05/23/2026
It’s graduation season, and it has me reflecting on a powerful truth: Fruit takes time. It feels like just yesterday I was looking at my daughter, Alaura, and the other children in our ministry as toddlers. Now, we have Alaura and Ashanti graduating high school this month, and we are still celebrating Deja, who just graduated from college in December!
We eagerly cheer for our students when they stand on those graduation stages, but as parents and a church family, we know that the stage is just the finished product. The real work happened over years of patient cultivation, unseen late-night studying, early mornings, and steady persistence.
When you plant a seed, a massive amount of root work happens under the soil before you ever see a visible breakthrough. Slow growth is not a sign of God's absence—it is proof of His meticulous design.
Whether you are celebrating a major milestone this season, or you feel stuck in a quiet, frustrating season where nothing seems to be showing above the dirt yet, this message is for you. This Sunday, we are kicking off a brand-new sermon series: "Fruit Takes Time." Let’s stop trying to force instant results in a microwave world, and learn what it truly means to abide in the Vine.
Join us in-person or online:
• When: This Sunday, May 24th
• In-Person Fellowship: 10:30 AM
• Online Stream: 11:00 AM
• Details & Watch Link: https://www.hopp.bio/itbcministry
See you there, ITB!
