So, I was working in our plot in the church's community garden and I had three ideas for Everyday Sermons come to me quickfire within about a minute or two.  I know I won't get something to share everyday, but I decided I should share things that come to me when they come to me to keep the experience fresh in my mind.  Without further ado, here is sermon #1.

On of the things we did today at the garden was to put the tomatoes in cages to keep them growing straight. As I was doing this, I thought about how we sometimes put ourselves in cages.  This can come in many forms, but I think the most common is defining ourselves by what we do or what we aspire to be.  For example, in high school we may define ourselves as jocks or cheerleaders.  In adult life, we may define ourselves by our career or what we do after work.  Like tomato plants, these definitions can give us room to grow straight, but they also restrain us.

Earlier this week I wrote about how sometimes we resist God when we are told to go places where we are uncomfortable.  In these situations, God is telling us to break free of the restraining definitions we give ourselves.  When we tell ourselves we are only comfortable in a few select situations we are limiting the experiences that can help us grow emotionally and spiritually.  For example, when we tell ourselves we are only comfortable around other Christians and practicing strictly Christian teachings, we can miss out on spiritual practices originated in other religions, like meditation.  To become a well rounded person, we must break out of our cages to avoid growing in only one direction.

This then is my challenge and encouragement.  Break free of your cage and dive into situations where you feel uncomfortable to grow as a person and to grow spiritually.