THE TAKEAWAY:

Don’t get boastful about your Christian upbringing because only God can ensure you grow

MESSAGE:

Which Hogwarts house are you? If you choose Hufflepuff, you are kind and hardworking, but you are prone to trusting too easily. Gryffindors should not date Ravenclaws because their ambitions do not align. Slytherins have a leadership style that is cunning and crafty, but their people skills are more introverted, while Gryffindors are extroverted. What does this mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. A psychologist noted that aligning yourself with a Harry Potter house is a self-fulfilling prophecy, meaning you are tricking yourself into fitting into the house’s rules just by identifying with it. But then again, that sounds like something a Ravenclaw would say.

When Jesus resurrected from the dead, commanding the twelve disciples to spread the good news of his victory over death, I bet he was thinking, “I really hope each one of the twelve teaches my ways differently, leading to pride and tribalism over who has the better spiritual upbringing. That will really bring my vision together.”

That is what happened, though. The church of Corinth took pride in its spiritual mentors, as if they had chosen the superior Hogwarts House. The followers of Paul bragged that they were getting the most authentic salvation and instruction, while the followers of Apollos gloated over their premium Christian education. Some of the church cut out the middle man and got their organic, artisanal, farm-to-table spirituality from Jesus himself.

Paul makes it very clear that individual planters and waterers are not the sole determinants of a church’s future. In reality, it takes multiple influences to shape the church’s growth and development. Sometimes, you may be the planter, introducing the idea of Jesus into someone’s life. At other times, you could be the waterer, helping those seeds grow through teaching and meaningful conversations. It’s important to have a variety of planters and waterers in your life to experience the full spectrum of God’s influence. Some planters will help you understand Christ’s patience, while others will demonstrate God’s justice. Some waterers will provide you with the assurance of salvation, while others will challenge you to love your neighbors. If you’re concerned about finding the right planter or waterer, remember that God is in control of your growth. Neither the planter nor the waterer has the ultimate power over it; only God, who desires to see you flourish, has that control.

FIGURE IT OUT:

6 I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. 1 Cor 3:6-9

  1. Circle some keywords or phrases that are significant to you. What makes them important?
  2. What is the flaw in glamorizing one Christian influence over another?
  3. Why shouldn’t we worry or boast about our upbringing?
  4. What parts of your walk could use a different waterer or planter (for perspective)?

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