It’s Time To Invest
Message Moments & Highlights
Small seeds sown over a lifetime builds a might harvest.
We will reap a harvest if you don’t give up.
Put Jesus first and you will reap a harvest.
What you sow, you reap. If it is of God, He will multiply it.
It’s time To Invest
Our lives are fundamentally shaped by the small decisions we make each day, particularly in how we invest our time and resources. Three key spiritual principles guide our life's trajectory: honoring parents leads to a blessed life, avoiding judgment of others prevents similar judgment on ourselves, and the universal law of sowing and reaping affects both natural and spiritual realms. These principles, when applied consistently, create a foundation for godly living and lasting impact.The focus areas for intentional investment include relationships with God and others, physical health, mental and emotional wellbeing, and spiritual growth. Like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree, small acts of faithful investment in these areas can yield harvests of 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown. Success comes through practical steps like putting God first, maintaining consistent church attendance, daily devotional time, making God-aligned choices, staying accountable, and maintaining an eternal perspective.
Key Insights From The Message
Related Bible Verses
Galatians 6:7-9: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Mark 4:20: ‘Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times what was sown.’
Joshua 1:1-9: 1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people of Israel prepare to cross the Jordan River into the land I am giving you. 3 I have given you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert and the Lebanon Mountains in the south to the great Euphrates River in the north, including all the Hittite country, and as far west as the Mediterranean Sea. 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
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How are you all? How are we all doing? We're doing good. How is your January? You excited or you're feeling a little bit?
Not sure about this year.
How good is it to be in the house of God and just sit in that worship and just focus on Jesus? I love that line. Who else is worthy? I'm wondering whether you really know that. Who else is worthy?
Where you where your walk, your time.
I know that. Who else is. I know it. I know it to every part of my being. Or maybe you're here going, I really want to know it.
I really want to know that Jesus is, is worthy. And be proud of yourselves if you're even in that second category because you're here going, I want to lean in and know more about the Lord. I want to know him. I know when I first started going to church and I'd see those people that you just go, I want to have what they have. I want to have that intimacy with God that they have.
I wonder if you've ever seen that or thought that. I had this feeling or this thought yesterday as I was just. It's actually yesterday morning I was just sitting a little bit introspective and I was just thinking about how people can struggle with say, an anger with anger, anger issues.
And the solution is Jesus. You know, Jesus, he'll change your life. An old life goes, a new life comes. It's almost like I'm just going to follow Jesus and then that starts shifting and changing because his goodness comes in and we get to understand who he is.
So I just felt prophetically, if you're struggling with anger this morning and you're causing yourself pain and you're causing others pain, look to Jesus and go, jesus, I just need you to turn up. I'm going to start loving you. And he will pour out so much love on you that it'll become an overflow. It'll be living water pouring out of you and his goodness will pour out onto others around you and your mind will settle. Because he's not a God of disorder.
He's a God of order. Yeah.
So today the sermon is titled It's Time to Invest. So we're ready to invest church. No, I'm not putting up with that church. It's time to invest. Are we ready to invest?
All right, turn around two, three people. I'm ready to invest. Come on, let's get ready to invest. Time to invest.
Come on. I'm in a church with a bunch of fired up Jesus lovers. Come on. Is that true? Come on, come on.
I wonder when's the last time you actually sat down?
Not because this is my God time right now and I know this is good for me to read the Word, which is brilliant and perfect and wonderful, but we've actually just sat down with Jesus and God, Lord, how am I doing?
Or you've just sat down, down because you've thought about something a little bit different. God, Jesus, what do you say about this?
We're just leaning in and you're waiting and you're just having a, a real conversation.
Very privileged to know Pastor Adrian. Quite often I'll get to sit down with him. I'll go, what do you think about this?
Now, as wonderful and brilliant as he is, as a man of God, we can all go to the next level in Jesus Christ.
When I got married, it'll be 37 years, April 30th this year with my wife, my darling wife. And when we got married and we moved everything into the house, she found a goal list that I wrote as a 13, 14 year old and she pulled this out. She goes, what's this? I go, I don't know. I wrote that a long time ago and it had things like, I want a tontine pillow.
Do they still make them? I want, you know, I wanted to get a six foot aquarium in my bedroom.
I wanted to have businesses, lots of gosh. He goes, this is ridiculous. You've ticked them all off.
I wonder, are you intentional with your life? Do you think about things and go, I'm going to go for that. I'm going to go for that. I'm going somewhere with this. Six months ago, I went and saw a person, I had a personal development day with the church and a bunch of pastors went along to it to see a guy called Kerry Newhoff.
