Fruitful

Pastor Alex Hall | January 4, 2026

Stepping Into a Year of Fruitfulness: Embracing God's Promise of Increase

As we step into a new year, there's an invitation waiting—not just to turn the calendar page, but to turn our hearts toward something transformative. It's a moment to leave behind what wasn't meant for us and step into what God has prepared. This isn't about New Year's resolutions or self-improvement plans. This is about repentance, refreshing, and receiving the abundance God wants to pour into our lives.

The Power of Repentance and Refreshing

Acts 3:19 offers us a beautiful promise: "Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Notice the connection—repentance leads to refreshing. When we turn back to God, acknowledging where we've wandered, He doesn't meet us with shame or condemnation. He meets us with refreshment.

Perhaps you're carrying bitterness from last year. Maybe you're holding onto relationships that ended, dreams that didn't materialize, or plans that fell apart. The question isn't how to move forward without those things—it's whether you'll trust that God has something better. You might have entered this season sad, but you don't have to stay that way. God's presence brings refreshing that transforms our perspective.

His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We often strain our eyes trying to see years into the future, wondering how everything will work out. But God invites us to look down—right at our feet—where His light illuminates the very next step. That's all we need. One step at a time, one day at a time, trusting that He who began a good work will complete it.

Planted for a Purpose

Psalm 92 paints a stunning picture of what happens when we root ourselves in God's house. "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing."

This passage distinguishes between grass and trees. Grass springs up quickly, looks impressive for a moment, but withers just as fast. Cedars and palm trees, however, are built to last. They develop deep root systems. They withstand storms. They bear fruit for decades.

Too many people spend their lives as spiritual nomads, moving from place to place, looking for the next experience, never putting down roots. But there's a blessing in being planted. When you commit to growing where God has placed you, something supernatural happens. Your roots go deep. You become unshakeable. And even when hurricanes come—and they will come—you'll still be standing.

A Year of Fruitfulness and Increase

Leviticus 19:23-25 contains an often-overlooked instruction for the Israelites entering the Promised Land. When they planted fruit trees, they were told not to eat the fruit for three years. In the fourth year, all the fruit was to be holy—a praise offering to the Lord. Only in the fifth year could they eat the fruit, and it would bring increase.

There's profound wisdom here about honor and stewardship. Before we can receive increase, we must learn to honor God first. We must prove ourselves faithful with what He's already given us. This isn't about earning God's favor—it's about positioning ourselves to receive what He wants to give.

This principle extends to every area of life. Many people want increase—more money, better relationships, greater influence—but they haven't stewarded what they already have. They're in debt but want abundance. They're unhealthy but want energy. They're disconnected from community but want belonging.

The pathway to increase begins with stewardship. It starts with honoring God with our first and our best—our time, our resources, our worship. When we learn to faithfully manage what's in our hands, God opens doors we couldn't have opened ourselves.

The Fruit of the Spirit

When we talk about fruitfulness, we can't focus only on material provision. The most important fruit is spiritual. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

Imagine a year where these qualities increase in your life. More love—not just feeling it, but demonstrating it even when it's difficult. More joy—the deep-seated confidence that God is good regardless of circumstances. More peace—the supernatural calm that surpasses understanding when everything around you is chaos.

This is the fruit that matters most. It's what transforms us from the inside out. And here's the beautiful truth: as our souls prosper, as we become more like Christ, we often find that other areas of our lives begin to align as well. Third John 1:2 says, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."

God cares about every dimension of our lives—spiritual, physical, relational, financial. But it starts with the soul. When we draw near to Him, when we let His Word heal and transform us, we position ourselves for holistic flourishing.

Eating the Fruit

There's something powerful about fasting—setting aside physical nourishment to feast on spiritual food. Prayer and fasting create space for God to speak, to heal, to reveal. It's not religious obligation; it's joyful pursuit of more of Him.

The Daniel fast offers a beautiful picture for this season—abstaining from certain foods while still eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's a reminder that God doesn't call us to starvation but to intentionality. He wants us to "eat the fruit"—to nourish ourselves on His goodness while creating space to hear His voice more clearly.

Whether you fast for one meal or twenty-one days, the point isn't perfection. It's pursuit. It's saying, "God, I want more of You. I'm willing to set aside comfort and convenience to draw near to You."

Walking in Truth and Spirit

As we move through this year of fruitfulness, we must anchor ourselves in truth. Jesus said we would know false prophets by their fruit. The same principle applies to every teaching, every trend, every voice clamoring for our attention. Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit? Does it align with God's Word? If not, it's not from Him.

We're called to walk in both Spirit and truth—not one or the other, but both. Truth without the Spirit becomes lifeless religion. Spirit without truth becomes deceptive emotionalism. But when we walk in both, we experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

Your Invitation

This year holds extraordinary promise. It's an invitation to step into fruitfulness, increase, and abundance—not as wishful thinking, but as God's declared intention for those who walk with Him. It's a year to steward well what you've been given, to let your soul prosper, and to watch as God multiplies what you've faithfully tended.

You're not grass, destined to spring up and fade. You're a cedar of Lebanon, called to flourish for generations. Plant yourself. Put down roots. Trust the process happening beneath the surface. And get ready to bear fruit that will last—fruit that will nourish not just you, but everyone whose life you touch.

The question isn't whether God wants to bless you. He does. The question is whether you'll position yourself to receive it by walking in His ways, honoring Him first, and trusting that His plans are better than anything you could orchestrate on your own.

Welcome to a year of fruitfulness. Welcome to increase. Welcome to the abundant life God has always intended for you.