Where Does My Help Come From?

Yesterday I was talking with a new, good friend of mine, Chris Marlow. We like to talk about church, and specifically church planting. Both of us are church planters who seemingly have had more failure than success, at least in our own hopes and dreams. But really, we continually ask the question of how to see fruit, that is, how the freak are we going to make more disciples?!

My answer yesterday, while we talked at Caffe Vita, was that we simply needed to keep talking about Jesus, telling and showing everyone how Christ brings hope in a world of despair. That was my answer...before I read some scriptures this morning.

It's not that I was wrong. I was only half right though. Paul tells the Thessalonians, "...our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5). As well, I was reading about people's response to Jesus' ministry in Mark: "The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mark 1:22).

A bike is a bike, but is only a bike unless powered. Then it becomes a moving vehicle. A word is a word, but is only a word unless powered. Then it becomes a moving of the soul.

Words are just words unless spoken with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew this. Paul knew this. Mark Driscoll knows this. Each one's fruit is different as God grows it, but each preaches with deep conviction and a powerful authority of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help us to preach and live in truth, grace, conviction and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Bring us fruit in accordance with Your will, which desires that no one should parish but that all might be saved.