He's a leader, he's a pastor, he's extremely influential. He's really big on planning churches, going worldwide with that. He's a dynamo. And he raised the question on how many people in the world over the decades that he's known that have been in his close friend that started off strong in the Lord with him and he said with great intentions and wanting to do great things in their lives and yet how so many of them had fallen off. And he goes, but all of them started off as great young men who wanted to do great things with their life and for the Lord and yet so many of them had fallen over where marriages had collapsed through the guys not being faithful.
Sorry if you've been in that situation. Another one that Started off into business and he ended up doing things that crossed the line. He ended up going to jail. And he said in his reflections, he said what had happened was those people had stopped having accountability in their lives. Honest, true accountability.
I wonder if you've got accountability in your life at the moment because we've been given this incredible life, this incredible opportunity to do great things with this gift of life, to change others lives for you to thrive and prosper and enjoy everything that Jesus has given you. You know, we are so blessed. We live in the kingdom of God and it's an honour, it's enviable, it's extraordinary and we get to live it. Yet if we're not careful, that can fall over pretty quickly. What he spoke about was this and I'll get the slide up a thing called RPMs.
And the R is for relationships. It's how are you investing in your relationships? That's with Jesus, that's with people, it's with family, friends. It's your physical, how you're doing with your physical side of your life. It's how you're going with your mental side.
Are you getting up and going, wow, I can't wait to be in the house of God this morning or are you going, I'm struggling. And it's your spiritual walk as well. Are you with me? Are we locked in on this? So what he suggested was, and a lot of us at Casey are doing this in our quiet time in the morning.
We are, as well as doing our quiet time. We're putting an R up and we're scoring ourselves out of a 10 and a 1. And Kerry said, a 10's Jesus and a 1's the devil. So don't give yourself a 1 and don't give yourself a 10. But how are you doing in each one of those areas?
So for a relationship it might be a 7, you're doing well, or an 8 physical. Let me get very transparent with you. Before Christmas, I could hardly walk for about six weeks. My back was out. So when I was filling that in, I'm giving myself a two and a three.
And then my darling chiropractor that I went to, he turned around to me, he said, frank, I'm just going to be very honest with you. I go, bring it on, I love honesty. Tell me. And he goes, frank, you've got a belly and your back doesn't like it. And I've gone, I don't want you to ever say anything to me again.
But we dealt with it. But I'm being Transparent. So that's something I've worked very, very hard on. And some of you are going, have you? Yes, I have and I'm still in the process.
And then there's the mental and then there's the spiritual, but you get the point and it allows you to go, right. It's a personal check. And if you've got an accountability buddy or something like that, you can check in within and go, I'm on it, I'm on it, I'm on it. Or you can have a really beautiful red headed wife will go, how you're doing with your health, Frank? Going, yes, Carol, I'm doing okay.
You see, the decisions that we have made, that you have made have brought you to where you are today.
Now of course there can be external circumstances that can affect that, but inside of that you've still, you've still got a choice, haven't you, to go kind of, what would Jesus do here and take that road.
See, the decisions you're making moving forwards will create an opportunity to have an impact, either good or bad. See, we all get an opportunity to leave a legacy and a legacy as you get older, you go, what's my life about? What's it been for? What's going to keep going and outlive me? Have you thought about that?
Because too many times I think people cross their fingers and hope for good outcomes and a good life and even a good walk with Jesus and I'm going to make a difference one day. It's going to be incredible. But I think if you put a little bit of intentionality into it and you have those quiet chats with Jesus and he starts directing you and you start applying his truths, I think he starts turning up and doing some pretty extraordinary miracles in your life. And you're just going, what happened? What just happened?
Jesus happened. Because Jesus loves you. He's for you. He's amazing. He went to the cross, he's shown you how much he loves you by dying on that cross.
That's not a little thing. That's a huge, extraordinary act of love. And it was for you and it was for me. You know, our church has got a huge vision. Our churches have got a huge vision.
It's to love God, it's to love people, it's to see him change lives. See, we were created to love people and pass on that good news. But if you're not intentional about it, a day, an hour, a minute, a second, a year can just go by and you're not having the impact you have. You could have. So a question for you.
Where do you want to be in one year's time? Where do you want to be in five years time? Where do you want to Be in 10 years time? Where do you want to be in 20 years time? Have you thought about it?
There are three. I call them God laws. First one is honour your mother and father, that you may go well with so it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on earth. It's a very powerful principle. Second one is do not judge or you too will be judged.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged with the measure you use. It will be measured to you. Let me tell you through my twin, it is not knowing Jesus. I struggled massively with that. And then Jesus turned up and turned that on its head for me.
