Dear LifeSpring family,
Jerry and I are currently at our Power to Change Staff Conference at Redeemer University. It has been a week of worshipping, celebration, and learning with our Power to Change family of over 400 people. As I processed everything that was shared this week, two main things resonated with my heart, and both are connected with fruitfulness.
Firstly, Brad, with whom we celebrated 50 years with Power to Change shared: “Father God is more concerned about our hearts and identity than our work”.
Secondly, our President, Darren Young, shared a verse that spoke of heart, faith, and lasting fruit.
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”
Hebrews 11:4, ESV
The bible doesn’t record much about Abel other than that he was a shepherd and that he offered a “more acceptable sacrifice than Cain“. Why was it more acceptable than Cain’s? In essence, Abel’s heart was sincere towards God and therefore, “though he dies, he still speaks.” Lasting fruit doesn’t necessarily depend on our labor or strife, but on our heart. Many of us may feel that we are insignificant in God’s kingdom and wonder whether we will leave a legacy of lasting fruit. I was encouraged that God simply wants intimacy and for our hearts to be healthy. Intimacy with Abba God will produce lasting fruit when we obey the Holy Spirit.