Embracing Growth: Trusting God in Our Spiritual Journey
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, everyone. Today, we continue our summer series, "Fertile Ground," focusing on the parables of Jesus. We all know people who make others better just by being around them—these are fruitful people. The Bible tells us that we are all designed to be fruitful, and Jesus' teachings are like seeds packed with potential. When these seeds fall on good soil in our hearts, they transform our lives, priorities, and attitudes, making us the fruitful people God intended us to be.
However, the spiritual life isn't a project to be completed quickly; it's a life to be lived. There's a tension between the good work we can do and the factors beyond our control. Jesus invites us to live in this tension through His parables. We can do good work like prayer and heart work, but we must also trust God to do what we cannot.
Jesus' parable of the sower teaches us about different types of soil representing our hearts. Hard hearts, rocky soil, and thorny ground all hinder the growth of God's word. But good soil, which hears, accepts, and receives the word, produces a bountiful harvest. This parable reminds us that we have good work to do in preparing our hearts to receive God's word.
In another parable, Jesus talks about a farmer who scatters seed on good soil. The seed grows whether the farmer is awake or asleep, illustrating that some aspects of growth are beyond our control. This teaches us to trust God and rest, knowing that He is at work even when we are not.
We are called to sow seeds of the gospel, love, service, and audacious prayers. We can invite others to experience God's work, serve our community, and pray boldly for transformation. Yet, all this work brings us to the edge of what we can control. At this point, we must trust God to do what only He can do.
The story of Adam and Eve reminds us that striving to be like God leads to disaster. Instead, we should trust in God's timing and ways. We are already made in His image and called to do good work within His will. So, we work, rest, and play, all as acts of worship to a good God who has made us to be fruitful.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Spiritual Life is a Journey, Not a Project: The spiritual life is not something to be completed quickly. It requires ongoing effort and patience. We must engage in good work like prayer and heart work, but also trust God to do what we cannot. This balance is crucial for spiritual growth. [02:27]
2. Different Types of Soil Represent Our Hearts: Jesus' parable of the sower teaches us about the conditions of our hearts. Hard hearts, rocky soil, and thorny ground hinder the growth of God's word. Good soil, which hears, accepts, and receives the word, produces a bountiful harvest. We must continually work on our hearts to make them fertile ground for God's word. [06:21]
3. Trust in God's Timing and Rest: In the parable of the growing seed, the farmer scatters seed on good soil, and it grows whether he is awake or asleep. This illustrates that some aspects of growth are beyond our control. We must trust God and rest, knowing that He is at work even when we are not. [13:28]
4. Sow Seeds of the Gospel, Love, and Service: We are called to sow seeds of the gospel, love, service, and audacious prayers. We can invite others to experience God's work, serve our community, and pray boldly for transformation. This is our part in God's plan, but we must also trust Him to bring the growth. [18:57]
5. Avoid Striving to Be Like God: The story of Adam and Eve reminds us that striving to be like God leads to disaster. Instead, we should trust in God's timing and ways. We are already made in His image and called to do good work within His will. So, we work, rest, and play, all as acts of worship to a good God who has made us to be fruitful. [26:45]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:07] - Introduction to Fertile Ground Series
[02:27] - The Tension in Spiritual Life
[03:44] - Practical and Earthy Faith
[05:02] - The Parable of the Sower
[06:21] - Different Types of Soil
[08:52] - Good Soil and Heart Work
[12:08] - The Parable of the Growing Seed
[13:28] - Trusting God's Timing
[16:04] - Personal Story of Ministry
[18:57] - Sowing Seeds of the Gospel
[20:26] - Seeds of Invitation and Service
[22:56] - Audacious Prayers
[24:11] - The Mystery of Growth
[25:29] - The Temptation to Be Like God
[28:12] - Jesus' Invitation to Trust
[30:50] - Heart Work and Limits
[33:25] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Mark 4:3-8 (NIV)
> "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."
2. Mark 4:26-29 (NIV)
> "He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.'"
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the different types of soil mentioned in the parable of the sower, and what do they represent? [06:21]
2. According to the parable of the growing seed, what happens to the seed after it is scattered on the ground? [13:28]
3. What are some examples of "good work" that we can do to prepare our hearts to receive God's word? [08:52]
4. How does the story of Adam and Eve relate to the concept of striving to be like God? [26:45]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How do the different types of soil in the parable of the sower reflect the conditions of our hearts? What might be some modern-day examples of "rocky soil" or "thorny ground"? [06:21]
2. In the parable of the growing seed, what does the farmer's inability to control the growth of the seed teach us about our role versus God's role in spiritual growth? [13:28]
3. How can the story of Adam and Eve serve as a warning against striving to be like God in our own lives? What are some ways we might be tempted to take control rather than trust in God's timing? [26:45]
4. What does it mean to sow seeds of the gospel, love, service, and audacious prayers in our daily lives? How can we balance this with trusting God to bring the growth? [18:57]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the condition of your heart. Is there an area where your heart might be hard, rocky, or thorny? What steps can you take this week to make your heart more like good soil? [08:52]
2. Think about a situation in your life where you are striving to control the outcome. How can you practice trusting God and resting in His timing instead? [13:28]
3. Identify one person in your life who needs to hear the gospel. What is one specific way you can sow a seed of the gospel in their life this week? [18:57]
4. Consider a community service project or act of kindness you can participate in this month. How can this be an act of sowing seeds of love and service? [20:26]
5. What is one audacious prayer you can start praying today? How can you commit to praying this prayer consistently over the next six months? [22:56]
6. Reflect on a time when you tried to take control of a situation rather than trusting in God's plan. What did you learn from that experience, and how can you apply that lesson to your current circumstances? [26:45]
7. How can you incorporate rest and play into your life as acts of worship? What is one specific way you can practice this in the coming week? [29:23]
Devotional
Day 1: The Spiritual Life is a Journey, Not a Project
The spiritual life is not something to be completed quickly. It requires ongoing effort and patience. We must engage in good work like prayer and heart work, but also trust God to do what we cannot. This balance is crucial for spiritual growth. The journey of faith is filled with moments of active engagement and times of waiting. We are called to do our part, but we must also recognize that some aspects of our growth are beyond our control. This tension invites us to trust in God's timing and His work in our lives. [02:27]
"For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." (Hebrews 10:36, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you need to practice more patience and trust in God's timing?
