Collective Connections began with the idea of connecting Faith, Fruit, and Gifts. As I started writing this series, I realized there is more. If you have learned anything around here, my line which I believe deep within my soul is: “There is more!” There is always more. As I continue to research and write and communicate with God, I see there is more. There is more than Faith, Fruit, Gifts.

A while back we talked about the mustard seed of Faith. In that article I made a statement. Faith is pre-supposed. I am going to change up that statement a little bit here. Faith is REQUIRED. Faith cannot be found by works. From faith comes good works. However, as we found out, work is involved to grow our faith. This sounds really confusing and it is! There are entire religions that have confused this concept. In my illustration, I used my zero turn as the example. I had faith that when I repaired my zero turn, it would roar to life and mow my lawn faithfully. Had I not had faith in my zero turn, I would have thrown it out and gotten a new one and not wasted my time fixing it.

In our Faith with God, we are broken people in desperate need to repair our relationship with Him. Our Faith must include a pre-supposed confidence that He is our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Faith must include that tiny mustard seed that we can grow into a relationship with Him. It is required.

Here is the thing: There is something else that is required. It is much bigger than Faith. What -you say? YES! Much bigger than Faith? We struggle with this much more than Faith! One can have Faith and not bare fruit and gifts. I am going to tell you what is often missing. Yesterday I gave you the most important Commandments. Love is the summary. I also gave you a bit of a different view on the final verses of that chapter. I am going to add to it here:

There are more Commandments that are connected to the words of Jesus in Mathew. Look how this is written:

Mathew 22: 37-40 NIV Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Have you ever compared these words to the 10 Commandments? Which two of the Commandments was Jesus talking about? We might be able to figure that out and narrow it down to just two. Or we might be able to narrow it down to them ALL. Sea, LOVE is in all of the commandments.

Therefore, I say to you that the 5^th Commandment and more have all to do with everything also. Honor your father and your mother. What am I poking at?

Genesis 2: 17

But you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.

• Psalm 33:18: “The Lord watches over those who obey him” 
• Psalm 37:18: “The Lord takes care of those who obey him” 
• 1 John 3:22: “God gives us what we ask for because we obey God’s commands” 
• Proverbs 28:14: “Always obey the Lord and you will be happy” 
• Deuteronomy 28:1: “If you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth” 
• Leviticus 22:31-33: “You shall faithfully observe My commandments: I am God. You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people” 
• Matthew 22:36–40: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” 
• Acts 5:2 We are witness of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

Did you pick up on the key word? I hope you did.

WE MUST OBEY.