Winter Experiences
A.W. Tozer illustrates the promise of renewal and new life in the Christian life through the coming of spring, emphasizing that even in the midst of winter, life is still present and waiting to be stirred up.
A.W. Tozer speaks about the concept of personal revival, likening it to the arrival of spring after a long winter. He emphasizes that even when life appears dormant and covered by snow, there is still vitality beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge. Just as nature awakens in spring, Christians can experience renewal and revival, despite feeling buried under life's challenges. Tozer encourages believers to recognize the hidden life within them and to await the stirring of God's gift. Ultimately, he reminds us that after the winter of our struggles, a new beginning is always possible.
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There is such a thing as a renaissance, a personal revival. The best illustration is the coming of the springtime on the farm. The snow will lay all winter long, and in some places you don"t see the ground until springtime. How utterly dead everything looks, but you know that life is still there. The trees are stark, but there is life in them. The roots in the ground are all quiet, but there is life down there. Just below the frost line are the worms, the bugs, the mice, the moles and the chipmunks. They are all there, and there is life down there.
They are all waiting for something, listening for Mother Nature to say, "Stir up the gift of God that is in thee." Then comes the spring; the snow goes, and the blotches and patches begin to appear.
The bobwhites begin to whistle their happy but monotonous song on the sunny side of the hill. The cattle begin to kick up their heels and run about the fields. That is spring. Pretty soon all the snow is gone, calves are born and lambs are about, and we start all over. Thank God, it is all new. There is such a thing in the Christian life as going under for a winter. In other words, something happens to you, little by little, until you get snowed under and frozen over. There is life down there, covered up by the frost and ice. It may be hidden; it is there somewhere.
Sermon Outline
- The Illustration of Springtime
- The Experience of Winter
- The Promise of Renewal
- The Coming of Spring
- Life Under the Frost
- Being Snowed Under
- Life Hidden Under the Frost
- Waiting for the Call to Life
Key Quotes
“There is such a thing as a renaissance, a personal revival.” — A.W. Tozer
“Just below the frost line are the worms, the bugs, the mice, the moles and the chipmunks. They are all there, and there is life down there.” — A.W. Tozer
“Then comes the spring; the snow goes, and the blotches and patches begin to appear.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We can experience renewal and new life by waiting for the call to life, where God stirs up the gift of God that is in us.
- Even in the midst of winter, life is still present and waiting to be stirred up.
- We can trust that God is working beneath the surface, even when we feel snowed under and frozen over.