Day 2: Different Types of Soil Represent Our Hearts
Jesus' parable of the sower teaches us about the conditions of our hearts. Hard hearts, rocky soil, and thorny ground hinder the growth of God's word. Good soil, which hears, accepts, and receives the word, produces a bountiful harvest. We must continually work on our hearts to make them fertile ground for God's word. This involves self-examination, repentance, and a willingness to let God's word transform us. The state of our hearts determines how effectively we can receive and act upon God's teachings. [06:21]
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take today to cultivate a heart that is more receptive to God's word?
Day 3: Trust in God's Timing and Rest
In the parable of the growing seed, the farmer scatters seed on good soil, and it grows whether he is awake or asleep. This illustrates that some aspects of growth are beyond our control. We must trust God and rest, knowing that He is at work even when we are not. This parable encourages us to find peace in the knowledge that God is always working behind the scenes. Our role is to be faithful in our efforts and to rest in His promises. [13:28]
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" (Psalm 37:7, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate moments of rest and trust in God's work into your daily routine?
Day 4: Sow Seeds of the Gospel, Love, and Service
We are called to sow seeds of the gospel, love, service, and audacious prayers. We can invite others to experience God's work, serve our community, and pray boldly for transformation. This is our part in God's plan, but we must also trust Him to bring the growth. Our actions, words, and prayers are seeds that God can use to bring about change in the world. We are invited to participate in His work by being faithful in our efforts to love and serve others. [18:57]
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can show love and service to today, and how can you do it?
Day 5: Avoid Striving to Be Like God
The story of Adam and Eve reminds us that striving to be like God leads to disaster. Instead, we should trust in God's timing and ways. We are already made in His image and called to do good work within His will. So, we work, rest, and play, all as acts of worship to a good God who has made us to be fruitful. This perspective helps us to live humbly and dependently on God, recognizing that our value and purpose come from Him. [26:45]
"But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways are you tempted to take control of your life instead of trusting in God's plan, and how can you surrender this to Him today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Jesus said, hey, my teaching, are like seeds packed with power and potential. And when the seed falls on good soil in our hearts, when we absorb it, when we let it shape our hearts, our lives, our minds, our priorities, how we spend our time, our money, our attitudes, and when we engage with it and allow it to shape us, we become the fruitful people God designed for us to be." [01:07] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The spiritual life is not a project to be completed. It's a life to be lived. And so, as we're talking about this whole invitation all summer long to be fruitful people, there's a tension that we come up against. Jesus is going to invite us into today through a couple parables he stacks side by side. And this is the tension he's going to invite us to live in that we can't solve. We can't fix this. We just have to live in it, okay?" [02:27] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "There is good work that only you and I can do. Jesus has talked about prayer in several of the parables we've looked at all summer long, right? The work of prayer, that's good work. We're going to talk about work in our hearts. That's good work we can do. Only we can do it. And yet, all our work takes us to the edge of what we can control." [02:27] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We sow seeds of love and service. As individuals and as a church, we're going to go out and serve our community because God so loved it. God loves our community more than we do. And so we just want to tell people, we want to tell people who aren't looking for God, God's looking for you. Here's an example of it. Here's a demonstration of it." [21:32] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We sow seeds of audacious prayers. We looked at a parable last week where Jesus said, I want you to pray boldly, bold, audacious prayers. And he framed it up, kind of following up from his Lord's prayers, famous Lord's prayer, where he kind of gave us three things that never change, three things that will remain as audacious prayers come and go and needs come and go." [22:56] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "There is both good work we have to do that only you can do, and there are factors about fruitfulness that are beyond our control. There is good work that only you and I can do. Jesus has talked about prayer in several of the parables we've looked at all summer long, right? The work of prayer, that's good work. We're going to talk about work in our hearts. That's good work we can do. Only we can do it." [02:27] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The spiritual life is not a project to be completed. There are always going to be factors about fruitfulness beyond our ability to control or manufacture. And so today, we're going to look at two passages that Jesus stacks side by side, two different parables. And in them, he's going to use very similar kind of language and pictures, but he's going to call us to live in this tension together." [05:02] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We sow seeds of invitation. That is we can invite people to come and see what God is doing because God's not just doing amazing things, he's doing amazing things and I'm gonna tell you about it. I want you to know he's doing amazing things in this room he's really amazing isn't he he's a great funny guy he's an amazing us about these great stories that God has written and if you come to this in a à vibration done on people as I and I want you to know the things of the life of God that God's done for you you've done for the world and in the universe and what God has done for your life like a neighbor invited me." [18:57] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We sow seeds of love and service. As individuals and as a church, we're going to go out and serve our community because God so loved it. God loves our community more than we do. And so we just want to tell people, we want to tell people who aren't looking for God, God's looking for you. Here's an example of it. Here's a demonstration of it." [21:32] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We sow seeds of audacious prayers. We looked at a parable last week where Jesus said, I want you to pray boldly, bold, audacious prayers. And he framed it up, kind of following up from his Lord's prayers, famous Lord's prayer, where he kind of gave us three things that never change, three things that will remain as audacious prayers come and go and needs come and go." [22:56] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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