HomeGrownنموونە

Influence:
Welcome to the fifth and final day of the HomeGrown Plan. Today, we’re talking about how to effectively use the influence that God has given us to make an impact.

I love the book of Proverbs. This book gives us wisdom for everyday living. If we want to influence our communities for Christ, we will need wisdom—God’s wisdom—to do it. Let’s look at this Scripture in Proverbs 4:20-27 (NASB 1995):

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

The Proverb writer tells us to pay attention to his words and keep them at the center of our hearts. In Mark 4:3, Jesus said that the sower was sowing seed. When He explained the parable to the disciples, Jesus said, “The sower sows the word” (Mark 4:14, NASB 1995). What we find here is that the Word of God is a seed. The Proverb writer instructs us to keep his words in our hearts.

Too many times we are looking for the big thing when the big thing might start out as a small thing—a thought. Too many times we want a revelation from God. We want the fire to fall, the sea to part, the sky to open. We want someone to give us a word, to prophesy to us.

While we are looking for those things, we overlook the thought—the seed God has given us. God gave us a brain, and He expects us to use it. Take the thought. Plant it. Ponder it. Process it. Proceed with it. It may be all you’ve got, but it will become all you need. Grow what you have where you are. Your church will grow, and your influence will increase —for God's glory.

Thank you so much for joining me on this 5-day journey! I hope that you've been equipped and inspired over the course of this plan. If you want more, you can check out my book in which I tell my personal church-planting story, HomeGrown: Growing What You Have Where You Are, by going to LINK .

Sincerely,

Johnny Moore