MONDAY MOTIVATION
JOIN PASTOR GUY EVERY MONDAY FOR BIBLICAL ENCOURAGEMENT, INSPIRATION & INSIGHT
![](https://www.cvgrace.com/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_1597-900x900.jpg)
Welcome to Monday Motivation—a devotional blog to keep you encouraged throughout the week! My name is Pastor Guy Deckard and I am incredibly excited for you to join in every Monday.
Below, you will find the most recent Monday Motivation post and if you continue scrolling, you will find an archive of blog posts by date. If you’d like to get a better understanding as to how this blog came about, click HERE to read the first Monday Motivation post.
I invite you to follow along with me every Monday! And if you would like to dive even deeper into your study of God’s Word, purchase the same daily study that this blog is based, just click HERE.
#mondaymotivation
Mystery Garden
Mystery Garden
From the March 18th reading
What is in your garden? What tools has God placed in your hands? Read here to discover God’s plan for our lives.
SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 3:7-8
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. (NIV)
OBSERVATIONS:
- It is not the workers who produce a crop – it is God
- One person’s job is to plant
- Another person’s job is to water
- They both will be rewarded for their labor.
APPLICATION:
- We all need to be either planting seeds or watering
- Evangelizing
- Or Discipling / Encouraging / Mentoring
- It is God who works in the hearts of people
- We will be rewarded for all that we do to make disciples
MOTIVATION:
I remember many years ago when we bought our first house. We were so excited and couldn’t wait to get our young family of six moved in. We had shopped for months, and God led us to just the right house. Shortly after moving in I discovered a small garden on the side of the house that had already been planted. It was a winter garden. I had never planted a winter garden, and didn’t recognize all of the plants. So I began to weed it, and to water it each day. I love to see things grow, and was excited to see what kind of vegetables had been planted here. There was one plant that I had guessed was spinach, and I had picked off and ate a few of the leaves while waiting for them to fully grow. One day I realized that these were not spinach plants, but were in fact broccoli plants. After getting over feeling foolish, I couldn’t wait to try our home grown broccoli. The day finally came. I cut off several heads of broccoli. They were so deep, rich, and green in color. I had never seen broccoli like this in the store. Shelli cooked them up for us, and they were by far the best broccoli I had ever eaten. Store bought broccoli has never even come close since.
This story of my gardening skills, illustrates this passage for us … I hope! I didn’t plant this garden. I didn’t dig up the soil, mix in fertilizer, or even plant the seeds. All I did was water and pull a few of the weeds. One of us planted, and the other watered, but we did not make these beautiful green plants grow.
The same is true when it comes to making disciples. It is much like planting a seed and watching it grow. One person many times shares the gospel, and another comes along to encourage and nurture that new believer to maturity in Christ. But it is the Lord who produces the results.
One author says this about this passage in 1 Corinthians 3: Apollos and Paul were given their ministries by Christ (Eph. 4:11). They were the means, not the cause, whereby the Corinthians believed (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4–5). God alone produced results. God made the seed grow (3:6). Therefore God alone should get the credit (v. 7). As servants, Paul and Apollos were not competing against each other but were complementing each other’s ministries (v. 8). Their purpose was to bring the church to maturity, to Christlikeness (Eph. 4:12–13). In accord with their faithfulness to that task would come their reward (cf. 1 Cor. 4:2–5). For though a minister served the church he was basically responsible to God. Paul and Apollos were fellow workers who belonged to God and worked for Him in His field, the church (3:9).
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 511)]
God assigns some of us the task of evangelizing. All of us are commanded to do it (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts. 1:8), but for some of us it comes more naturally. Then, there are those who are spiritually wired to disciple, coach, and mentor. Each play an important part in the task of “making disciples”, and one is not more important than the other.
Warren Wiersbe says this, “The work of the pastor is to help the church grow spiritually and mature in the Lord. This is done by the steady, balanced ministry of the Word. Ephesians 4:1–16 explains how this is done: It is necessary for each member of the body to make his own contribution. God gives spiritual gifts to His people, and then He gives these gifted people to the various churches to build up the saints. As the believers grow, they build the church.”
[Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 578)]
It is exciting to realize that we all have a part to play in God’s major plan for building His Kingdom. We aren’t all called to do the same thing, but we have all been strategically gifted by His Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-11). This shouldn’t be seen as a burden, but a privilege. We have been given a purpose in this life that is far greater than our career, our income, or our portfolio.
Paul continues with these important instructions, “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (NIV) We have been given a purpose, a reason for living, and one that will be rewarded. We are co-workers in God’s massive plantation – some of us planting, others watering, and some even weeding.
So, whether you have a rake or a shovel in your hands, God has given you a purpose for your life. He has given you a role to play. What is your role? What has God specifically designed for you to do? What is your God-given purpose?
Just dig in and watch what God does! It’s pretty amazing!
PRAYER:
Ask God to show you clearly His purpose for your life. If you need direction see your pastor or someone that you trust. Seek it out, and try it on for size!
If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com
Devotionals by Date
January 2018
MONDAY MOTIVATION INTRODUCTION
THE GREAT SHEPHERD
January 1, 2018
THE GREAT PLANNER
January 8, 2018
PROTECTING YOUR ROOTS
January 15, 2018
FACING YOUR GIANTS
January 22, 2018
February 2018
PLEASE STAND
February 5, 2018
BE A GAME CHANGER
February 12, 2018
FINISH STRONG
February 19, 2018
STRETCHER BEARERS
February 26, 2018
March 2018
DIGGING YOUR WAY OUT
March 5, 2018
REAL PEARLS
March 12, 2018
HIDDEN IDENTITY
March 19, 2018
MYSTERY GARDEN
March 26, 2018
April 2018
THE TEST!
April 2, 2018
PASS IT ON!
April 9, 2018
CRACKED POTS!
April 16, 2018
LAY THEM DOWN!
April 23, 2018
LETTING GO
April 30, 2018
May 2018
IDOL WORSHIP OR IDLE WORSHIP?
May 7, 2018
WATCH AND PRAY!
May 14, 2018
DON’T SAY GOODBYE
May 21, 2018
TRAPPED
May 28, 2018
June 2018
GOT A MATCH?
June 4, 2018
CHOSEN?
June 11, 2018
I’M THIRD!
June 18, 2018
CHANGED LIVES MATTER
June 25, 2018
July 2018
MADE FOR MORE THAN THIS
July 2, 2018
SET FREE!
July 9, 2018
HEAVENLY PLACES July 15, 2018
LOOKING IN THE MIRROR
July 2, 2018
NO SURPRISES HERE
July 2, 2018
August 2018
INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED
August 6, 2018
THE PEOPLE PLEASER
August 13, 2018
ONE CHURCH
August 20, 2018
BROTHERLY LOVE
August 27, 2018
September 2018
NEWLYWEDS!
September 3, 2018
WHEN GOD SPANKS US!
September 10, 2018
TAKING A STAND
September 17, 2018
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
September 24, 2018
October 2018
FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY
October 1, 2018
STAND YOUR GROUND!
October 8, 2018
FAITH UNDER FIRE
October 15, 2018
HOMELESS FOR A DAY
October 22, 2018
November 2018
A HEAVENLY MARRIAGE?
November 5, 2018
HOLY SMOKE!
November 12, 2018
MIRROR, MIRROR…
November 19, 2018
SECRET AGENT
November 26, 2018
December 2018