Tending the Soil: Why the Seed is Good but the Heart Needs Preparation

• The Parable of the Sower [00:16:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The speaker explains the biblical parable, detailing the four types of soil (path, rocky, thorny, good) and their spiritual applications to the human heart.
• Heart Preparation [00:43:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that the responsibility lies with the listener to prepare their heart ('soil') to receive the unchanging Word of God, rather than blaming the message itself.
• Worship and Prayer [00:25:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The segment defines worship as active engagement through prayer, scripture reading, and lifting up concerns to God, emphasizing God's sovereignty and goodness amidst struggles.
• The Parable of the Sower / Soil Preparation [00:43:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that the failure of the gospel to take root is not due to the 'seed' (the message) but due to the 'soil' (the heart/preparation) and the lack of active tending.
• Evangelism and Fear [00:44:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > Addresses the fear of sharing the gospel due to concern for others' opinions, asserting that if opinions shatter because of Jesus, those are not true friends.
• Spiritual Discernment / Media Influence [00:45:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > Warns against allowing unqualified sources (like news channels) to 'tend' the soul, as this leads to seeing people as enemies rather than recipients of the gospel.
• Mentorship and Persistence [00:49:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > Encourages believers to be mentors to those surrounded by 'thorns' (negative influences), showing up consistently to tend their hearts.
• Self-Examination / Tending One's Own Heart [00:50:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > Uses the anecdote of rocks growing in good soil to illustrate that even 'good soil' must be actively tended, or it becomes barren and unfruitful.

• Sermon Illustration [00:41:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his inability to grow vegetables, specifically planting carrots that resulted in only one tiny, two-inch sprout. He uses this to illustrate that the failure was not in the seed quality, but in his own failure to prepare the soil properly.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about planting a row of carrots where only one sprouted and was tiny. He initially blamed the seed batch, but realized the failure was due to his own process of preparing the soil, not the seed itself.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy of trees growing on rock cliffs in the mountains, where roots split the rock foundation to find good soil, illustrating how roots can break through rocky starts in people's lives.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > A story about his grandfather telling him that if good soil is left alone, it will grow rocks. The pastor recounts having to remove rocks from his vegetable garden every spring, illustrating that neglect causes even good soil to become barren.

• Pastoral Charge [00:54:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor urges the congregation to actively look for opportunities this week to share the gospel ('cast the seed') in various daily contexts.
• Pastoral Charge [00:55:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor invites the congregation to join in a closing prayer for the transformation of their hearts and the hearts of others through the gospel.

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:03:12] One, two, three, testing. One, two. One, two, three, four, five, six. There it is. One, two, three, four, five.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:03:20] Good morning, Fairview. Oh, y'all can do better than that. Good morning, Fairview. Awesome.
[00:06:25] So, I can't quite put my finger on it, but something's different about today. I don't know. You guys notice this?
[00:06:31] If you look at all the beautiful decorations, the VBS volunteers have been doing an excellent job this week, really hard work, and it's preparing for this following week.
[00:06:39] So we want to give them a round of applause for getting everything together.
[00:06:46] So speaking of VBS, it starts tomorrow.
[00:06:49] We want to please be in prayer for all the children who will be here this week and also pray for our leaders and for good weather for VBS.
[00:07:00] A couple of announcements, other announcements we have here.
[00:07:02] we have a sign-up sheet in the narthex for nursery volunteers if you feel called to serve in this important ministry on sunday mornings we would love to have you please sign up in the narthex and contact the church office or speak with addison our new nursery director for any
[00:07:21] more information have a great announcement our purple hearts homes donation is at three thousand We had a goal of 2,500, so excellent job here.
[00:07:33] Thank you so much.
[00:07:36] We have an announcement that the choir has entered its summer sabbatical, so we will return in August.
[00:07:45] Anyone who has considered joining the music ministry is encouraged this time to pray and let God lead them to where he sees fit.
[00:07:53] Hopefully that prayer includes a pew in the choir loft.
[00:07:56] Rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, August 5th at 7 p.m. here in the sanctuary.
[00:08:02] If you have any questions, please see Mr. Isaiah.
[00:08:07] And in addition, today is a very special day.
[00:08:10] We have two birthdays to celebrate, Miss Brenda Harvey and Danielle Williams.
[00:08:16] So if you would join me in singing happy birthday to those two fine ladies.
[00:08:21] so one last announcement uh today if you can spare a few minutes after service we could use some help moving some tables from uh wesley into chapin to prepare for vbs down there are there any other announcements that i may have missed or forgotten here
[00:09:01] oh please after the service today walk through the whole church and see all the other decorations this is not it there's a lot more there so please please do that thank you anything else all right well as always if you're visiting with us here in person uh we are glad to have you as
[00:09:25] well as people online if you're in the person please see one of our ushers to get one of our visitors packets if you're online with us please make sure you go to the bottom of our web page
[00:09:35] There's a connect form there so that we can get to know you better and get you engaged here at Fairview.
[00:09:41] With that, let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:09:44] In Fairview, please join me in our responsive call to worship.
[00:13:17] Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
[00:13:23] Your word is our heritage forever, the joy of our heart.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:13:31] Please rise to sing our congregational call to worship, number 660 in your red hymnal, verses 1 and 4 of God is Here.
[00:13:40] Please rise.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:13:42] Do you invite any children to come down for children's time?