And I praise him every day for it because I was never satisfied in who I was deep down. And I had a great upbringing. But he turned up and did a miracle. But today I want to really lock in on this one. On sowing and reaping.
Let's go to Galatians 6, 7 through to 9. Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. A woman reaps what she sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, their old life. From the flesh will reap destruction. Whoever sows to please the spirit, and from the spirit will reap eternal life. Oh, that sounds good. Let us not become weary in doing good.
For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. That's a great word of God, isn't it? I love that. It's so powerful. So sowing in the flesh is your old life, your old ways.
The stuff that can be destructive. The stuff that, like for me was judgment. It destroys our lives. It's. It can make it all about us, ourself.
We can be really shallow when we lean into that. And we can hurt ourselves and we can hurt others. Fair enough. Sowing into the Spirit. Is our new life free in Christ Jesus, living for eternity.
We're honoring God. We love others. We want the best for others. He's just extraordinary. We've got faith and we're believing for things.
That's our new life. That's our new hope in Jesus Christ. Because we know when we've got Jesus Christ, we have always got hope. Yeah. Then he shares.
Don't become weary in doing good, because we will reap a harvest. If you don't give up, if you don't give up.
See, we live in a world where everything's instant. Microwaves, Google, Internet, we can just jump on it. We want it now, we want it now, we want it now. But some and some of those instant decisions when we go via our emotions and not the spirit of God or checking out with someone can be so destructive and catastrophic. Because I just need to feel better, or I'm angry or I'm emotional and we just need.
We go, what did I just do? How did I do that? Why did I do that? That's not who I am. We've got to stop and think, what are we sowing?
What am I talking about? I'm talking about the small daily decisions that will change your life and change the life of others. It'll have such a profound impact that you'll look back in the decades and go, wow, look what God's done in my life. Look what Jesus has done. So my question is, who do you want to be and who do you want to become?
Because Christ created you for his purpose and he loves you and you're incredible. Whether someone said that to you or not, that is the truth of Jesus Christ. Who has Jesus created you to be? Because we can all dumb ourselves down in that going, who was I created to be? I'm telling you, he's created you to be awesome and be who you are.
I can't. I met Peter for the first time, his first time in church. Peter, I can't be you. You're in your environment. You can meet and impact people that I can't.
Michael can sing and he's brilliant up front. I can't do that. If I was the worship leader, none of you would be here.
So what are your habits? What are you investing in your relationships? How are you going with your family? How are you going with your marriage? How are you going with your kids if you're single?
How are you going with your friendship groups and your broader family?
How are you going when a youngster walks in the church that maybe is a teenager and they're a little bit loud and a little bit bright? Are you encouraging them and believing in them? Are you praying for them? Or maybe you're really lonely.
Maybe you're a great friend, maybe you're not a great friend. Just a thought. Your physical health. You're eating, you're sleeping, your exercise, your finances, your generosity. Are you a saver?
Are you good at delayed gratification? Your credit card max down? Are you buying staff to impress people that don't even care how's your lifestyle?
And I'm putting my hand up to say I have not got all this right. Mental health, are you optimistic? Are you full of health, hope? Are you excited? Are you excited for the day, excited for the year ahead?
Or are you a little bit dark inside? What about spiritually? Are you on fire? Are you going, I'm going to give, I'm going to serve my time. Talent, treasure is yours, Lord, I am in.
Or are you kind of turning up because you know it's good for you and you're hanging on? Well, good on you for being here because I believe God's going to change your life today.
What you invest in the habits that will lead and change your life. In God, in Jesus.
Here's the secret. It's not stepping in for one day and going, I've read the Bible today, I've prayed. Nothing's changed. It's turning up and, and believing that God is faithful. And even when you're going through hard stuff going, what's he doing in me?
What's he changing in me? What is he saying to me? He builds your faith up and he starts moving over time. It's like a compound effect. If you buy a house today and you go, oh, this is expensive.
And, oh, I've got this huge mortgage, if you're lucky enough to have one, and you go, oh, how am I going to do this? But in 30 years time, the price you paid is a bargain. You've paid it off over the years. The house is worth a fortune now. You've invested and done something pretty spectacular in the end.
What's like that with your faith? Keep investing, keep walking with Jesus, keep turning up, keep being in him, being with Jesus. Our habits today will shape your future. Will shape my future. So here's my first thought.
What you sow, you'll reap. I'll turn to your neighbour. What you sow, you'll reap.
