C3 Encounters 2012 - Day 3 (Session I) - Pastor Chris Pringle

Note: Day 3 of C3 Encounters 2012 consisted of 5 sessions of teaching from 4 pastors. Pastor Chris Pringle took the first and third sessions. Pastor Pat Ancliff took the second session, Pastor Simon McIntyre the fourth and Pastor Phil Pringle closed the conference in the fifth session. I will blog about each session in separate blogs.

Pastor Chris Pringle – At the Scent of Water

Pastor Chris started off by saying, “We were never meant to do this journey (Christian walk) alone ever.”

Then she began to expound on the essence of a seed. Everything begins with a small seed and though we may not see it, the tree is in the seed, the complete DNA of any future situation is already contained in the seed.

The secret of the seed is to plant it and allow it to stay in the ground, it first dies and then it comes to life, sprouting then growing into a tree, with branches, bring forth fruit and so on.

However, it is important we leave the seed in the ground for this miracle of life to happen, if we cannot wait patiently to allow that seed to dies in the ground, be watered and then sprout and grow, the seed will never fulfil the potential it has, that reality will never come to pass.

The seed is also like a dream, the Holy Spirit is sending rain upon our land to give life to the seed and life to our dreams. However, we need to Speak it, Declare it and Pray it for the dream to be realised.

She said she learnt from Pastor Phil Pringle that “You have to see it (conceive it) before your see it (receive it).”

Let them in

Then she began to talk of the role of women as partners in ministry. In her relationship, she said Pastor Phil is the Vision-caster but it is the women that give the vision colour and expression.

The men are to let their wives get involved, let them in, give them a voice, let them share and help the ministry thrive and grow.

The men are to allow their wives to be released in their expression that can enrich the ministry further.

Sow your best to God and this is what happens to the seed. John 12:24-25 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.” (Message)

In sowing our best, we have to let go and let God take charge.

When you know you are in the centre of the will of God, the tree is in the seed and that seed is the seed of obedience.

Usually, it is when we are not ready that God is ready and we need to respond at that time. God sends His rain unto that seed.

We must dream big because dreams have a way of becoming reality.

Then she concluded with Job 14:7-9 (NLT)

7 “Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches.

8 Though its roots have grown old in the earth and its stump decays,

9 at the scent of water it will bud and sprout again like a new seedling.