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:16:09] How are you?
[00:16:09] All right, today I brought something small with me.
[00:16:17] Do you know what these are?
[00:16:20] That's right, they're seeds. They don't look very interesting, do they?
[00:16:23] But inside every seed is the possibility of something amazing.
[00:16:29] So it could be a watermelon, could be a beautiful flower, could be a big tall tree.
[00:16:38] So today's Bible story, Jesus told a parable.
[00:16:46] Do you know what a parable is?
[00:16:47] Yeah, it's a story that Jesus would teach to people that had some sort of lesson.
[00:16:54] So, we're going to see what sort of lesson Jesus was trying to teach with his parable today.
[00:16:59] So, in the parable, Jesus told about a farmer who scattered a bunch of seeds around in different places.
[00:17:10] So, the first place he scattered was a path.
[00:17:13] Well, the path had been walked on, and so it was really hard.
[00:17:19] So, do you think the seeds were able to go into the hard ground?
[00:17:23] No.
[00:17:24] So you know what happened?
[00:17:28] Yep, they couldn't grow, and actually birds came and ate the seeds.
[00:17:34] So then he also scattered some seeds into some rocky soil.
[00:17:39] And do you think the seeds grew?
[00:17:42] They actually grew a little bit.
[00:17:44] They started to grow, but then the roots, it couldn't develop roots because of all those rocks.
[00:17:51] So it withered away.
[00:17:54] and then he also scattered some seeds in some soil that has some thorns and weeds and it started to grow there too but what do you think happened exactly the weeds took over and then it couldn't really grow and then he also scattered some seeds in some good soil
[00:18:17] what do you think happened with the good soil they grew yes they were healthy and they grew and, um, they produced more seeds and they, uh, had fruit. All right. So do you think that in this
[00:18:34] Bible story, um, in this parable, do you think Jesus was, his point was to teach people how to garden? No. So actually in the story, the seeds represent something. What do you think they represent? So the seats actually represent God's word, okay? So God's teachings. And then
[00:19:03] the soil represents us, our hearts, okay? So what Jesus was trying to teach them was sometimes our hearts might be like the hard path. So maybe we don't really listen, we're kind of stubborn, and we don't listen to God's word. So nothing really, that seed doesn't really get into our
[00:19:29] heart, right? Or maybe our heart is like the, the rocky soil. Um, and we just don't have a deep understanding. We don't have those roots. So, um, we don't really, maybe we get excited.
[00:19:44] We come to church on Sunday, but because we don't really understand very well, then as the week goes on, we kind of wither away. Or maybe our hearts are like the thorny soil with weeds, where there's so much going on in our lives that other things take over,
[00:20:07] and we don't really pay attention to God's Word. Or hopefully our heart is like the good soil, right where we come to church and we listen to god's word and we we try to understand it and
[00:20:24] um we try to obey god and and learn as much as we can and help people and love people just like god does so um we want to remember that as we go on through the week you want to say a little prayer
[00:20:42] All right. God, thank you so much for growing your word inside of us and help us to continue to grow and to learn as much as we can so we can spread that to other people and spread your kindness and your love and be like you. It's in your name. Amen.