We've got a compost bin in the backyard and I've just moved it over like this last during the winter. But everything that was put in the compost bin, all the seeds and all the different things, we have got the most spectacular veggie patch now because something was sown into that soil and it has grown. And we've got tomatoes, we've got zucchinis, we've got capsicums. I'm going, how did this happen? Well, what happened was we put it in a compost bin and great soil and it's grown and it's flourished.
So are you sowing godly habits. Are you spending time with Christ? Are you hanging out with him? Are you saying, I want to become more like you, Lord? Are you coming back and having those conversations and going, lord, I just want to be like you?
See, because Jeremiah 17:9 warns us, says the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? It's very easy, isn't it, for our hearts to flip with a word against us or watching the wrong thing or hanging out with the wrong people. So good habits, good harvest, are reading the word, sitting with him, coming to church, seeking him, being around good people, the bad habits. You know, I did Valiant man this year with a bunch of guys and you know, one of the things it talks about a lot is what men watch, that really dark stuff that's just not good for them.
It's a poor work ethic. You've lost your job. If you don't turn up, you're going to lose your job. Maybe it's drinking or an addiction and that affects everybody and everything about you. And I'm not here to condemn you.
I'm here to say there is hope in Jesus Christ for a greater day. It's what we eat, it's what we do.
So if you don't like what you're reaping, change what you're sowing.
You're very quiet. What you sow, you reap. Do not be fooled.
Are you hanging out and listening to the right people, Church?
Are you listening and watching the right things, Church?
Second thought, Jesus multiplies what we sow. So this is where it gets exciting. Especially when he's directing you.
Long time ago, back at my old church, senior pastor, associate pastor calls Carol and myself in, we'd like you to take over youth. Been about a three year old Christian and I actually six months earlier, said the last thing I'd ever want to do to my wife and my friend is do youth. I said, I don't know how people can do it. And they called us in, I said, no, thank you. And Carol said, I'd love to.
She's a school teacher. I'd love to. And then that night, laying flat on the ground, spending time with God, I said, I don't want to do this, God, I do not want to do this. And he said, get up, you're doing it. And I did it.
And 15 years later, it was one of the greatest times of my life. Because God's directing. Nah, give it to him, not me. But that is God. Come on, what is it?
For you what's he going to direct you in? What's he going to direct you in?
You think about the Bible, Luke 5. Peter Peter's there. And Jesus goes, come on Peter, you fished all night. Have you? Yeah, I have.
I want you to throw out, go out, throw out your net. Throw it out there. Specifically there. Do exactly what I say. Now Peter could have gone, no, forget it.
No way. He goes, put it right there. What happens? The greatest catch he's ever had. Cause he's listened to exactly what, what Jesus told him to do.
Come on. It's about time we all started listening to Jesus and going, I'm going to do exactly what you've called me to do. Five fish, the loaves and the fishes. Jesus goes, give it to me. Watch what I can do.
With your faithfulness, watch me multiply. Watch your sowing. 5000 get fed. Bring jugs of water to me. Watch what I can do.
Turns it into wine. Come on. What in your life do we need to give to Jesus so he can grab it and multiply and do something extraordinary? Maybe it's your family aren't saved. Let's start believing and saying thank you Jesus to them getting saved.
He multiplies the seed that we sow.
Jesus describes the kingdom of God like a little mustard seed. It starts so tiny, so minute and yet grows to this incredible tree that holds birds and expands. It starts small, but with faith and prayer and turning up and listening. He does miracles. Mark 4, 20 says this.
Others like seed sown on good soil. Hear the word, accept it and produce a crop. Some 30, some 60, 60, some hundred times. What was saying? Come on.
I want that. I want that. What's that saying? Those that hear and understand the word of God. Are you stopping?
Are you listening? Are you going, Lord, what are you telling me? Good soil in 8, 15, follow saying follow Jesus no matter what, follow him. Come on. Which type of soil are you?
Are you honest? Are you good hearted? And that comes from hanging out with Jesus. Are you people that hear the word and cling onto it and go, I'm believing it, I'm trusting it and I am going to walk with Jesus. When the Holy Spirit says, don't do that.
Okay, do this. Yep, I'm doing that. Ah, Frank, go apologize to your wife. You're a bit grumpy. This sorry.
Holy Spirit, you know, all those little things that add up to a beautiful life.
Jesus wants us to be productive in the kingdom. He wants us to have impact. And I don't know about you, I want to have Impact for the kingdom. Sometimes I go, how in the heck am I even here? Oh, it's Jesus.
