Casting Your Seeds

CASTING SEEDS

MATTHEW 13:1-13

INTRO-

OVERVIEW OF MATTHEW 13

FARMER WHO THROWS SEED- IT FALLS ON 4 DIFFERENT SOILS

1. PATHWAY

2. ROCKY

3. THORNY

4. GOOD SOIL

AS FATHERS, LEADERS OF OUR FAMILIES, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME TO MAKE SURE THE SEEDS FALL ON GOOD GROUND.

WE CAN REPEATEDLY THROW SEED UNTIL IT SETS IN GOOD SOIL AND WE SEE FRUIT.

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT GOD GROWS, AND NURTURES HIS SEED, BUT WE ARE REPEATEDLY TOLD TO THROW THE SEEDS AND HELP KEEP THE WEEDS OUT OF THE GARDEN.

WE WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO TEND TO THE FIELDS HE HAS INTRUSTED TO US.

THESE WOULD BE OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS...OUR WIFE AND OUR CHILDREN.

***THE BEST THING FOR A CHILD TO SEE IS A FATHER THAT LOVES HIS MOTHER

OUR SUCCESS DOESN’T DEPEND ON OUR FALLING DOWN OR MAKING MISTAKES AS MUCH AS IT DOES ON OUR ABILITY TO GET UP AND GET GOING AGAIN.

EVERYDAY IS A GOOD DAY TO START OVER AGAIN WITH RENEWED STRENGTH AND DETERMINATION, AND WE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT WISER FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

IF WE KEEP OUR VISION IN FOCUS AND FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN.

RAISING OUR FAMILY IS LIKE THROWING SEED, WE TRY EVERYTHING WE KNOW TO GET GROWTH.....

LIKE A FARMER...WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO GET THE GROUND TO BE FERTILE.

*** WE MUST PLANT, NO PLANTING , NO GROWTH, IF YOU DON’T PLANT, IT WON’T MATTER THAT YOU KEEP THE WEEDS OUT

***JOHNNY APPLESEED THREW SEEDS AND MOVED ON, AS PARENTS, WE THROW SEED AND WATCH THE FIELD.

JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE USES WHAT THEY CALL A PARABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE WANTS TO SAY.

A PARABLE IS SOMETHING THROWN BESIDE SOMETHING ELSE, A BETTER TERM...A COMPARISON.

IT IS A EARTHLY STORY WITH HEAVENLY MEANING. SOMETHING ON EARTH COMPARED TO SOMETHING IN HEAVEN.

***I AM ONE WHO WANTS IT IN SIMPLE STRAIGHT TERMS.... JUST GET TO THE FACTS DANNO

everyone that was at the lake was not interested in what Jesus had to say.

HE MOVED OUT IN A BOAT, BECAUSE THAT WAS LIKE OUR SOUND SYSTEM TODAY, IF YOU NOTE WHEN YOU ARE BY WATER, SOUND ECHO’S. JESUS WAS JUST MAKING HIMSELF AVAILABLE SO THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE COULD HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

PARABLES ALSO DO A COUPLE OTHER THINGS- PEOPLE THAT COME TO A SANCTUARY TO HEAR A MESSAGE ARE USUALLY BOUND UNTIL THE END OF THE SERMON TO LISTEN.

THIS WAS A OPEN AIR MEETING, LARGE SPACE....

JESUS USED PARABLES TO KEEP THEIR ATTENTION,

AND SAYINGS AND EXAMPLES THAT PEOPLE WERE USE TO.

IT IS A LOT EASIER TO REACH PEOPLE WHEN THEY GIVE YOU THEIR ATTENTION AND THEY CAN RELATE TO YOU.

****TODAY IS FATHER’S DAY, A DAY WE HONOR FATHERS. MOTHERS DAY IS THE DAY MOST FLOWERS ARE BOUGHT, AND THE GREATEST NUMBER OF LONG DISTANCE CALLS ARE MADE. FATHERS DAY IS THE DAY MOST COLLECT CALLS ARE MADE.

ILLUSTRATION-“A LITTLE BOY WAS ASKED TO DEFINE FATHERS DAY. “IT’S JUST LIKE MOTHERS DAY, ONLY YOU DON’T SPEND AS MUCH ON THE PRESENT.”

***GROWING UP IN THE 60 S AS A KID....I REMEMBER “FATHER KNOWS BEST” AND “LEAVE IT TO BEAVER”....WHOLESOME SHOWS WITH GOOD MORAL VALUES.

***IN THE 90’S IT WAS “MARRIED WITH CHILDREN”..THIS WAS A GUY WHO WAS NOT FAMILY ORIENTED, LIVING HAD NO PURPOSE, IT WAS A SLAP TO MANHOOD TO BE OF THE SAME SPECIES AS HIM.

***EVEN THE SHOW “HOME IMPROVEMENT”, WITH ALL THE MAN POWER, ALL THE MASCULINITY...SHOWED A MAN THAT DIDN’T MAKE GOOD FAMILY DECISIONS.

***I STILL STAND BY MY STATEMENT–“CHRISTIANS ARE NOT WHIMPS, AND WHIMPS DON’T MAKE GOOD CHRISTIANS”

I WANT US TO LOOK AT SOWING SEEDS IN LIGHT OF OUR FAMILIES. FATHERS, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE AS WE ARE THROWING SEEDS THAT IT GETS TO GOOD GROUND AND PRODUCES FRUIT AND DOES NOT DIE.

“Throwing seeds...any good thing we can teach or apply to a persons life that lines up with God’s word.

IF YOU ARE HERE THIS MORNING, AND YOU HAVEN’T GOT CHILDREN, I WANT YOU TO DETERMINE THAT YOU WILL THROW SEEDS OUT TO OTHER CHILDREN, OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE YOU ARE IN CONTACT WITH.

ILLUSTRATION- “REAL MEN ARE NOT JUST THE ONES THAT HAVE MUSCLES POPPING OUT EVERYWHERE (THOUGH THEY MIGHT) I KNOW PLENTY OF PHYSICALLY STRONG CHRISTIANS, BUT MEN, MEASURED BY GOD’S STANDARDS ARE THOSE THAT HAVE A HIGH REGUARD FOR FAMILY AND TAKE THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND THEM SERIOUS. ***COMCAST WEIGHT LIFTER

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT A FATHER SHOULD BE LIKE.

**HE PROVIDES

**HE CARES

**HE NURTURES

**HE WANTS TO SPEND TIME WITH US

**HE SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE

***NOT LIKE CHARLES BARKLEY, THE BASKETBALL PLAYER WHO STANDS AND SAYS HE IS NOT A ROLE MODEL FOR KIDS AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE LOOKING TO HIM FOR ONE.