Greenhouse Not Graveyard: Nurturing Emerging Callings in Church

Because he didn't crush me, I won't crush others. Because he raised me, I will raise others. And because grace carries me, grace will throw flow through me. Friends, we will not be a church that buries callings. We will be a church that births them. We will not be a graveyard, we will be a greenhouse. We will not be a burial ground, we will be a birthing room. A place where gifts awaken, where callings flourish, and sons and daughters will rise in Jesus name to proclaim the message of the cross to this community and beyond. [01:54:19] (55 seconds)  #GreenhouseNotGraveyard

What looks unfinished to you may be under construction by the Holy Spirit. Don't call dead what God is still breathing on. And I I really feel this in my spirit today that somebody here, somebody this morning has been condemning themselves because you are still in progress. And I wanna I wanna encourage you today and hear the word of the Lord for your life today that in Jesus' name, God is not finished with you yet. [01:51:57] (30 seconds)  #WorkInProgressByGod

Excellence without patience becomes control. And control suffocates what God is doing and trying to grow. Excellence should refine a calling, not strangle one. And some people need room to grow. They need room to learn. They need room to miss a note. They need room to miss a point. They need room to develop. Because that's how excellence is achieved and that's how maturity begins to grow. [01:39:10] (46 seconds)  #RefineDontStrangle

Had God cancelled you and I at our first failure, where would you be? If God had abandoned you in immaturity, where would you be? But he didn't. He didn't. He kept working. He kept correcting. He kept shaping, forgiving, pursuing, refining, restoring. My God, your God, he stayed with you the whole way. [01:47:05] (42 seconds)  #GodKeptWorking

You see God did not save us as a finished product. He saved you and I as a project of grace. And if God has been patient with your becoming, how can we be impatient with someone else's becoming? If God gives us room, then give somebody else room too. If God made space for your growth, make space for somebody else's growth. [01:47:47] (43 seconds)  #ProjectOfGrace

The next preacher may be sitting quietly in this room right now. The next missionary may not even know it yet. The next worship leader may still be sitting here wondering, can I do that? They don't need crushing. They don't need crushing. They need calling. Somebody's destiny may be waiting on your encouragement. And I say Lord, this is my prayer, help us not to have jealous spirits, but raise up Barnabas spirits among us. [01:36:42] (61 seconds)  #RaiseBarnabasSpirits

The church must be a place where the seed, the callings can grow and mature much like a greenhouse would allow a seed to grow protection in the right environment. Have you ever looked at a greenhouse? It's fascinating. The church should be a greenhouse and not a graveyard. The church should be a greenhouse, not a graveyard for gifts. A place where callings flourish, where gifts are nurtured, protected, and released. [01:41:21] (50 seconds)  #GreenhouseForGifts

Listen, immature people compete, Kingdom people cultivate. And some people feel threatened by emerging gifts but Barnabas, we see here, felt responsible for them. Friends, I say this today to encourage you that the church of Jesus Christ needs more Barnabas'. We need less territorialism, less insecurity, less gatekeeping, and more followers of Jesus saying, I see grace in your life, and start calling it out of people. [01:33:13] (55 seconds)  #KingdomCultivate