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:21:06] Now let's rise to sing our opening worship song, number 601 in your red hymnal, Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet. Please rise. You may be seated.

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:23:35] Today's first scripture reading is from Psalms 119.
[00:23:40] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
[00:23:46] I have sworn an oath and confirmed it to observe your righteous ordinances.
[00:23:51] I am severely afflicted. Give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
[00:23:58] Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances.
[00:24:04] I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.
[00:24:12] The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
[00:24:18] Your decrees are my heritage forever.
[00:24:21] They are the joy of my heart.
[00:24:25] I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever to the end.

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:24:31] Good morning.
[00:24:46] Please join me in our affirmation of faith.
[00:24:49] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. The third day he rose from the dead. He ascended
[00:25:14] into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion
[00:25:29] of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:25:46] One of the most beautiful things that we have in this sanctuary every week is the opportunity to worship God.
[00:25:58] And some of those ways in which we worship God are in our songs, in our voices, which you hear every time the choir sings, that you sing.
[00:26:10] When we bring together our prayers before God, That's the part of worship where we get to engage in worship.
[00:26:20] And when you come up and read scripture, when you help teach in children's time, when you read the opening of worships, prayers, when you bless the offering, all of these are ways in which we can worship God,
[00:26:40] offering up our hearts before him, knowing that he is good.
[00:26:43] but even as we do we were minded just as you can see the screen above you and on your screen at home these are the people who we lift up in prayer so i want to engage you i want you to
[00:27:02] engage god your father in prayer this morning over these concerns and these people as you do I want that to be a part of your active worship this morning.
[00:27:16] Give God the glory and ask his help in all things.
[00:27:22] Let us pray together.
[00:27:36] Great gardener and tenders of our hearts, we come before you right now asking you to prepare our hearts to receive your goodness, to receive what you would have us do to receive the passions and desires
[00:28:01] to conviction to lay the spot of conviction for we are here as your people made on purpose for this day given the breath in our lungs to sing praises given the breath in our lungs
[00:28:21] to serve others given this heartbeat in our chest that we might know the rhythm and the will of our Father and to live it out.
[00:28:35] Holy God, we come today thanking you.
[00:28:39] Thanking you for this opportunity.
[00:28:42] Not only for Fairview and this place in which we can worship on Sunday but that you, the one who creates it all who tends it tenderly walks with us in all circumstances.
[00:29:01] Almighty God, sometimes it feels like we've hit some stones.
[00:29:09] We've heard the mountains cry out and give us barriers.
[00:29:13] We've seen the weight of the hard weather and the seasons seem harsh with heat.
[00:29:22] These are the seasons when we see our loved ones struggling.
[00:29:27] when we see our friends looking for hope.
[00:29:36] It's those who are struggling with health, those who are struggling in finances, those who are struggling in a society that breaks people.
[00:29:55] So, holy God, we lift all these up before you.
[00:30:00] The names of our prayer list, the people, your children, speak tenderly to their hearts.
[00:30:11] tend their situations heal where it is necessary and holy God uphold in all circumstances for we know oh God you can do this for if you giving up heaven being born as one of us
[00:30:34] living with us walking with us and then dying on the cross and raising your life back for us if that's possible there is nothing impossible with you we praise you oh God and we thank you oh God
[00:30:56] that our hands are not our own our feet are not our own but you have called us to be co-laborers as you tend their hearts send us also oh God to tend hearts to mend fences
[00:31:15] and to build up our brothers and sisters in this world.
[00:31:23] For this is your good purpose, your good desire for us.
[00:31:27] And we thank you again for allowing us to be a part of it.
[00:31:33] For this we offer up our hands, our praise, our worship today as we pray the prayer that you taught us to pray.
[00:31:43] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:31:47] thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not to
[00:32:04] temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever Amen.
[00:32:14] As I said, we are here to worship God.
[00:32:18] And one of the ways in which we do that is serving God.
[00:32:21] And we serve God in many ways.
[00:32:24] As I said, service in worship, service in song, and service in the work of the kingdom by the gifts of our tithes and our offering.
[00:32:34] But I want you to understand something.
[00:32:36] When we offer up before God, we are not only offering up our finances.
[00:32:40] we're giving up our hearts towards God where will you give your heart to God this week how will you serve him how will you worship him and I want you to put that in your mind
[00:32:54] as you put that in your mind and the ushers come forward they're going to pass the plate I don't want you just to pass the plate I want you to hold on to it for just a second
[00:33:06] and say it in your mind and in your heart toward God.
[00:33:11] This is what I offer you this week.
[00:33:16] And let God multiply it, build it, and grow it in you.
[00:33:23] We also have a special offering today as we have Taylor Sparks, Spanks, I'm going to get it right, who is going to sing for our offering.
[00:33:34] hear her offering before God as we offer our offering to God.
[00:33:39] Please come forward.

