The Wild Olive Shoot Community


Once, there was a church that received a vision from God. They dared to do what no other church at that time had done. They grew, and spread across the nation. They called themselves the Blaze Community.

But it absorbed teachings from other groups, both Christian and Pagan. The vision became polluted. Rather than examining itself, the Blaze Community became proud and arrogant, standing alone as the true church, against all opposition.

The Blaze died to an ember as people left, fleeing tyranny, judgement, and forced austerity. Humbly, the Blaze Community leaders sought God's forgiveness and direction.

Now the community received a new vision. One of grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy. Aware that it had been given another chance by God, it renamed itself the Wild Olive Shoot Community, with the knowledge that God could pluck them out of the Cultivated Olive (the universal church) if they ever again fell away from the path to which God had called them.

Wild Olive Shoot Wisdom

Ever since the formation of the Blaze Community, members have encapsulated wisdom in proverbs and bite-sized sermons.

Proverbs
  • A sacrifice not motivated by love, is made at the altar of one's own ego. 
  • A thing is no less true from the mouth of the least as it is from the mouth of the greatest. 
  • A wise man can learn from everyone he meets. A fool cannot even learn from himself. 
  • Above all else, true leaders lead by example. 
  • Above the darkest cloud, the Sun still shines 
  • Courtesy is the oil of civilization. 
  • If you feel you are not in control of your life, you have grasped a fundamental truth. 
  • If you find a person in a pit, give them a ladder, not a spade. 
  • Just to listen is sometimes enough. 
  • Kindness is the currency of God's Kingdom. 
  • Saying sorry is like lancing a boil. Hard to do but, when it's done - Ahhh! The relief! 
  • That which is not loving, is not of God. 
  • That which we hate in another person is often a reflection of our own nature. 
  • The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him into a friend. 
  • The most valuable commodity in community is respect for others. 
  • The only sanctioned response a Christian has to any kind of attack is kindness. 
  • The way of God's Will is marked by Peace and Joy. 
  • Three words that mean a relationship is in trouble. "What about me?" 
  • Two barriers to spiritual growth are ego and obsession. 
  • Unforgiveness is self-harm of the soul. 
  • What man devises, God despises. 
  • You cannot rescue someone from sinking sand unless you are on solid ground 

Wisdom
  • A church is made up of individuals. Every individual must be valued, respected, and honored. If any individual is in need (food, clothing, shelter, and so on), this must be met by the church. Each individual must have a place to serve the church in accordance with their gifts and ministries. The church mourns when an individual mourns, and rejoices when an individual rejoices. We are part of one another. This is Kingdom Culture. 
  • A follower of Christ cannot hold onto wealth or possessions whilst a brother or sister is in need. 
  • All your money, your possessions, your abilities, are held in trust to be used according to God's good pleasure. Hold onto them lightly. They are no longer for your benefit, but for the benefit of those around you. 
  • Before putting a label on someone else, see if it sticks better on you. 
  • Being able to laugh at yourself is a sign of spiritual maturity. 
  • Christian leaders are not called to be lords, or tyrants, or doormats. They are called to be slaves of all. 
  • Conviction and repentance are of God. Shame and guilt are of the enemy. 
  • Depression is the feeling of powerlessness to make what we desire become reality. Learning to limit our desires to what we can achieve may help reduce depression. 
  • Despite our faults and failings, God sees us as fully Christ. We must see each other in the same way. 
  • Disappointment is caused when we expect more from ourselves or others than can be delivered, in reality. 
  • Do those things that maintain your peace. 
  • Evil is when you put your own desires above the needs of others. 
  • Fantasies born of fear, anger, hatred, and resentment are unhelpful and can feel like the real thing. Do not let them take hold. Shut them off. 
  • Five things a spiritual man does not have; worldly ambitions, plans, preferences, obsessions, and fears. 
  • For yourself and other people, do not dwell on the mistakes of the past, but on hopes for the future. 
  • Give people permission to climb out of the boxes the world puts them in. 
  • God gives us His Grace - His Undeserved Favor. We who have received it, therefore, have a duty to show favor to others, whether or not they deserve it. 
  • If someone upsets you, do not try to change them, but change your response to them. 
  • If you think you should be in charge, prove it, by serving those around you according to their needs. 
  • It does not matter how much or how little strength, wisdom, knowledge, or wealth we have. Because God can give us as much as we need when we need it. 
  • Leaders who reject Christ's teaching for their own will are like a cancer in the Church, corrupting all around them. 
  • Love All, Forgive All, Show Mercy, Judge No-one. 
  • Mere obedience to rules and regulations is like binding a festering wound in a bandage without treating the wound itself. 
  • Never ask another to do what you would refuse to do. 
  • Never give in to assumptions. They are very often false. 
  • No believer has a right to be wealthy while there is a brother or sister in need. 
  • No matter how good, no matter how bad, no matter how kind, no matter how cruel. Truth is truth. 
  • Obeying rules cannot change anyone. Only The Holy Spirit can do that. 
  • Only when you are fully surrendered to God's Will, can you experience His full power in your life. 
  • Seven things a humble man does not value in himself; qualifications, status, wealth, possessions, reputation, achievements, knowledge. 
  • Six desirable things - Knowledge of God's Will at all times; courage to obey - whatever the cost; wisdomto understand people and situations; humility to truly know oneself, love to motivate all speech and action;spiritual gifts for encouragement, healing, and deliverance. 
  • Steps to victorious living: Thankfulness allows us to see what God gives us. Thankfulness develops hope. Hope allows us to expect God's provision and help. Hope realised builds faith. Faith in God, in the things He provides, teaches us He is to be trusted with everything in our lives. Faith gives us the security to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (fully available to God's Will & Purpose). Then we see God's power in our lives, which makes us thankful. 
  • Stress is caused when reality and expectation do not match. The cure is to accept reality. 
  • Surrender to God's Will. It is the most powerful position to be in. Accept every circumstance as a gift from God, and expect Him to provide all you need to get through it or overcome it. 
  • The power of humility should never be underestimated. A humble person feels no resentment, no insult, never feels got-at or excluded. There is no task beneath their dignity. They are never afraid of appearing foolish. They are content. At peace. They have nothing to prove, no status to defend. They laugh easily and cry easily. They are free to be their true selves. 
  • The Sword of Truth can be kind or cruel, so those who wield it must do so with love. 
  • We cannot function as The Body of Christ unless we are in harmony with one another and with Christ, the Head. 
  • We will all fall many times. The important thing is to get up and try again. 
  • What do we mean when we say do not judge? Evaluate, assess, analyse, determine, decide, discern by all means, but never condemn or accuse. 
  • When you have sickness or trouble in your life, do not ask "Why me?" - That implies that a brother or sister is more deserving of the burden given to you. 


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