Sermon Central
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Encourage: Plant A Tree
Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 6, 2024 (message contributor)
There was a man that looked around the barren community where he lived. The man wanted to do something to help the lifeless areas around his community. The man decided there was nothing he could do to help his neighbors. He prayed and asked God to help him help his family and his friends to bring life back to his community. After much prayer the man decided it was beyond his abilities to help. The erosion brought destruction to the land.
Several kids collected ACORNS from around some big oak trees just outside of town. They put the acorns in several sacks. The young boys tried to sell the bags of acorns. The farmer might buy the acorns to feed his pigs. No one was interested. The boys saw this man sitting in the dirt and ruins around him. They told the man we will sell you these bags of acorns for fifty cents, no one else wants them. The man said I will pay you a quarter for all of them. The boys made a deal and left the bags of acorns.
The erosion and dirt had destroyed the land. The ponds had dried up. The man sat there and thought, since I have all these acorns I might as well plant them. He started by planting the acorns in his yard. He had thousands of acorns left. He asked his neighbors: CAN I PLANT SOME ACORNS AROUND YOUR HOUSE? The man planted hundreds of acorns all around his community. He planted thousands of acorns. Soon little seedlings were growing. In a few years the seedlings were huge oak trees. The roots of the trees stopped the erosion and green life returned. The little village came back to life. Grass started growing in the shade of the trees. Squirrels returned, birds were singing. There was new life all around. God heard the man’s prayer. In time the village began to thrive again. The Lord heard the prayer but it REQUIRED EFFORT AND PATIENCE.
SOMEONE HAD TO QUIT TALKING AND COMPLAINING. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! WITH EFFORT, PATIENCE AND VISION YOU CAN ENCOURAGE OTHERS. GOD CAN USE YOUR HANDS IN HOPELESS, HELPLESS SITUATIONS. WHY SIT AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO SOMETHING? YOU GET UP AND DO WHAT YOU CAN!
YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY MIGHT VERY WELL OUT LIVE YOUR DAYS.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
IN SRI LANKA IS THE OLDEST KNOWN PLANTED TREE… A HUMAN PLANTED A SACREDBO-TREE SEED. (FIG TREE)
THE TREE IS 2,300 YEARS OLD. In the garden at Gethsemane there are several OLIVE TREES that are believed to have been the trees Jesus prayed under still living today. YOUR SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT MIGHT OUT LIVE YOU!
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