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Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 

“No, you don’t have to truly die to all of your old life…” “You can just give God this one area of your life and hold back the others…”  

If the enemy can keep us deceived and distracted, our growth is stunted. We are cut off from the True Vine, and we no longer bear fruit.  

God longs to bring about growth in our lives, but the growth must begin with death. Those who have been united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection through baptism, have accepted the gracious gift of new life in Him (Ro 6:1-4).  

As with a seed, our spiritual walk begins with death. 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (Jn 12:24). 

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? (Lk 9:23-25) 

The “daily” facet of Jesus’ invitation is a challenge for me. Do I daily die to myself, my needs and desires, to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness? What excuses do I allow to derail me from my primary purpose to remain in the Vine, to love God and love others? 

Using one of my mom’s favorite words, there is a “plethora” of excuses or lies I accept. I allow them to become hindrances to my own growth and the process of fruit bearing. Today, we are going to call out some familiar lies or excuses and replace them with truth. 

To do so, we will use a Lie/Truth Chart from Who Has the Last Word? Cutting through Satan’s Lies with the Truth of God’s Word. First, we Recognize the Lie in our own words. Then, we Replace that Lie with Truth, again, in our own words. These are the first two columns. The last column is for Remembering the Truth through a specific Bible verse or passage of Scripture. 

The examples I have listed barely scratch the surface of the excuses the devil uses to deter us from Kingdom work and Kingdom blessings. In Christ, we can put all the accuser’s lies to death—the kind of death that brings life and later bears fruit. 

What excuses does the accuser bring to your mind that you want to replace with truth? What lie does he use to invade your thoughts and distract you from bearing fruit? 

The examples I have listed barely scratch the surface of the excuses the devil uses to deter us from Kingdom work and Kingdom blessings. In Christ, we can put all the accuser’s lies to death—the kind of death that brings life and later bears fruit. 

What excuses does the accuser bring to your mind that you want to replace with truth? What lie does he use to invade your thoughts and distract you from bearing fruit?

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Written by Luzia Casali, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

When I was a teenager, I was extremely impulsive. Impatient. I wanted everything done yesterday. Toward the end of high school, my father gave me something to think about:

"Luzia, it takes a hen 21 days to hatch an egg at a temperature of 98.6°. What would happen if I raised the temperature to 120°?"

I replied, "The egg would cook; there would be no chick."

He asked again, "What if I took the egg away from the hen after 15 days?"

I answered, "The chick wouldn't be ready."

The moral of the story: In life, there is a right time for a task to be completed—neither sooner nor later.

Just as I had an earthly father who gave good advice, we have a Heavenly Father who guides us in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

He is the One who holds the plans for each of us. These plans cover every area of our lives and unfold according to His timing.

Discipleship training is one of those. We need to pray and trust God throughout the process.

The Bible gives us an example of someone who tried to remove the egg before the chick was ready and suffered the consequences.

Let’s consider the case of Sarai in Genesis 16. God had made three promises to Abram in Genesis 13: a son, the land, and the Descendant. It was God Himself who made the promise, stating that Sarai would have a son. Feeling that the process was taking too long, she took matters into her own hands. She offered her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to Abram, and Hagar conceived. Believing herself superior to her mistress because she was able to get pregnant, Hagar began to look down on Sarai. Sarai, feeling disrespected, began to mistreat Hagar—with Abram’s consent. Unable to bear the pressure, Hagar fled into the desert (pregnant, without food or water). However, our merciful God intervened and sent an angel who told her to return and submit to Sarai. Yet, He instructed Hagar to name her son Ishmael—which means "God hears"—and prophesied that he would be a rebellious and independent man, constantly in conflict with others.

The Ishmaelites were, in fact, a contentious people, living in constant hostility toward all their brethren (Ge 25:17–18).

They were nomadic traders who even dealt in slaves. We must not forget that it was the Ishmaelites who bought Joseph from his brothers (Ge 37:28).

Although Sarai took the egg before it hatched, God honored the promise He had given to Abram. Nevertheless, consequences followed—specifically, the Ishmaelites' conflict with other peoples. Yet God did not change His plans; He fulfilled the promise made to Abram: Isaac (the son), Israel (the nation), and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Descendant).

Likewise, we cannot rush the training of disciples. There is a right time for each one to mature in faith and bear fruit. We must always bring disciples, their studies, and their quality time with the Father before the Throne of God.

If we remove the egg too soon—fail to allow sufficient time for the disciple to be prepared for work in the Church—there can be various consequences. Here are a few of them:

• Burnout and Frustration: The disciple faces responsibilities without the means to handle them, leading to stress, frustration, and discouragement—failing to disciple others and, in the worst-case scenario, an abandonment of the faith.
• Division and Conflict: Immaturity and/or a lack of proper knowledge can lead to hasty decisions or unwise use of the Word, causing friction within the congregation.
• Departure from Sound Doctrine: Without adequate knowledge, the disciple may compromise the preaching of the pure Word.
• Wounds within the Congregation: Unprepared individuals can emotionally hurt other members due to a lack of discernment or psychological and/or spiritual preparation.

Just as God had plans to send the Savior—plans that were not obstructed—we must realize that making disciples is part of God's plan: training them to make other disciples (Mt 28:19–20) and trusting that He is the One who brings the growth (1Co 3:6). We cannot try to take matters into our own hands as Sarai did because there will be consequences.

My comfort lies in knowing that, just as God did not change His plans to send the Savior, He will not change His plans for the Word to be preached.

May God bless us.