How To Thrive In Life

“The righteous will THRIVE like a palm tree, planted in the house of the Lord.” Psalm 92:12

To thrive means to grow, develop, to prosper, to flourish or blossom … and that’s exactly what God wants for your life!

The Bible gives us two ways we can thrive:

Be Active

Jewish philosopher Martin Buber recalls: “My grandfather was lame. Once they asked him to tell a story about his teacher, and he related how his master used to hop and dance while he prayed. My grandfather rose as he spoke and was so swept away by his story that he himself began to hop and dance to show how the master had done. From that hour he was cured of his lameness.”

Sharing and involvement does something inside us. It heals us, strengthens us, changes our hearts.

Ephesians 4:16 tells us that the church (you!) will grow mature “as each part does it’s work.” You have unique gifts, talents and strengths – and if we are going to grow stronger, we need to be active.

If you want your church to feel like your true spiritual home, a place to grow and blossom, join a team, clean a floor, put some work in – it will change your heart as you do! Without it you are just a consumer, not a relative.

Be Connected

The other way to thrive is to be connected.

There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an advert in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On the Saturday, 800 “Pacos” showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

We live in a society that, like our 800 Pacos, is more lonely and disconnected than ever. Have you noticed that in a church service you might be close to people physically, but miles apart emotionally?

Psalm 92:12 says, “The righteous will THRIVE like a palm tree, planted in the house of the Lord.” To be planted you need to allow your roots to go down deep into real friendships. Do you have real, close friends in your church family? If not, then now is the time to dig in deeper.

Do this by joining a small group or being in a small team. I love meeting with my group of around 16 friends, to eat, laugh, talk, plan and pray together. It’s not enough for me to be in large meetings – I have to let myself be rooted in friendships.

Life is better lived in circles than rows. Crowds who sit in rows in auditoriums must become circles of friends around meal tables. It’s how we are designed to be rooted.

I heard someone say, “People don’t want to go to a friendly church – they want friends.” In other words, it’s about real friendships, not just bigger smiles from Stewards or organised pastoral care teams. We need to take time to build some friendships, and we will thrive!

Doing and connecting – both will help you thrive in life.

I declare today that I will flourish like the palm tree (Psalm 92:12). Because I am rooted in Christ, and planted in His house—the Church—I am destined to thrive.

I will not wither—I will flourish. I will not be stagnant—I will grow. Just as the palm tree bends but does not break, I may face storms, but I will rise again—stronger, taller, and rooted. My life is connected to His purpose, and my roots go deep into the soil of truth. I will bear fruit in every season, because I dwell in the house of the Lord.

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THE CHURCH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
How is God innovating in this new era?

Saturday 24th May 2025

Jarrod and other guests will be teaching, dreaming and analysing the new innovations, prophecies, methods, dangers and harvest opportunities that have arisen since 2020

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