EMPOWERED YOUTH FOR A FRUITFUL LIVING 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Meaning of Empower : – give someone the authority or power to do something

HOW DOES A YOUTH BE EMPOWERED? 1.Through his knowledge of the word of God. 2.Through his understanding of the word of GOD. 3.Through his obedience of the word of God.

So our knowledge of the word and our obedience will lead us to a life of power and victory.

Hoseah 4:6 “My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge

YOUTH – is the time of life when one is young, but often means the time between childhood and adulthood (maturity). – It is also defined as “the appearance, freshness, and vigor, characteristic of one who is young.

YOUTH – is the stage of constructing the self concept. – The self concept of youth is influenced by several variables such as peers, lifestyle, gender and culture. – It is the time of a person’s life in which they make choices which will affect their future.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN? The Bible often uses the image of fruit to describe the produce of our lives. Fruit can be either good or bad

Ro. 7:5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, [Or the flesh]; the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

Fruit is the direct result of whatever controls our hearts – Matthew 15:19 - For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matthew 15:19

Galatians 5:19–21. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19–21

Sexual immorality Impurity lust witchcraft Hatred Jealousy discord drunkenness idolatry pride Gal. 5:19-21 factionsorgies Diss ention Self ambition debauchery

dis·sen·sion -disagreement that leads to discord: or·gy - a wild party, especially one involving excessive drinking and unrestrained sexual activity: de·bauch·er·y - excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures Fits of rage – violent anger

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ”

loveJoy Kindness Patience Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self Control Peace But the fruit of the spirit is… Gal. 5:22

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MEET FOR FRUITFULNESS Mark 4:26-4: He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MEET FOR FRUITFULNESS 1.SEEDS MUST BE SOWN – It doesn’t matter how good your ground is, – it doesn’t matter how much you might water, weed, and fertilize it, – if you don’t put down the seed, it’s not going to happen. – it doesn’t matter how good your seed is, if it’s not put to the ground, it’s not going to happen.

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MEET FOR FRUITFULNESS 2.TIME MUST ELAPSE - V.27 Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. read more » Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. read more » Everything in life works under the principle of seed, time, and harvest. Most often the wait time is not us waiting for God to act, but it is God waiting for us to get into position so that the harvest will be a blessing and not a curse to our lives.

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MEET FOR FRUITFULNESS 3.A MIRACULOUS PROCESS - V Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MEET FOR FRUITFULNESS When the good seed gets into the good ground, it just happens! The seed is the word of God, You get the word of God in you to the point that it gets down in your soul and becomes a part of you, and something miraculous is going to happen. You are going to sprout, grow, and bring forth fruit!

There are many ways Christians can be fruitful. True fruitfulness begins in the heart with the fruit of the Spirit. That inner fruit affects outward actions; our words and our activities will glorify the Lord, and God’s will is accomplished.

God’s desire is to transform us into the image of Christ and make us as fruitful as He was.

The result of spiritual fruitfulness is that God is glorified, we grow, and others come to know Christ—this is the ultimate fruitfulness for a child of God