[00:33:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:33:41] Giver of life, we do not want the cares of the world

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:38:20] and the lure of the wealth to choke out your word among us.
[00:38:24] As sowers, cast seed abundantly and hopefully, so we long to participate in the seeding of this world.
[00:38:32] Receive these gifts as tokens of our lives, sending your cultivating spirit to work among us until we yield and grow in grace.
[00:38:40] for we pray in the name of Jesus who came out of love for the world. Amen. Please be seated.

[00:38:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:38:51] Praise all us creatures below. Wow. So we got different meaning this morning when we are surrounded by animals here for VBS. I just want to remind you as we come into worship today, as we lift up the word, that God's word will not come back void. That's one of the promises
[00:39:15] in his word. So as we hear this parable, may we open our hearts, may we prepare the soil to receive the good seed that God has for us in the word. This one comes from Matthew's gospel, the 12th
[00:39:33] chapter, excuse me, the 13th chapter, starting in the first verse. Hear now God's word for his people. That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there. And while the whole crowd stood on the
[00:39:56] beach, he told them many things in parables, saying, listen, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some fell on path. And the birds came and ate them up. Others' feeds fell upon the rocky
[00:40:15] ground, where they did not have much soil. And they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil.
[00:40:25] But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no roots, they withered away.
[00:40:32] other seeds fell upon thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them and other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain some a hundred fold some 60 some 30 let anyone with ears listen
[00:40:52] this is the word of god for us the people of god thanks be to god will you pray with me come Holy Spirit and tend our hearts remind us and bring to our hearts the good seed
[00:41:13] and remind us of God and no matter what we are no matter what we face and no matter what the condition of our hearts you are still good and your word brings life open our hearts
[00:41:34] to receive it in your mighty name we pray amen a few years back i wanted to try to my hand at growing things and as you know and i've said many times that is not a good forte of mine i'm not a great grower of
[00:41:52] things and though my wife can help me do some things and i can get to certain areas i'll tell you what i have so many tomatoes they're all green they're never going to turn ripe i i know that but
[00:42:05] But the point being is, a few years ago, I decided I was going to spread some seeds.
[00:42:12] And I got some carrots and I said, these are the most hardy things to grow.
[00:42:18] This will grow for me.
[00:42:20] So I got the seeds and I planted a row of carrots.
[00:42:26] You want to guess how many sprouted up for me?
[00:42:34] One carrot popped up through the soil.
[00:42:37] And I said, hey, I grew it.
[00:42:40] by the end of the season, I was like, it's got to be big. I pulled it out. It was only two inches long. And I don't think it was even that wide. See, the problem was, if I was saying, oh, it must
[00:42:56] have been, I picked up the packet of seeds at the end of the season, it must have been a bad batch of seeds.
[00:43:01] It must have been a bad batch of seeds because I did everything that I was supposed to, right?
[00:43:08] No.
[00:43:10] You see, the problem is, it's oftentimes we look at the seed and say something must have been wrong there.
[00:43:16] There must have been something wrong at the beginning, at the source of it, for it to have failed.
[00:43:24] My inability to grow things does not have anything to do with the creator of the seed.
[00:43:33] It has everything to do with my process of preparing the soil for the seed.
[00:43:40] in this parable oftentimes we hear this and we're like well hey this doesn't make sense we're talking about sowing the right seeds and a lot of a lot of pastors it's like well we got to make
[00:43:53] sure we got the right seed we want to work on the message no the gospel is the gospel the word of god is the word of god and he doesn't change it for anyone no matter what the type of soil he
[00:44:05] drops it, he allows it to go out. The abundance of the desire to spread the good seed. Remember, there's nothing wrong with the seed. But how many of us, how many of us get uncomfortable
[00:44:22] with the idea of spreading the seed of God, the kingdom, his word to other people?