It's Jesus. It's Jesus. Small seed sown over a lifetime builds a mighty harvest. What are you sowing, Jesus? Are you investing in him?
Are you hanging out? Are you worshiping him? Are you putting worship on and just going, I love you, Jesus? Have you got gratitude? Are you thanking him for what you do have?
Maybe not for what you don't have, but what you do have. Ah, Jesus, I'm so happy. I thank you for what I have got. I thank you that I can brew. I thank you that I can open my pantry and there's three different cereal.
Oh, my goodness. I turn on the. Thank you, Jesus. It's unbelievable how generous you are to me. Thank you that I live in this country, Lord.
Thank you that I can come into a church like this. Thank you that I can be encouraged. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for the person sitting next to me, Lord. It's that gratitude of hanging out, you know, in church.
Are you inconsistent? Because it's a killer. I went away to Europe a few years back with my wife, and we went to the churches and stuff, but it was more really going and looking at the beautiful, historic churches. But I came back and I was at Hastings at the time. Went back into the church.
It was like, holy Spirit of God, I've missed this. Like, I've really missed this because we're in tourist mode, but it's like, oh, I'm back in the house of God. This is brilliant with the worship. Or are you consistent and you're hearing the Word? Because when you hear the word, your faith builds, you start serving, you start being a blessing to others, and it's a blessing to self.
You turn up early, you start praying. There's a whole bunch of people here this morning praying early. And I'm like. It fired me up. I'm like, I love this place.
Wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And you make friends, there's laughter, there's joy, because you're turning up. You're a part of God's family and we're having an impact and we're seeing lives change. And we go, wow, God, you're amazing.
Are you taking your kids to youth or are you going, I'm a bit tired? Get your kids to youth. It'll change their lives. It'll change their lives. And maybe while they're gone, pray.
It's amazing what can happen when God turns up. You've got a youth team that are Busting their guts because they love your kids. Prayed up, serving, ready to go.
Temptations come. No, no, no. I know a much better way. It's in Jesus Christ. I don't want that.
I. I know how to resist. I know how to flee from that because my word tells me, flee, flee, flee. Sowing in my finances. God's blessing me.
I'm believing for it and for others. I'm watching the kingdom grow. I'm helping others. I'm building others up. I'm speaking life over others.
It starts at home. There's a little bit of an offense at home. Drop it. Start building each other up. Start loving each other.
I'm eating and drinking well, because I want. Pastor Adrian said to me, frank, you know, and he doesn't have a go at me at all. I talk about. He goes, yeah, I do want you to look after yourself, Frank. You've got a long way to go.
Come on. We want you to be on fire. On fire. I'm not hurt by that. He's loving on me.
He's going, come on. There's more in ya. There's more in you. Let's sow in the kingdom. Let's hear the word of God.
Let's believe the great things. Holy Spirit, I pray across this room right now that you're even now dropping thoughts, seeds to each and every person here today to do extraordinary things for your kingdom, whatever that extraordinary looks like.
See, every step we take determines our direction, every choice we make. But are we choosing Jesus? What success? What success? I believe success is a great walk with Jesus where you know that, you know that, you know that Jesus has got you because relationships can break down, we can lose people.
Saw the fires in la, stuff can be gone. But if you know Jesus, you've got a good life, you've got a great life, you've got a fantastic life. Sowing into our walk, you start getting a little spark, you start getting on fire, you start turning up, you start having those conversations with Jesus. He starts talking to you, you start coming in a little bit earlier, you're a little bit prayed up, you're ready to worship. You're going, oh, I don't normally put my hands up.
You start putting your hand up, you start going, I just want you, God. I start prioritising you, Lord. I start thinking more and more about you. I start obeying you, Jesus. And things start turning.
You go, oh, I'm on fire here. I'm on fire here. Trevor, can I help with something? Jump on the do. Jumping on the door.
I'm greeting someone. I'm a first impression. When they walk through those doors, I want them to know Jesus. I can't wait. I'm making coffee.
I'm not just making coffee. I'm operating in my gift of hospitality. I want to change someone's life. I'm doing that. I'm on fire.
It's a faithful life of following the Lord, following Jesus, seeking his presence, seeking his ways, allowing the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. See, Jesus said to his disciples, I'm going to go. It's going to be better for you. I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to you. And then what happens with the Holy Spirit?
And this has come back to that thought of our anger again. If you've got anger, because when you've got the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit produces the kind of fruit in our lives that is love. If you're tapping into the Holy Spirit and hanging out with the Holy Spirit, it's love. I want that joy.
