Sowing Seeds

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1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”. Matthew 13:1-8
I’m not much of a farmer or gardener, but think it is important to note when reading this parable that the sower was “scattering the seed”…. He (or she) was throwing it EVERYWHERE… not carefully placing it in the most promising locations. There is not a lot of skill involved in scattering seed…. walking through a field, taking a handful of seed and throwing it. Anyone can do it. A child can do it and be as effective as an adult. True to form as told in the parable, when you “scatter seed” in this manner some is bound to fall along the path, where the birds will find it and eat it up. Some will fall on rocky places, where there is not much soil. Some will fall among thorns, but some will fall on good soil, where it will produce a crop—“a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”.It is also important to note that in this parable what matters is not skill of the sower, but the quality of the soil upon which the seeds falls. Seed that falls on good soil will produce a crop, seed that does not will not.

We have been scattering seed for some time now and just as in the parable, some of our seed (resources of prayer, time, and yes, money) has fallen on roads, in rocky places, and amongst thorns. Praise God, though, some has fallen on fertile soil and has or is producing a crop, —“a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

After a time of prayer, preparation and waiting, last week we started an inductive Bible study for local church leaders of what the Word of God says about sex using Kay Arthur’s book “The Truth About Sex” as a guide. Talking about sex is taboo in many cultures and in spite of the ravaging effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic here in Africa the subject is never addressed in most churches, even though God’s Word openly and often addresses His purposes and guidelines for how we are to honor how He has created us as sexual beings.

With the subject matter being as sensitive a topic culturally as it is, it took some time and prayer to find a church and pastor willing to host or sponsor the study. Praise God, a local church responded to the call. In an effort to increase the yield (“a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”) it was prayerfully decided that the class should be for local church leaders… pastors, their spouses, youth leaders, elders…. that, once empowered by the teaching, would be able to take the information learned back to their respective churches, ministries, small groups, communities and workplaces to multiply the knowledge.

We were praying for 30 local church leaders to attend. Several days before the first class we received a registration list from the sponsoring church of 18 participants. The day before the first class we were told the list had grown to 30. The team responsible for the class agreed we should prepare materials and refreshments for 40, but in faith we prepared for 50. At the appointed starting time there were 4-6 people present, but the number started to quickly grow. By the time we started the Bible study, praise God, there were 60 adults in attendance, eager to hear and learn what God’s Word said about sex and learn a new way (inductive Bible study) to read, understand and learn His word on their own.

The information contained in the scripture presented was a blessing to them and their enthusiastic reception of and reaction to the new study methods and information contained in the scripture presented was a blessing to us. At the end of the first lesson when it was time for those interested in committing to completing the remaining five classes we found that there were more that wanted to continue than we had books for, (again, praise God!). We registered as many as we could accommodate and have many on a waiting list for a second class to be started when we receive additional books, probably in mid to late May.

We are now praying over offering additional topical inductive Bible studies and inductive studies of complete books of the Bible. Please join us in those prayers as well as thanking and praising Christ for the seeds we have sown finding this patch of fertile ground and pray that they will produce a crop of a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.