[00:44:30] we're too afraid of breaking somebody's confidence maybe breaking their their opinion of us i want you to know something if their opinion shatters because you call the name of jesus i want you to know that probably not the kind of friend you want to be hanging out with
[00:44:51] you want to be able to say this is the gospel this is the one i get excited about the one that fuels me for the day. I want to know that the seed has planted in me and that it's bearing forth
[00:45:03] fruit. But here's the problem. The other part of this parable is what is the tender of your heart, the soil in which the gospel will hit. I'll be honest with you. There are many people tending
[00:45:22] your heart. There are many people tending your mind. There are many a people tending your souls that are not that qualified, kind of like me for the garden, to produce the right fruit in your life. I will tell you, Channel 3, Fox News, whatever, they are not tending your soul.
[00:45:49] So if you're looking for that, please turn it off because that's not going to get you the right tender heart. You're going to start seeing people as enemies. You're going to start seeing the people
[00:46:00] that you were supposed to be sharing the gospel with as enemies.
[00:46:04] That is not the point of this parable.
[00:46:10] God said, are you ready to pass out the seeds?
[00:46:15] No matter where and the condition of the heart, will you willingly put out the seed?
[00:46:20] And you know what happens?
[00:46:21] Sometimes when it falls on it, it's going to fall on some rocky path.
[00:46:25] People closed off, gated, not allowing it to come into the heart.
[00:46:30] And guess what happens?
[00:46:31] the word is useless right this is the beautiful thing watch what the gospel does it says that it fell on hard thing and it did not grow but yet the birds came by and it fed the birds
[00:46:47] think about it the gospel didn't go out no it didn't do anything yes it did it said somebody else if they were going to take it the word was still there sometimes we are so afraid of letting
[00:47:02] it out and that it will land on a flat that will not take root. But we realize that nothing comes back void. God is going to do something. Perhaps you're wondering if the time you spent with one
[00:47:15] of these kids, the VBS, isn't going to sink in. Maybe they won't get it. No. Cast out the seed, the good seed. There's nothing wrong with the seed of the gospel. Don't worry about that.
[00:47:30] Well, maybe there will be a few of them that have had some rocky starts.
[00:47:37] Maybe they've had some things in their path that are choking out their lives.
[00:47:40] Maybe they won't get very deep.
[00:47:42] What you do is you tend the soil you've got.
[00:47:46] Allow it to take root there.
[00:47:50] Maybe there's something that happened in somebody else's life.
[00:47:53] You don't know their lives.
[00:47:54] You may not know their full circumstances.
[00:47:56] But what you do is you say, I'm willing to plant it and let the roots do something wonderful thing.
[00:48:04] One of the things in nature, if you go up on these rock cliffs up in the mountains and you see these trees growing outside the side of the mountain, I always wondered, how did they grow? In this
[00:48:16] parable, how did they grow like that? Because it only took a little soil, good soil for it to take root. And not only that, but the roots in there will split rocks. It will break the foundation
[00:48:33] to the rocky starts of people's past. So if you are willing, will you cast the good seed?
[00:48:42] Will you cast good seed? Oh, but there are some of them that are hanging out with the wrong crowd.
[00:48:49] Oh, I think the parable talks to that too. They cast it out and they were among thorns and they choked out. You're right. But be the person who tends the soil underneath the ones who are
[00:49:02] grounded by thorns. Be that mentor. Be that person who shows up and shows up and shows up.
[00:49:10] But one who says, I don't know if I really need the gospel. I'm going to show up. I'm going to share the good news. I'm going to give you the good seeds and let it take root. Because sometimes
[00:49:24] bad things will happen in life moments where you don't know how you would ever make it through and those people who are among thorns are need somebody just like you who is willing to cast
[00:49:42] the seeds give them hope and give them life life giving words from the one who created them all and in those moments the parable says they choked up and they were out but if there are tenders of the heart
[00:50:08] if there are people willing to cast the seed that then all is not lost remember the word does not come back void and then there's the last one this is the easiest one you would think right