Come on. Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. They're beautiful. When we hang out with God, if you're wrestling in those, that's okay. Holy Spirit, help me with that.
Help me with my self control. Help me with my gentleness. You know, as blokes, we always need a nudge with our gentleness, don't we? Because we can be a little bit loud. Going to get the worship team up, please.
Come on. Are you in his presence?
Remember, you sow. What you sow, you reap. If it's of God and you sow, he'll multiply it. He'll do miracles that you can't even believe. And many of us across this room have got testimony after testimony of God turning up and doing miracles.
Come on. Are you in his presence? Are you in his presence now? Holy Spirit, I just pray that we're in your presence now. I feel like I'm free because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom, there's liberty, even from my past.
I can't let that go. Yes, you can. With Jesus, you can let it go. Yeah.
Despite the circumstances I'm currently in, despite my circumstance, I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He is my strength, he is my portion.
Come on, what are you sowing? What are you believing?
Maybe you're in a season of life where it just seems impossible. One of the greatest privileges I've got is seeing people in their darkest times and helping them point to Jesus and seeing him pulling them out of that dark time. And he does time and time again might seem impossible, but with him, all things are possible. My thoughts are God's thoughts. I'm praying and I'm believing for what God wants.
I'm praying and binding up stuff that is not of God. Not of God in my family, not of God, people I know and praying in faith to what can be. Believing in faith for what God's going to do. Come on, what are you believing for? There's someone in your world that doesn't know Jesus.
I'm believing for that. Maybe it's you. And you're in such a dry space, you go, just come back to Jesus. Come back to Jesus. I was so burnt out at my old church.
At one point I was going to walk away from the ministry and I walked into church, my knuckles were dragging. I actually told one of the pastors, I think I'm going to tap out. Just the ministry got to me and I hadn't grown at the level. There was bits missing. I was studying full time, young family.
And I walked into the church, I'm going.
Something in me knew I had to be in church because I always go to church. And the worship started and I just raised my hands. Then the Holy Spirit grabbed me. It was like started crying.
Oh, my goodness.
Strengthened, love poured out.
Church didn't know what I was going through. He did.
And I just said, go, Lord, where else would I be but in the house of God with you? Whatever you want, I am here. I am here. Man didn't fix it. Holy Spirit fixed it.
Came upon me like a wave of just, maybe you're feeling like that today. Let go, let God. Let go, let God.
Maybe you've been criticized or hurt.
Remember, I've got God on my side. I've got God on my side. You want to be criticized, become a pastor.
But here's the flip side. For every one, you get a thousand well done.
Criticism hurt. No way I'm going to take territory for the Lord. I have Jesus on my side. So my third thought, my first one is, you sow what you reap. I hope you understand the power of that principle.
If you sow good things over a lifetime time in the Lord and you do it walking with Jesus, walking with him daily, little miracles start happening and you look back after the decades, you go, how did that happen? Oh, we all know Jesus happened.
He multiplies the seed, not you. He multiplies the seed. And you know what's so good about that? He gets the glory. We don't get the glory.
He gets the Glory. Without him, I'd still be thinking about myself. He gets the glory. Third thought is, put God first. Put Jesus first and you'll reap a harvest.
So that's your sowing. It starts there. I'm putting him first, 20, 25, I'm putting my anchor down. I'm putting him first. When you see someone getting baptized, they come up here and they go, I am following Jesus.
I've found Jesus. He's my Lord, he's my Savior. And some of you have forgotten that because life hits you around the head. But he is your Lord. He's your savior.
And he's going, come on, son. Come on, daughter, get up. I've got you. Let's do extraordinary things. Let me pour my love, my power, my presence on your life.
I'm too exhausted, Lord. No, you're not. I've got you. Let me fill you with my spirit. Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Your RPMs start there. It'll help you pinpoint where he wants to work in your life.
Remember, reaping takes a little while. It's countercultural because we live in a world that's countercultural.
To take your time and allow Jesus have a long term view. We've got an eternal view. We look longer, we look further, we look deeper. Look spiritually. And we go, ah, there it is.
Even when we get attacks. What's going on? Why am I getting attacked? You're getting attacked because there's a big call on your life and the enemy doesn't want it and he's trying to stop you going, no, be quiet, be gone. I'm binding that.
I'm following Jesus.
What are your goals?
Some of you need to go, come on, Lord, what am I doing? What are my goals?
Take up a daily walk with G. I'm going to start. I can do that. I can do that. James Clear Atomic Habits, it's a book I read last year, talked about if you want to get fit and you can't, you keep falling over because you go and try and run a marathon every day and you get injured and you don't do it.
