Transplant

Leah Cast

Description

Through his love and grace, God has transplanted us from the bondage of our past to the freedom of new spiritual life with him. But how do we remain rooted, growing and flourishing in our relationship with God? Transplant will guide you through 30 Bible principles needed to have a prosperous life with the Lord. This weekly devotional and prayer guide covers topics to help you thrive as a believer, including foundational Biblical truths, identity in Christ, producing spiritual fruit and maturing in your purpose. Transplant integrates thoughtfully curated visual imagery with storytelling and detailed scriptural study to partner with you on your journey of growing and prospering with God. Artfully designed to provide a beautiful reading experience, Transplant features 35+ full-color images of modern photography, making it the perfect addition to your coffee table or library.  

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Personal Growth
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Devotional
• Devotion

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 26 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977264343
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

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Transplant Bible Principles to Grow & Prosper with God All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2023 Leah Cast v4.0
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
ISBN: 978-1-9772-6434-3
Cover Photo © 2023 Javeon Butler. All rights reserved - used with permission. Cover Design © 2023 Sarah Shaw. All rights reserved - used with permission. Interior Photos © 2023 Javeon Butler, Jana Bishop and Shutterstock.com. All rights reserved - used with permission.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com . The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scriptures marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
All Hebrew and Greek words and word meanings, unless otherwise noted, are cited from The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Red Letter Edition.
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ whose love and guidance made this project possible. I’d like to thank my husband (Dustin), children (Summer, Dustin II and Ari), family and friends for their support during the process of writing this book.
Special thanks goes to this project’s feature photographer, Javeon Butler.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SECTION I: ROOTS
FAITH
REVERENCE & HUMILITY
OBEDIENCE
WISDOM
GRATITUDE
REPENTANCE
SECTION II: NEW LIFE
IDENTITY IN CHRIST
AUTHORITY & BOLDNESS
PRAYER
TESTIMONY
RELATIONSHIPS
FORGIVENESS
WORDS OF LIFE
PRAISE & WORSHIP
SECTION III: FRUIT
PRODUCING FRUIT
LOVE
JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
GENTLENESS
GOODNESS & FAITHFULNESS
TEMPERANCE
MEEKNESS
GIVING
SECTION IV: MATURATION
NEW LEVELS
SPIRITUAL BATTLE
UNITY
INTIMACY
REVELATION
NEVER STOP GROWING
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION

For as long as I can remember, my mother has loved to spend time in her garden. As a kid, I was more concerned with doing cartwheels in the yard than developing a green thumb, but I did take notice of how dedicated my mother was to the success of each plant. Every year she would treat the soil and transplant flowers from one side of the yard to the next, taking pleasure in how well they grew from season to season.
Not too long ago, I visited my mom only to find her faithfully transplanting a group of flowers in the front yard. I asked her why she needed to move them, and she told me this particular set of flowers wasn’t growing well in its previous location. She said moving them to better soil and sunlight conditions would help them live. It would cause them to have a larger, more beautiful bloom, and ensure they would produce the following year.
As I thought about this, I began to see God’s love in the way my mother cared for her plants. As she dug out a space for each of them, I thought about how God has so intentionally dug out a special place for each of his children. We are his transplants.
Through his love and grace, God transplants us. He moves us from the bondage of sin into the freedom of his salvation. He gives us access to new spiritual life and an opportunity to grow and prosper. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) says, "…Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
The blessing of new life in Christ is available to all who believe. But being transplanted alone doesn’t ensure a plant remains healthy and lives up to its potential, especially if it doesn’t receive proper care or resists its new environment. Similarly, we can stunt our spiritual growth by resisting the nurturing God provides us.
To be a successful transplant, one must take root. Roots are the strength of a plant because they absorb the water and nutrients a plant needs to survive. For us, being rooted spiritually involves having a solid foundation in Biblical principles and a proper perspective of our relationship with the Creator.
Once a plant is rooted in its new environment, the makeup of the soil should impact the makeup of the plant. What once was an unhealthy, dying plant can now identify as a healthy, living plant. As the Lord’s transplants, our new identity is found in Jesus. His words and example are the nutrients we need to absorb, and they should change our makeup.
As plants grow, they should eventually bear fruit consistent with their identity and purpose. What started as small as a seed can become as steadfast and bountiful as a tree. As we grow and mature as children of God, we too can bear fruit and prosper. Psalm 1:3 (NLT) says those who follow God "are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."
My goal for this book is to provide you with a weekly guide to focus your heart on the privilege and greatness of life with God. A place to intentionally devote yourself to remaining planted in Jesus Christ through scripture and prayer. As you read these pages, my hope is that these words will help you in some way along your journey of rooting, growing, and prospering with the Lord!
SECTION I:
ROOTS
WEEK 1:
FAITH

"We can be confident because we live based on the truth of what we believe rather than what we see around us."
During a day of first grade homeschool with my daughter Summer, I asked her: "What do you think it means to have faith?" She thought about it briefly, then replied in a matter-of-fact tone: "That God is with me. That he’ll protect me, and that I’m never alone."
Her understanding at her age always makes me smile. And while her answer seemed simple at first, it so clearly brought to light the essence of genuine faith. She believes God is with her, therefore, she knows she is never alone. Her faith in God is the root of her understanding of self and how she interacts in the world. Her belief in God’s word as truth is a foundation that breeds a spiritual view on life rather than a natural one.
Roots are foundations that support everything else that is built. Spiritually, our "roots" begin with faith. Our first step toward spiritual life and growth is accepting God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) adds: "Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence."
Christ and his powerful sacrifice for us provide access to salvation and relationship with our heavenly Father. But faith also sustains us through the journey. It is the center of our hope, strength, and perseverance. The Bible says we are encouraged when we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV). In other words, we can be confident because we live based on the truth of what we believe rather than what we see around us.
In nature, roots anchor a plant to its nutrient source and prevent it from being washed away during a storm or heavy rain. In a similar way, faith anchors us to the Lord. Think of Peter when he saw Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14. Because Peter believed, he was able to walk on water, too. His first steps toward Jesus were accomplished by faith. However, when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, and instead began focusing on the strong winds and waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He lost faith partway through the journey and let doubt take over.
Like Peter, our faith will be tested by the winds and waves of life. But we serve a powerful God! If we keep our eyes on him, our faith can keep us anchored. James 1:2-3 (NLT) says, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."
BACKGROUND
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) describes faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The Amplified Bible adds that "faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses." At the root of our faith,