[00:50:29] good soil you want to know something my grandfather once told me If good soil is left alone It will grow rocks I have proof of this Because when I was younger Every spring I would have to take all the rocks
[00:50:46] And I'd wonder what happened All throughout the year How did he grow more rocks Because there would be more rocks in there The next year when spring came And I had to do the same thing over
[00:50:59] The point being is If you leave the good soil alone Guess what it gets done It gets used up. The nutrients goes away. And the thing that you thought was a perfectly good vegetable garden, and you put the row of carrots in, grows one carrot. Because you weren't tending
[00:51:22] the soil. I think of all of these groups, the scariest group is the good soil. Why? Because you think you've got it made in the shade, but you don't. You see, the point of this is, is you must
[00:51:40] tend the soil no matter where it is. If there is a rocky path in the way, get the pickaxe out and break the path up. If there are rocks in your way and making it impossible to grow deep, allow and
[00:51:56] feed that root so that it splits the rocks apart. If there is pots where there are thorns around mentor and have that good faith to reach out and to tend that soil as it grows. And remember,
[00:52:10] at one time or another, the thorns will start choking. And when you do that, pray they turn and say, you know what? That friend over here doesn't choke me out. That friend over there builds me up. That friend is there when I'm at my hardest road and helps me up. That person
[00:52:31] teaches me the gospel and shares good seeds, these seeds that seem to start to flourish in my heart trust me and trust the word because too often as Christ followers we believe there must be something wrong
[00:52:50] with the seed because that's the only thing I can possibly fathom for why we wouldn't willingly give it out and give it to everyone we come to because we are guarding it because either we don't believe it can do what it can do
[00:53:06] or perhaps we're the good soil.
[00:53:13] Perhaps we're the good soil and we've too long not tended our own soil to see the fruits of God.
[00:53:25] Brothers and sisters, Jesus was talking to a crowd, a crowd that had heard his witness, who had called, that had seen some wonderful miracles in their lives and yet they were struggling calling to follow after God, to pick up the seed and scatter it for themselves.
[00:53:44] So my question for you, my brothers and sisters, are you scared? Hesitant? Do you believe the seed can't do what you've seen and witnessed in your life? Are you willing to cast the seed?
[00:54:04] Perhaps this week you will get an opportunity. PBS is all around us. Maybe it'll be with a parent.
[00:54:12] maybe it will be with a child maybe it will be at the grocery store maybe it will be at the Mooresville Christian Mission or Feed NC maybe it will be in your household with your son, your daughter
[00:54:32] your loved one but will you cast a seed the good seed because we believe we believe as the faithful ones that seed is good what do you say that seed is good. Do you believe it? Do you believe it? Do you believe it? I believe God's
[00:55:07] word is going to do some great things this week. And I can't wait to see it. Will you pray with me?
[00:55:16] Heavenly Father, we thank you for you have sown good seed in our hearts, in our lives. And we may not have been the greatest soil when we received it at first we might have been anywhere on this
[00:55:30] spectrum but your good seed is still working in us and so holy god we give you the awesome wondrous project that is our hearts tend our hearts help us to tend our hearts and the hearts
[00:55:48] of others that they might receive your good seed your good word in their lives and be transformed bring forth life and multiply it oh god in your name we pray amen one of the things that i love
[00:56:06] about this next hymn we're going to close with is hymn of promise it talks about it too so i pray that as you hear these words as you sing them out you believe the hymn of promise you believe in the
[00:56:18] good soil you believe in the good seed and that you sing it out with heart and voice as we worship

[00:56:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:56:25] God let us stand and sing our closing worship song hymn of promise found on page 707 new God

[00:58:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:58:31] could you ever have imagined what God would have grown in you there are many out there in this world who are asking the same question what could God possibly do with me sow the seed my brothers
[00:58:50] and sisters and watch what God can do in lives just like you and in the lives of all the world that the kingdom of God might come and flourish. In the name of the Father,
[00:59:04] the Son, and Holy Spirit go in his power, his grace, and his love. Amen.