Our grandkids planted some carrots and were amazed when the green carrot top emerged from their playground sand. 🥕

Eventually, we dug them up and found that the one that was planted long enough had put all its energy into producing 6 new carrots!

When we go from spiritual death to life, we trust Jesus. In order to go from living by the rules of the flesh or the law (to control the flesh), we must receive HIS life as an atonement for sin. #bornagain

He became sin, who knew no sin. That we might become His righteousness.

Who would ever understand such tremendous love? (All the parents out there have some inkling about what this means- seeing our children prosper, sometimes includes giving beyond what we thought humanly possible).

Being a child of God comes at a great price. #divinelove

As much as we are willing to suffer for those called our children. Suffering “willy nilly” for everyone who puts on a despairing face is not what God has called us to.

Some feel empowered to give with abandon to those who have an appearance of being in need. God has asked us to use wisdom so we are not suffering for all the “scammers” out there who are trying to profit off of a righteous inheritance or blessing. #discernment

By trusting our spiritual gifting (or that of our spouse), we can help each other prosper in right living.

Many wealthy “appearing” people are also desperate and in need of the Savior’s touch, it may just mean having the right timing or approach as we faithfully live for Christ.

We don’t have to throw common sense out the window to understand pure joy, but we do need to trust our Savior with abandon. -Teresa #ministryaddictiondoesnotequalsoldoutforChrist

John 3: 3-21 (NLT)

⁵ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.^[b] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.^[c] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You^[d] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹¹ I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. ¹² But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man^[e] has come down from heaven. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.^[f]

¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave^[g] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

¹⁸ “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰ All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. ²¹ But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.^[h]”Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. 3:3 Or born from above; also in 3:7.
2. 3:5 Or and spirit. The Greek word for Spiritcan also be translated wind; see 3:8.
3. 3:6 Greek what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
4. 3:7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in 3:12.
5. 3:13 Some manuscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
6. 3:15 Or everyone who believes will have eternal life in him.
7. 3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.
8. 3:21 Or can see God at work in what he is doing.