This sermon continues the "My Job Depends on Ag" series, using agricultural metaphors to explore the importance of stability and rootedness in the Christian life. Just as trees need to be planted by streams of water to bear fruit (Psalm 1), believers need to stay put—in a place, a community, and a calling—to flourish. However, our culture of hypermobility and fear of commitment (FOMO) often tempts us to run, leading to shallow roots and a lack of fruit.

Scripture References
Psalm 1:1-6: The righteous are like trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season.

Luke 8:26-39: Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac. The man begs to leave with Jesus, but Jesus commands him to "return to your home" and testify there.

Genesis 2:15: God puts Adam in the garden to "work it and keep it," exercising skilled mastery.

John 15:1-8: Jesus calls us to "remain" in the vine to bear fruit.

Proverbs 27:19: "As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

Key Points
The Power of Staying Put Like trees, we cannot thrive if we are constantly transplanted. Staying put brings:

Security: A safe place to grow.

Identity: We are shaped by the places we inhabit.

Skilled Mastery: Staying long enough to become a "whisperer" in your field or community.

The Freedom to Stay The story of the Gerasene demoniac challenges our desire to escape. Though he had every reason to leave his past behind (shame, isolation), Jesus sent him back home. True freedom isn't always going where we want; sometimes, it's the freedom to live a new identity in the same old place.

Embrace Obligation and the Ordinary To stay rooted, we must reject the "duty-free" life.

Obligation: Belonging requires responsibility. We are members of a body, called to bear with one another, not just consume.

Ordinary: Extraordinary lives are built on ordinary habits. Greatness comes from doing consistently what others do occasionally. We must embrace the mundane routines of faithfulness—in marriage, parenting, and discipleship.

Conclusion
"Everyone wants a revolution, but nobody wants to do the dishes." True discipleship (discipline) happens in the mundane. If we run from obligation and the ordinary, we will never grow deep roots. We are invited to take a vow of stability—to commit to a place, a people, and a purpose—trusting that God will produce fruit in due season.

Calls to Action
Commit to Stability: Identify where you are tempted to run (a relationship, a job, a church) and ask God for the grace to stay and grow.

Embrace the Ordinary: Stop looking for the "extraordinary" next thing. Commit to the ordinary disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and faithful presence this week.

Invest in Your Marriage: Sign up for the marriage workshop on January 31st to intentionally invest in your relationship.

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In the second part of the "My Job Depends on Ag" series, this sermon addresses the often-dreaded spiritual discipline of waiting. We frequently try to avoid praying for patience to dodge trials, but trials are inevitable. The question isn't if we will wait, but how. Using James' analogy of the farmer, we see that waiting is not passive; it is an active, expectant dependence on God for a harvest we cannot control.

Scripture References

• James 5:7-11: "Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits... patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains."
• Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
• Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength..."
• 2 Timothy 2:3-6: Paul uses the soldier, athlete, and the hard-working farmer as examples of perseverance.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient... love always perseveres."
• Mark 4:26-29: The parable of the growing seed, illustrating the slow, mysterious nature of Kingdom growth.

Key Points

1. Waiting is Active, Not Passive James points to the farmer who waits for the rains. For a first-century farmer, this wasn't leisurely; it was survival. His life depended on conditions outside his control. Similarly, waiting on God is an active posture of looking to Him as our source, surrendering our need for control.
2. Why We Wait
   • To kill entitlement: Waiting cures the "Veruca Salt syndrome" ("I want it now!").
   • To look to God: Waiting shifts our focus from the thing we want to the One who provides it.
   • To develop character: Patience is essential for spiritual maturity.
3. Hurry is the Enemy of Love First Corinthians 13 begins with "Love is patient" and ends with "Love perseveres." If we cannot wait, we cannot love. Hurry makes us incapable of connecting with God and others. Patience is simply the ability to wait with a heart of peace and hope.
4. The Kingdom Grows Slowly Jesus' parable of the seed (Mark 4) shows that Kingdom growth is often mundane, slow, and invisible. While we love "Pentecost moments," most growth happens through small, daily acts of obedience—prayer, listening, and faithfulness over time.

Conclusion

Waiting is not forever. James reminds us to be patient until the Lord's coming. Jesus, the ultimate Farmer, patiently suffered on the cross to forgive our impatience and secure our future. Whether He breaks through in this life or at His return, the wait will end. Until then, we are called to practice "slowing"—deliberately placing ourselves in positions where we must wait—to cultivate a heart of patience.

Calls to Action

1. Shift Your Perspective: View waiting not as a nuisance but as "patience practice"—an opportunity for your heart to grow.
2. Practice "Slowing":
   • Drive in one lane at the speed limit and use the time to pray.
   • Listen to people without your phone in your hand.
   • Take deliberate breaks from technology.
3. Pray for Patience: Stop avoiding it. Ask God for the grace to wait well.
4. Receive Prayer: If you are in a painful season of waiting, come forward for prayer to receive strength to persevere.

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Using agriculture as a metaphor for spiritual growth, this sermon focuses on the importance of cultivating a "root system" by keeping our hearts. Just as trees need roots to bear fruit, we must tend to our inner life to produce lasting spiritual fruit. We often prioritize the external—our "branches" of doing and achieving—while neglecting the hidden life of the heart.

Scripture References

• Genesis 2:4-9: God plants a garden and forms man from the dust (humus), reminding us of our humble origins.
• John 15:1-8: Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. The command is to "remain" or "abide," focusing on the connection (root) rather than striving for fruit.
• Mark 7:14-23: Jesus teaches that defilement comes from within the heart, not from outside circumstances.
• Proverbs 4:23: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
• 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
• Ezekiel 36:26-27: The New Covenant promise: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you."

Key Points

1. Prioritize the Root Over the Fruit At the start of a new year, we naturally focus on external results (fruit). However, Jesus consistently points us to the unseen, hidden life (root). If we focus on remaining in Him, the fruit will take care of itself. We must resist the pressure to let our public persona outgrow our private character.
2. Keep Your Heart with All Vigilance The heart is not just emotions; it is the center of our being—mind, will, and desires. Like a musical instrument, it naturally goes out of tune and must be constantly tended. Proverbs 4:23 commands us to guard it above all else because everything in life flows from it. While the world (bosses, teachers, etc.) may only care about our production, God cares deeply about the condition of our hearts.
3. Stop Blaming and Start Investigating We often blame external circumstances or people for our reactions ("Look what you made me do"). But Jesus teaches that what comes out of us (anger, lust, pride) reveals what was already in us. Instead of blaming others for shaking the bottle, we should investigate what's inside.

Conclusion

Spiritual growth isn't just behavior modification; it's heart transformation. We cannot change our own hearts, but God can. The promise of the New Covenant is that God will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Our job is to tend the soil, stay connected to the Vine, and let His grace do the deep work of change.

Calls to Action

1. Invest in Your Marriage: Sign up for the marriage workshop on January 31st to intentionally shape your relationship.
2. Tend to Your Heart: Don't neglect your inner life for the sake of outer performance. Take time to stop and ask, "How is my heart doing?"
3. Journal Your Emotions: Use the simple exercise of writing down what you are Mad, Sad, Afraid, and Excited about to uncover what is truly going on inside you.
4. Stop Blaming: When negative reactions spill out, resist the urge to blame others. Ask God to show you the root of that reaction in your own heart.

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