He started off by saying, just put your shoes out every day for a week. And he goes, put them on, take them off the next week. Then the next week he says, go for a jog to the corner and back. So three weeks you've gone to the corner and back, but you've started a habit. And it becomes, I can do this.
I can do this. Start, just start small. But I'm believing in what Jesus is going to do Joshua. One new living translation says this. After the death of Moses.
So the great man of God has died. I know I wouldn't want to be taking over from Moses. The Lord served. The Lord spoke to Joshua, son of nun, Moses, assistant. He said, moses, my servant is dead.
Come on. What needs to die in your life at the moment? And what needs to be resurrected? What is the Lord saying? Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan into the land I'm giving them.
I promise you. Come on. He's got a promise for you as well. I promise you what I promised Moses. Wherever you set your foot, Christians, wherever you set your foot in Jesus.
You will be on land I have given you. Come on. What's the territories calling you to take?
Not for a day. As long as it takes. I'm going to keep turning up. I'm going to keep believing. I promise you what I promised Moses.
Wherever you set your foot, you'll be in land I've given you. No one will be able to stand against you. Come on. I think that's exciting. As long as you live.
For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Come on, church. Be strong and courageous. That's who we are.
We're a strong and courageous people. For you are the one who will lead these people to possess the land I swore to their ancestors and would give them. Be strong. Come on, church. And very courageous.
Be careful to obey the instructions Moses gave you. I will listen to the Word. I will listen to God's truth. I will listen to Holy Spirit. He is my comfort.
He is the word of truth. I will follow him. I will trust him. And I will not turn to the left or to the right. Then you will be successful in everything you do.
Lord, I want to be successful for you, not for self. Jesus. I want your name honored. I want you glorified. I will study your word and instruction continually.
I'll meditate on it day and night. So you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Come on, church. Let's get fired up for 20, 25. I tell you what.
If every single person in this room gets fired up and is united, we'll change this nation. We will change the nation in God. Jesus. Do you believe that? Do you believe that only then will you prosper and succeed?
This is my command. Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be afraid, discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.
Come on. Are you strong and courageous?
Let's stand up. If you're stand up, let's stand up. Let's honor the Lord. I just feel if you've got something you've got to let go of, let's break it in the name of Jesus. Today might be a hurt, might be apathy, could be anything.
Holy Spirit of God, we pray right now across this auditorium, across this church family. Holy Spirit of God, we're coming before you and we're talking to you. Heart to heart, spirit to spirit, soul to soul.
I'm letting this go, Lord, and Holy Spirit, maybe you're anxious, maybe you've been told you're never good enough.
Or maybe you even doubt yourself in the Lord. Holy Spirit, as your word says, I pray for a strong and courageous people filled with your spirit, led by your power, left by your love, led by your sound thinking and control. Lord, I declare that over each and every person here today, Lord, that we are a people that do not fear, but operate out of love, power, sound mind, clarity, hungry for you, Lord. For you, Lord. For you, Lord.
Holy Spirit, I pray now for each and every person here today.
What do you want us to sow into, Lord?
What's the shift?
Clarity? Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Holy Spirit.
The more I desire you, the more you come. And I thank you for that. Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. I am so hungry for a move of you.
I'm so hungry for more of you. I'm so hungry to know you more. I'm so hungry to have your presence. So hungry. Set a fire in me.
Holy Spirit of God, set a fire in me. Holy Spirit of God, set a fire in me. Holy Spirit of God, set a fire in me. Holy Spirit of God, set a fire in my brothers and sisters. Holy Spirit, Set a fire.
Holy Spirit. I don't want to just turn up and do church. Holy Spirit. I want to turn up and be on fire for you. I want to be hid fire in my home.
I want to be on fire in my workplace. I want to be fire at youth. I want to be on fire when I walk into a store. I want to be on fire for you. Holy Spirit of God.
I pray. I want to see people's lives changed. I'm being selfish, but I want it. I want it for you, Lord. I want it for you.
I want you to be glorified. I want you. Holy Spirit of God. Fill me up. Fill me up.
Fill me up. Holy Spirit of God, with your goodness, your strength, your power. Holy Spirit, if that's you, put your hands up. Let's pray. Let's pray.
Holy Spirit, fill every hand that's up that wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit with you, Holy Spirit. Fill them up. Pour out. Pour out. Pour out.
Pour out, Holy Spirit. Pour out, fire of God. Pour out 20, 25. Send your army. Send your army.
