How It's Made

How It's Made

Pt 1: Shaking, crushing, pressing.

Have you ever watched the television show How It's Made? The show takes ordinary products we use every day and reveals the incredible process required to produce them. We enjoy the finished product, but rarely stop to consider everything it took to make it.

Olive oil is one of those products. In the Old Testament, olive oil was used for lighting lamps, preparing food, and anointing people and sacred objects. But before the oil could be used, the olives had to go through a process. The branches were shaken and beaten to bring down the fruit. The olives were gathered, crushed, and pressed to extract the oil. The oil was then separated from unwanted material and collected in vessels, ready to be used.

What does any of this have to do with you?

When we examine how olive oil was made, we discover a powerful illustration of the process Christians experience as they follow Jesus.

The question isn't simply whether we're going through a difficult process. The question is, do we understand the process enough to keep from resisting God, ensuring that we benefit from the process.

In this message, we'll explore the ancient process of making olive oil and discover how God can use the experiences of life to develop perseverance, character, faith, and spiritual maturity.

Everybody wants the finished product. But are we willing to go through the process?

1. Have you ever wanted something but didn't want to do what was required to get it?

2. Why do we admire the finished product but rarely appreciate the process that produced it?

3. What if some of the things you've been asking God to remove are actually opportunities for you to grow?