Spirit-Filled Life

Spiritual Horticulture

The Bible frequently uses horticultural metaphors to help us understand the Christian life:

• The New Testament writers speak of our sowing and reaping (Gal. 6:7-9; 2 Cor. 9:6).
• Believers in Christ are compared to branches that must abide in the vine and bear fruit (Jn. 15:1-8).
• Evangelism is described as planting and watering (1 Cor. 3:6).
• According to Paul, we need to be rooted in love (Eph. 3:17) and rooted in Christ (Col. 2:7).
• We are to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9), the fruit of righteousness (Heb ...

The Secret of True Obedience

"The secret of true obedience -- let me say at once what I believe it to be -- is a clear and close personal relationship to God. All our attempts after full obedience will be failures until we get access to His abiding fellowship. It is God's holy presence consciously abiding with us that keeps us from disobeying Him. "Defective obedience is always the result of a defective life. To rouse and spur on that defective life by arguments and motives has its use, but their chief blessing must be that they make us feel the need of a different life ...

10-Point Health Inspection

We have all heard the stories -- people who looked and felt fine on the outside, but inwardly their health was in grave danger. Whether clogging in the arteries or a silent-yet-growing tumor, often the worst of problems aren't detected until it is too late. That is why doctors suggest regular checkups. Donald Whitney suggests "Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" that can help us detect and monitor our level of Christ-likeness. 1. Do you thirst for God? 2. Are you governed increasingly by God's Word? 3. Are you more loving? 4. Are you more sensitive to God ...