to get planted where we can bloom.

GET PLANTED IN GOD’S PRESENCE.

His presence is the only soil that can bring out the fullness of what this seed is intended and proposed to be.

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

v. 13 they will flourish in the courts of God...

Idea of a King and his palace. in the courts you could be in his presence. around him.

it’s proximity to the source of life. Stay close to Him.

Here’s how you can get Planted in his Presence.

Challenge you in 3 ways to get planted in the right place.

1. Lose the Pot.

Too often we live like a potted plant instead of a planted tree.

Potted plants are limited in how much they can grow.

They Can’t fully grow deep roots.

But they are easily movable.

We want to stay connected where we are.

To what we have trusted.

And we try to plant like this.

(place a potted plant in bigger soil)

It looks the part but is never really rooted.

Easy to pull away and do my own thing for any small reason.

Lose the Pot.

Go all in.

See what it’s like to really trust.

this life is frustrating.

why are they joyful and I’m not...

Col 2:6-7

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

It’s time to realize the other soil isn’t working.

2. Seek the Source

i really like soda. I know I know, at least its sugar free.

But I notice that a lot of times when I’m real thirsty it’s what I reach for.

The prob is, it doesn’t work well.

When we are dehydrated and thirsty, you have low levels of saliva, saliva helps neutralize acids, but soda is one of the most acid things you can drink.

so while trying to quench my thirst it actually does the opposite!

I need to reach for a water.

We need to reach for the water.

Planting near water is a constant source of what the plant needs.

The best way to seek the source every day and continually get refreshed is to live a life of worship.

Life is exhausting and draining, worship.

Worship creates holy ground wherever you are.

Pause and praise, stop and seek him, take time to thank.

ALL OF THE TIME.

The entire context of Psalm 92 is written through the lens of worship.

The author of this psalm is continually turning back and exalting God.

Psalm 92:1-2

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,”

Psalm 92:4-5

“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!”

Psalm 92:8

“But you, Lord, are forever exalted.”

Psalm 92:15

“proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.””

3. Flourish with the Family.

v. 13 planted in the house of the Lord.

There is family in the house.

To truly flourish, we flourish together.

You need to grow roots into a church family.

Not just attending (potted) but rooted.

We’d love to be the church family you plant into.

CONCLUSION

A seed is incredible.

All the purpose of a forest, but it matters where it’s planted.

Are you really planted were you can really flourish?

Let’s stop allowing who were called to be lie dormant.

Best time to plant is now.