Good morning and Happy New Year!  We pulled into the driveway at 12:01 AM (3:01 EST)  after our flight from Atlanta.  I had every intention of sleeping-in this morning as Zac is preaching, but I am awake, so let’s get busy.

I listened to a John Piper talk recently about Jonathan Edwards.  He said that Edwards methodically tore every page out of a Bible so that he could insert blank pages between each Bible page for notes.  Edwards would be very jealous of our computers and the ability to cut and paste.  I am going to try to create my own Edwards Bible as a Word doc.

Just a note about our journey:  My plan is to share primarily what I am hearing from God in regard to application and not so much a discussion/debate about technical issues of interpretation (though I imagine these will come up from time to time).

The theme of today’s reading seems to be fruitfulness.  In Gen. 1:22 God told the animals he created to be fruitful.  In Gen. 1:28 He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful.  In Psalm 1:3 we read about the Godly person who yields his or her fruit in season.  God calls His children to be fruitful.  So, what does a fruitful life look like?  I believe the fruit is…

1. Internal – The Fruit of  the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). 

2. External – Saving lost souls

3. Eternal – John 15:16 (NIV)  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. 

I am definitely not content with my current fruitfulness.  This is a big prayer of mine for 2012.  How would you evaluate your level of fruitfulness?  Are you most lacking in internal or external fruit?

Fruitfulness comes by abiding in the vine Jesus Christ (John 15:5).  Saturating ourselves with His Word is an important part of abiding.  We are off to a good start.

How did God speak to you through today’s reading?