Tag Archives: discipleship

Cedar Blog

The War Against Weeds

The War Against Weeds

Healthy things grow. That’s a basic truth and, usually, good news. But sometimes the healthiest thing in the garden appears to be the weeds. That’s not good. It means war. 

The enemy of our souls, the great deceiver, wants to grow weeds in us and he wants us to settle for weeds so that we become satisfied with weedy souls in a weedy world.

We are in a war. At stake are the hearts and minds of a generation. Generations. In this battle our greatest weapon is truth. Remember this truth: we are the kind of people who will not settle for weeds. We want fruit. Much fruit.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2).

The healthy disciple is the one who bears much fruit. Healthy disciples are rooted in Jesus. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. Our identity is rooted in Jesus. Healthy disciples are also relational. Disciples grow with other branches on a vine. We build bridges to others – we do not erect barriers. We speak the truth in love.

Rooted and relational disciples become servant-hearted, humble, sacrificial, patient, kind, generous followers of Jesus who bear fruit. Hatred, prejudice, divisiveness, pride, envy, greed – these are weeds. Healthy disciples bear fruit not weeds.

We are called to make disciples. This is a high calling. Healthy disciples will win the war against the evil one. This is our calling. It requires some pruning. And some weeding. We will not settle for less.

May God help us,

Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Teaching & Leadership

Did you enjoy this article? Did you laugh, cry or learn something new? Let Kent know.

    Cedar Blog, Lent, Reset

    Disciples Bear Fruit

    Disciples Bear Fruit

    Every congregation faces pressure to succeed. Success has historically been measured by the congregation’s budget and attendance. (Bucks and butts.) These measures might be helpful for a church management business. We are not in that business. We are in the disciple-making business. Jesus said, “Go make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We measure success by making disciples. 

    I just read a blog about the tension between success (achievement) and fruitfulness. I found it helpful: “There’s a real difference between our achievements and our fruitfulness, between our successes and the actual good that we bring into the world. What we achieve brings us success… and gives us a feeling of being worthwhile, singular, and important. We’ve done something. We’ve left a mark. We’ve been recognized.” 

    Success is measured by achievement. Fruitfulness is measured differently: “Achievement is not the same thing as fruitfulness. Our achievements are things we have accomplished. Our fruitfulness is the positive, long-term effect these achievements have on others. Achievement doesn’t automatically mean fruitfulness.”

    Jesus never told us to achieve but he did tell us to bear fruit. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

    Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me” (John 15:5).

    Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16).

    Jesus said, “You’ll recognize them by their fruit… every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17).

    Disciples bear fruit – that is success. One last word from my blogger friend: “Fruit comes from abiding; success comes from striving. One is done to impress others, the other to bless others.”

    Go abide, bear fruit, and bless somebody.

    Kent Landhuis
    Pastor of Teaching & Leadership

    Did you enjoy this article? Did you laugh, cry or learn something new? Let Kent know.