Planting Seeds

10-5-2009
Planting Seeds

Jesus used many parables, or illustrations, when speaking to the crowds of people that followed him. It’s in Matthew 13:1-9 we read about the parable of the four soils.

“1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

One of the ways people come to know Christ is through human interaction. We do not have any control over someone’s decision to truly accept Christ or not. God’s Holy Spirit uses our words and actions to lead others to him. We should be intentional about our willingness to plant the seed of Christ in people’s lives. We shouldn’t beat people over the head with a Bible, but there should always be plenty of opportunities to share your testimony with others in a subtle yet affective way. It may take a long time for someone to accept Christ, but that shouldn’t be your concern. Remember, control what you can control, and allow God to be God. Don’t be discouraged if someone close to you is hesitant to turn their life over to Christ. Rather, continue to plant the seed of Christ everywhere you go. Have a loving, subtle, yet bold message to share with all you come in contact with when the time presents itself, and remember the most important message you share won’t require words!

Application:
1. Read Matthew 13:1-9
2. Do you walk with walk? Do you live out the message of Christ?
3. Are you comfortable sharing the message of Christ with someone? If not, let’s make a point to learn what to say when the situation calls for the message of salvation.