Are you surviving as a Christian, or thriving? Jesus answers in one chapter: five marks of a life that bears fruit.

Are you surviving as a Christian, or are you thriving? A plant survives when it has enough water to keep its leaves from falling off. A plant thrives when it is so rooted that it puts out fruit. The New Testament does not call us merely to survive the Christian life. It calls us to bear much fruit.

In one chapter, Luke 10, Jesus shows us what a thriving disciple looks like. He sends out seventy-two on mission. He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. He sits down in a living room in Bethany with two sisters, one of whom is getting it right while the other is being pulled apart by good things.

Five principles emerge:

1. Be on mission

2. Share a simple message

3. Show concern and compassion

4. Avoid distractions

5. Remember the most important thing

These are not five separate things. They are one thing seen from five angles.