This week’s devotions are based on Week 2: Grateful Hearts GROW Together (WATCH HERE)
1 Corinthians 3:5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Have you ever planted something in a garden, watered it faithfully, and wondered if anything was ever going to happen? You put the seed in the ground, give it water and sunlight, and wait. For a while, it seems like nothing is happening. Then one day, you notice a little green shoot pushing its way through the soil. Something was happening all along, even when you couldn’t see it.
The apostle Paul uses a similar picture to describe the work of God’s kingdom. The church in Corinth had begun dividing itself into groups, some claiming loyalty to Paul and others to Apollos. They were placing too much importance on the people doing the work and losing sight of the One who makes the work fruitful. Paul reminds them that he planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. The servants had different responsibilities, but the results belonged to God.
What a freeing reminder for us! We sometimes measure success by what we can see. We count attendance, evaluate programs, measure progress, and look for immediate results. Those things can be useful, but they are not the ultimate measure of God’s work. A conversation about faith, a child’s question about Jesus, a prayer offered for a struggling friend, or an invitation to worship may seem like small things. We may never know what God accomplishes through them.
The same is true when we think about the future of Crosspoint. We can make plans, plant seeds, build facilities, develop ministries, and invite people into our church family. All of those things are worthwhile, but none of them can create faith. Only the Holy Spirit can do that through the powerful message of the Gospel. We don’t build because we think we can manufacture spiritual growth. We build because we trust that God will continue to work through his Word and want to provide opportunities for more people to hear it.
That takes some pressure off our shoulders. You don’t have to produce results every time you share your faith. You don’t have to convince someone to believe. You don’t have to make everything happen. Your calling is simply to be faithful with the opportunities God gives you to plant the seed of the Gospel. Plant the seed. Water the seed. Speak the Word. Show the love of Christ. Then trust God with the results.
God has been faithful to you and his people through many generations, and he isn’t finished working yet. The same Gospel that brought you to faith is still powerful today. So keep planting. Keep watering. Keep trusting. God is still making things grow!
Reflect: Where have you seen God bring growth from what seemed like a small or insignificant beginning? Is there an area of your life, your witness, or Crosspoint’s future where you need to stop worrying about the results and trust God to provide the growth?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being the source of all growth in your kingdom. Thank you for the people who planted and watered the seeds of faith in my life, and for the Holy Spirit who worked through your Word to bring me to faith in Jesus. Bless Crosspoint as we look toward the future. Use our efforts, our gifts, and our building project to create opportunities for more people to hear the Gospel and grow in faith. Remind us that the work is yours, the power is yours, and the glory belongs to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.