Finding the Soil...

“Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.”

RoberH. Schuller (Theologian)

Seeds are a miraculous thing. From this teeny tiny speck, a flower or a plant or a great tree will grow. Everything that grows in the ground starts from a seed. But unfortunately, not every seed grows.

Jesus shares a parable with his followers about some seeds. The seeds were thrown by a farmer as he walked along. Some of the seeds fell on along the path, some in shallow soil, some amongst the thorns and some in good soil. The seeds which fell on the path were snatched up by the birds and the seeds which fell on the shallow soil shot up quickly, but were burned by the sun. The seeds which fell amongst the thorns grew, but were quickly choked out by the thorny bushes. But the seeds which fell in the good soil grew and flourished, producing much fruit.

This parable is an image of how different people will perceive the Gospel.

 Some fell along the path...Some people completely ignore the message of hope and love of Jesus. They are like the seeds which fell on the path. They have hard hearts towards God and choose to live their lives for worldly pleasures rather than opening up to what God has to offer them. They have closed hearts and closed ears. And yet, we are called to love them in spite of our differences. You may not be able to change the person of the hardened path, but you can still share God's love with him or her.
 

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil... Sometimes, when we share the Gospel message with someone they are on fire with the love of Christ. This person will go out and buy the t-shirt, the bumper sticker, and the necklace, professing a 180 degree life change, but the changes are only surface deep. This person is like the seed which falls on rocky or shallow ground - he or she gets a taste of the love of Jesus and is excited about the high of the unconditional grace offered, but when it comes time to truly change his or her life - to turn away from the path he or she has been following - this person can't let go and the enthusiasm once felt for Jesus withers and fades. And just like our friend with the hardened heart, we are called to love the people whose faith is shallow - not to judge them.

 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain....Life is hard and as human beings we face man obstacles. These obstacles can bend and nearly break us for the difficulties they present. This is what happens to those who are like the seeds which fell amongst the thorns. People can and will allow their trials in life, or the pressures of others around them to choke out the life giving love of Christ. This is a choice. They have chosen to allow the pain of the world to override the peace offered by Jesus. At times, you might empathize with someone in this situation; maybe you have felt like giving up or giving in a time or two. Empathy is good...it will help you to love these persons and try and share the light that Christ offers through the darkness of the thorns.

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times... This is who we want to be as Christians. Creating good soil in which our seeds can grow begins with our commitment to Christ. We must put Him first, every day. By focusing our hearts and minds on Him we will begin to nourish our soil in His life giving light. We next need to fertilize the soil through the study of His word and His teaching. This fertilizer will help our seeds grow stronger and fuller - producing more fruit. And finally our seeds need to be planted by other seeds in like soil. We need the support and encouragement of other Christians to help us grow and weather the storms of life. 

Seeds are life giving, but they can only grow with the right nourishment. Begin by tending your soil and then look for opportunities to help others to grow.

Scripture

 (click on the link below...not surprising it is the parable of the soils)

Mark 4:3-20 (NIV)

Fun Fact:

The most grown crop in the world is wheat as it is cultivated in all continents except Antarctica. Rice is second. Corn is Third. Potatoes and bananas are numbered four.

So, I guess if you want to bake some bread in Antarctica - you are going to have to bring the flour with you....

Quote
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.
Mother Teresa

GUMY Challenge
Answer: Clue #13 - Jesus's last words on the cross were: "It is finished"

Clue #14 (LAST CLUE): What is the smallest seed that grows into a bush on the planet?
Hint: Jesus said it was like the Kingdom of Heaven. (And it is used to make a condiment for Hot Dogs....)

Only two more weeks until GUMY kick off ....be sure to be collecting your answers...you will need them on September 22nd!
 

 

Who Will Believe?

Who do you believe?

Who do you think is trustworthy - that you can believe every word they say?

Your parents? Your teachers? Your friends?

What about the person in school or in your neighborhood who gets in trouble - a lot? If he or she told you something, would you believe what he or she said? Probably not.

We tend to have a few people in our lives who we truly believe what they say, and the rest we challenge and weigh their answers against what is reasonable or plausible, but what would make you believe the troublemaker? What could he or she say to convince you this person was speaking the truth?

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:39)

In our scripture passage today, Jesus sat down at a well to take a rest and a woman came to the well to fetch water. While they spoke, Jesus revealed to her that he knew all of the bad things she had done in her life and he explains to her that he can give her new life. This woman is so overwhelmed that he would speak to her - despite her sin - and promise her salvation she goes back into her village and tells everyone she can find about Jesus.

This woman, who was so mistrusted because of her poor choices is believed because of the transformation which happened in her life. The people of her town believed because of her encounter with Jesus. The entire town was renewed because one woman was brave enough to share the brokenness and reconciliation of her life with the community which had shunned her.

Who would you believe? Who would believe you?

When we share how Christ is working in our lives, we have an obligation to share authentically - to share how he has transformed us from mere sinners to disciples. You likely haven't faced the ridicule or shame that the woman at the well faced, but you still have a story which can lead people to Jesus so that they can come to know him personally.

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

Because one woman was willing to humble herself and share honestly about Jesus, an entire town was changed. Imagine what could happen if you choose today to share how Jesus has changed your life...whose life could be transformed?

Scripture

John 4:1-42

Quote of the Day

"The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world."

CS Lewis

“The first step in a person's salvation is knowledge of their sin.”

Seneca - 1st Century Roman Philosopher

Question of the Day

What moment this past week did you experience God in a tangible way?

Don't forget GUMY this Sunday night...