Blog

• blogIRSM
• guestwritter
• BearFruit
• GrowthandHarvest

Written by Kat Bittner, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

Growth is a natural expectation of life. Whether we are talking about a plant, a tree, the physical body, or a spiritual walk, healthy growth requires consistent nourishment. One of the most essential elements for growth is water. Without it, even the strongest seed or healthiest vine will struggle to survive. The same principle applies to our relationship with God.

In Ezekiel 19:10, the prophet proclaims, "Your mother was like a vine planted by the water's edge. It had lush, green foliage because of the abundant water." (NLT)

This beautiful image reminds us that fruitfulness is connected to a reliable water source. The vine did not become fruitful on its own. It flourished because it was planted where it could continually receive the water needed to sustain life and growth.

Anyone who has cared for a garden understands the importance of water. Even if planted in good soil, without water, a garden cannot develop roots, produce leaves, or bear fruit. Water feeds the life within a plant and enables it to become what it was created to be.

The same is true for us as Christians. We want a stronger faith, greater wisdom, better relationships, and a deeper purpose in life. We want to become what we were created to be. Yet growth does not happen simply because we want it. We need to be fed and nurtured continually. Like the vine in Ezekiel, we must remain connected to a source that continually nourishes us. God never intended for us to survive on occasional inspiration. He calls us into a daily relationship where His presence refreshes, strengthens, and transforms us over time.

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He shifted the conversation from physical water to a much deeper need. In John 4:13-14, Jesus said, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Spiritual growth is not an overnight transformation. Rather, it is a lifelong journey of being nourished by Christ, our Living Water, on a regular basis. Just as a vine planted by abundant waters grows strong, fruitful, and resilient, we too become spiritually healthy when we remain connected to Jesus. Through regular study of God's Word, prayer, worship, and the guidance of trusted spiritual mentors, God gradually shapes our character, deepens our faith, and equips us for His purposes.

When we intentionally seek Christ each day, we can trust that He will provide the nourishment we need for every season. There will be seasons of rapid growth and seasons where growth seems stagnant. The key is to stay planted near the source of water. When we remain rooted in Jesus and open to His teaching, growth becomes the natural result of a life continually refreshed by the Living Water. And He is the source of water that never runs dry.

This message of spiritual growth can be beautifully summarized by Psalm 1:2-3: "But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

The woman at the well delighted in what Jesus told her and asked to be given this water so that she’d “never be thirsty again” (John 4:15). Never thirst again. Like the plant which remains embedded in the water, we will never be thirsty if we are continually fixed on Jesus. We will flourish in the source of living water, Jesus.

What will you do to be nourished by the Living Water? How can you have lasting growth?

• guestwriter
• blogIRSM
• BearFruit
• GrowthandHarvest

Written by Ayane Nayara, Brazil Assistant with Iron Rose Sister Ministries

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 NIV)

The word "hyperfocus" describes the act of devoting your full attention to something for an extended period. It is when we find something that feels exactly right to do at a given moment, and we become so focused and determined to complete it that we even forget to eat. In that moment, it is our source of delight; nothing else matters. We even neglect our basic needs.

In the John 4 text, we read about the moment Jesus meets the Samaritan woman. As mentioned in the text, Samaritans and Jews did not get along (Jesus was a Jew; the woman, a Samaritan). When the disciples find them talking, they find it quite strange, but they do not question it.

From the beginning of the Gospel of John, we see Jesus in action. He is described as the Word in action. Before reaching chapter 4, we see a series of encounters He had with certain people—encounters that bore fruit.

Christ came into the world with a very clear mission: to preach the Word of God and bring the message of the hope of salvation to all peoples.

You see, the Samaritan woman was not someone who did not know God; on the contrary, she was awaiting the arrival of the Messiah, expecting Him to come and explain the true nature of worship. Yet, her hope for salvation was being undermined by those who ought to have brought that very hope to her—in the eyes of the Jews, she was condemned and not even considered part of God’s people. (The Samaritans originated from a history of Israelites intermixing with other peoples, leading the Jews to reject them as God's people. On top of this, differences in religious practices fueled tension between the two groups.)

In this encounter, we see Jesus fulfilling His mission—restoring that woman's hope. He was not concerned with whether lunchtime had already passed or whether she would serve Him the water; what we see here is an intentional act of drawing near and touching her life.

That was Jesus’s hyperfocus: bearing fruit. That was what He fed His Spirit with—fulfilling the mission to which He had been appointed.

God has also called us to a great mission—to be salt and light in this world. This entails presenting the Gospel message to those who do not know it, restoring hope to those deemed unworthy of salvation through the message of the cross, and living in love with His people—the church.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where attention to one's own needs often takes precedence over others. There is constant talk of high performance—of how YOU can achieve YOUR goals and YOUR objectives—yet we often overlook the true value of the fruit we bear. While we race after things that will remain in this life, Christ calls us to a mission that yields eternal fruit—our own spiritual growth and the rescue of the lost.

I am not suggesting that we stop eating or forget about the life we ​​live here. Rather, I am urging us to reflect on what our priorities have been as we live as people who have decided to follow the Master’s call.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Col 3:1-2)

We need only look around us to see people who do not yet know the Savior—people who have heard of Him but have not been fully taught, and those who need to encounter the Jesus who is the source of living water, full of grace and mercy for those whom others condemn as unworthy of His word.

We have a Spirit within us which feeds on the practice of God’s justice—the same Spirit that dwelt in Christ (John 1:32–33) and found fulfillment in doing the Father’s will. The Spirit hungers and thirsts for this action, and God has promised to satisfy us (Matt 5:6).

The disciples were surprised by Jesus’s action because they saw only an unworthy woman, but Jesus saw soil ready to receive the seed of the Gospel and be watered by living water. He saw in that moment yet another fulfillment of His mission—not merely a task checked off a list, but fruit ready to be produced.

And what about us? Where are we nourishing our spirit? Where is our hyperfocus directed?