The Garden of God:

Intentional Living

Bible Study with Pastor John Powell – 21st April

Ronald Reagan once told a story that John brought into our study—a story that captures the heart of today’s teaching with surprising clarity:

A Kansas farmer took over a piece of land that was nothing short of a disaster: rocky, overgrown, neglected, and wild. He worked tirelessly—day after day—pulling out brush, clearing stones, cultivating the soil, and slowly transforming the wasteland into a thriving garden. One Sunday, he proudly invited the local preacher to see the transformation. The preacher, impressed by the towering corn and giant tomatoes, kept saying, “The Lord has really been good,” and “Praise the Lord for what He has done.”

Eventually the farmer, shifting uncomfortably, replied, “Reverend, I wish you could have seen it when the Lord was doing it by Himself.”

It’s a humorous story, but it carries a profound truth: God gives the opportunity, but He expects us to cultivate it.

We often miss what God is doing because we assume that if something is difficult, imperfect, or demanding, then God must not be in it. But Scripture shows us the opposite. God rarely places us in perfect situations. Instead, He places us in gardens that require work, environments that need tending, and opportunities that demand effort, courage, and intentionality.

Co-Workers With God: Cultivation

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

We are not spectators in God’s work—we are participants, partners, cultivators. John reminded us that Christians often shy away from effort, struggle, and hard work, but Scripture calls us into a different posture: joint workers alongside Him.

This takes us back to the very beginning.

Genesis 2:8 & 15

God planted the garden. God prepared the environment. God placed the man in it.

But then God said: “Cultivate it and keep it.”

God provides the raw material—the environment, the opportunity, the provision—but He expects us to work it, steward it, and develop it. The Mission Hall, John said, is exactly that: a garden entrusted to us, prepared by God but requiring our cultivation and hard graft.

What Does It Mean to Cultivate?

John outlined five dimensions of biblical cultivation—each one essential for the season we are stepping into:

1. Prepare for Growth

Cultivation begins with preparation. You clear the ground, remove the stones, and make space for what God wants to grow.

2. Foster the Growth of Skills

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; give a man a fishing rod and he will eat forever.”

God doesn’t just give outcomes—He gives opportunities to develop capacity. Massive growth is coming, John said, and we must be prepared for the hard work of developing skills, especially relational skills.

"Healthy things grow. Growing things change"

3. Foster the Growth of Relationships

Cultivation is not only about tasks—it’s about people. We create atmospheres of grace, room for growth, space for change, and patience for challenges. There is no passive growth in relationships. We must be prepared to work at them.

4. Grow Qualities Through Intentional Effort

Cultivation requires discipline, focus, and purpose.

John pointed us to Psalm 27:4— “This one thing I ask… this only do I seek…”   Intentional living is the heartbeat of cultivation.

5. Nurture, Refine, and Develop Over Time

Cultivation is not instant. It is slow, steady, faithful work.

Take ownership. Take initiative. Let Christianity become your lifestyle—the “norm”—not an occasional effort.

Environment: Raw Provision That Requires Work

Genesis 2:15 describes Eden as a “paradise of pleasure” in some translations. God places us in challenging environments not to frustrate us, but so that through cultivation, they become places of pleasure, joy, and fulfilment.

John reminded us that raw provision is often hard work. But the result of cultivation is:

• enjoyment

• rest

• achievement

• pleasure

This is the divine pattern.

Living Purposefully and Seizing Opportunity

Ephesians 5:15–17

Paul instructs us to:

• live carefully

• walk with purpose

• recognise and seize opportunities

• use time wisely

• discern the will of the Lord

  
  

John emphasised the phrase: “Live purposely, accurately… buy up each opportunity.”

Opportunities are one-off moments. Miss them, and that exact moment will never return.

Evan Roberts understood this deeply: “I don’t want to miss out on God’s opportunities, to be in His unique presence.”

But John also reminded us: God’s mercies are new every morning.   Don’t live in regret—live in readiness. If in doubt ask God to close the doors that are not yours to walk through and open the doors of opportunity. Then all you have to do is walk through them.

*Intentional Opportunity Takers*

Gardeners know that not everything works out. But they also know you must give it a go.

The environment changes. Results vary. But the gardener keeps cultivating.

John said: “Rest in the opportunity to cultivate.”   Don’t fear trying. Don’t fear failing. Don’t fear beginning again.

Transforming Environments: Your Calling as a Repairer

Sometimes death creeps in—negativity, atmosphere shifts, discouragement. But God calls us to be transformers of environments, not victims of them.

Isaiah 61:4

“They will rebuild the ancient ruins… restore the former desolations… renew ruined cities.”   You are called a repairer and restorer.

Amos 9:11–14

God promises to raise up the fallen tabernacle of David—a place with no barrier between God and His people. A place of presence. A place of encounter.

John taught that God creates environments that others may one day possess. Things begin to show up before you even pray for them. Provision appears before you know you need it.

But you must be discerning enough to recognise it.

Look around you. See the provision. See the plenty. See the seeds of future need.

Then: Work it. Cultivate it. Shape it into what God intends it to be.

The Desert Will Bloom

John reminded us of Israel’s modern history—how in 1948 they returned to their land and made the desert bloom, just as Scripture promised.

Isaiah 35:1–2

“The wilderness will be glad… the desert will blossom… it will rejoice with joy and singing.”

God gives the raw material. We cultivate it into fruitfulness.

A Final Call: Observe, Recognise, Work, Thrive

John closed with a simple but powerful charge:

• Observe the environment God has put you in.

• Recognise it as a blessing—even when it feels challenging.

• Be intentional.

• Believe that your hard work will bless you and others.

• Take ownership.

• Thrive where God has placed you.

• Make it a place of pleasure.

  
  

And he ended with this prayer:

“Your Kingdom knows no end.”   “Tear down every lie that there is a limit to Your blessing.”   “There is no limitation to growth.”