Send your army into homes. Send your army into workplaces. Send your army into church. Send your army to the community. Lord.
Lord, I pray for those that have just got a hunger to serve you, Father God, that you show them new ways and new impact. Give them the confidence to step out for you, God, in your name, Jesus. And the church said, amen.
If you. If you don't know Jesus, if I could have every head bowed, every eye closed, he'll change your life. He will change your life.
And if you haven't had a walk with Jesus for a while and you're back, he'll change your life, restore your first love.
The power of that cross is extraordinary. That we follow a resurrected Jesus church pray.
And it's one conversation with Jesus. We say, jesus, I want you in my heart. If that's you, I want to start 20, 25 with Jesus.
I want my life to count. It starts with sowing into Jesus. Jesus, I want you. I need you. And he's going.
Perfect. Come, come, come.
Is that you? I'll just get you to raise your hand. Yep, I see it. Hallelujah. Yep, yep.
That's you. Raise your hand. Raise your hand. I see it. Beautiful.
Raise your hand.
That's you. Raise your hand.
What a beautiful thing. You're sensing Holy Spirit. He draws you to Jesus. He draws you to Jesus. Yep, yep.
Let's praise the church. Let's praise the church. Isn't that great news? People responded to Jesus.
Let's pray with me. Pray with me. Dear Jesus, I thank you that you're my Lord and Savior. I thank you that you've called me home. I give you my life.
Forgive me for my sins. Thank you that I'm washed clean and there is no guilt, shame or condemnation. That I am loved by you and I will follow you all the days of my life. I love you, Jesus. In Jesus name, amen.
God bless you, church.
Oh, who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one. Only you, Jesus. Who else is worthy?
Who else is worthy? And there is no one. Only Jesus. There is no one. Only Jesus.
Yeah. Thank you, Pastor Frank, for sharing the word. I'm sure God has spoken into our lives this morning and let us meditate on that and just let us be. Not just hearers of the word, but doers of the word. Let us leave that out.
That word. Yeah. So thank you, Pastor Frank. And so, just so you know, Pastor Adrian, Senior Pastor Adrian Narelle are away at the moment on holidays. And Pastor Fua, our lead pastor, and Alex are away on holidays at the moment.
So if we can just, you know, keep them in our prayers, that'd be wonderful. But have a great rest of the day. Have a great week this week. We look forward to seeing you next weekend in church. If you did put up your hand and responded to Jesus this morning, there is a free Bible.
If you go to the Get Connected desk, you can grab a free Bible this morning. So we just encourage you to do that. Have a great day. Church.
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It's Time to Invest: Building a Legacy Through Daily Choices
Life is shaped by the small daily decisions we make. The choices we make today determine our direction and impact tomorrow. When we intentionally invest in our relationship with Jesus and make choices aligned with His will, He can multiply our efforts in extraordinary ways.
What Determines the Direction of Our Lives?
There are three key spiritual principles that guide the trajectory of our lives:
Honor your parents for a long, blessed life
Do not judge others, or you'll be judged similarly
You reap what you sow - both in the natural and spiritual realms
How Does the Principle of Sowing and Reaping Work?
Galatians 6:7-9 teaches us that we cannot mock God - whatever we sow, we will reap. Sowing to please our flesh leads to destruction, while sowing to please the Spirit leads to eternal life. The key is to not grow weary in doing good, because we will reap a harvest if we don't give up.
What Areas Should We Invest In?
We should evaluate and intentionally invest in several key areas (RPMs):
Relationships (with God and others)
Physical health and wellbeing
Mental and emotional health
Spiritual growth and maturity
How Does Jesus Multiply Our Investment?
When we faithfully sow into these areas, Jesus can multiply our efforts beyond what we could accomplish alone. Like the mustard seed that grows into a large tree, small acts of faithfulness can produce a harvest of 30, 60 or even 100 times what was sown.
What Practical Steps Can We Take?
Put God first in everything
Be consistent in church attendance and serving
Spend daily time with Jesus
Make intentional choices that align with God's Word
Stay accountable to others
Keep a long-term eternal perspective
Life Application
This week, take time to evaluate your current investments in relationships, physical health, mental wellbeing and spiritual growth. Score yourself from 1-10 in each area. Then ask:
Where do I need to make changes in my daily habits?
What am I currently sowing that needs to stop?
What new seeds does God want me to plant?
Who can help keep me accountable?
Remember - small, consistent steps of obedience over time lead to significant harvest. Be strong and courageous in following God's direction, knowing He is faithful to multiply what you sow for His kingdom.
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A discussion guide for the sermon can be found here.