Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001379A
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01:30 ♪[Music]♪
01:40 ♪[Music]♪ 01:49 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 01:52 Thanks for joining me. 01:53 One of my enduring memories from my childhood 01:55 is my father's vegetable garden. 01:58 It was magnificent. 02:00 We always had a great big garden. 02:01 Dad grew everything, 02:03 so we ate a lot of wonderful, fresh food 02:05 that went straight from the garden to our kitchen table. 02:08 My dad dug that big garden by hand. 02:11 He'd dig row after row and he'd add whatever he could 02:14 to the soil to build it up and make it rich. 02:16 I remember, I remember the dirt being full of worms, 02:18 which is usually a good sign that your soil is good. 02:22 My father grew, oh, you name it: Sweetcorn, fantastic. 02:26 Potatoes: we'd eat potatoes half an hour or so after they were 02:30 taken out of the ground. 02:31 Hmm. 02:32 Carrots, lettuce. 02:34 Peas and beans that I'd eat straight off the vine. 02:36 I'd pick them, eat half of them 02:38 before they made it back to the kitchen. 02:40 Beets of course, we called that beetroot. 02:42 Pumpkins... We'd pick the pumpkins 02:44 and they'd last all winter long. 02:47 Now, Dad's tomatoes never did too well; 02:48 I'm not sure why. 02:49 So they were the exception. 02:51 It seems that every year 02:52 we'd wait to see if the tomatoes had the blight. 02:56 I still don't know what that blight was, 02:58 but I knew it was not good for tomatoes. 03:00 But you name it and it was in our garden. 03:03 Certain things just sprang up every year. 03:05 One of them was something called chokos, 03:07 often called chayote. 03:09 They just sprang up on their own; 03:10 they grew pretty well everywhere. 03:12 I never knew how to grow them 03:13 ‘cause I didn't have to know. 03:14 They just, they just grew. 03:16 My mother was a genius at cooking them; 03:18 she would cook them in any old way she chose. 03:20 And we lived like kings and queens, 03:22 because we ate out of that magnificent garden. 03:26 Jesus often talked about agriculture. 03:29 Or horticulture. 03:31 He didn't say too much about the best way to grow a garden. 03:34 He had his mind on higher things. 03:36 He talked about, he talked about faith like a mustard seed. 03:39 He said the kingdom of heaven like, was like wheat that grew: 03:42 “first the blade, then the head, 03:45 after that the full grain in the head.” 03:47 He talked about a man who had a wheat field, 03:49 and someone came along and sowed weeds in with the wheat, 03:52 causing big problems. 03:55 And He talked about a sower who went out to sow. 04:00 Today I'm continuing a series called “Lessons for All Time,” 04:04 in which we're looking at the parables of Jesus. 04:07 Today we're in Matthew, chapter 13. 04:08 Matthew, chapter 13. 04:11 And we're going to begin reading 04:12 in Matthew, chapter 13, and verse 3: 04:16 “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: 04:20 ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. 04:23 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; 04:27 and the birds came and devoured them. 04:31 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; 04:35 and they immediately sprang up because 04:37 they had no depth of earth. 04:39 But when the sun was up they were scorched, 04:42 and because they had no root they withered away. 04:45 And some fell among thorns, 04:46 and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 04:49 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: 04:52 some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.' 04:55 And then Jesus said, 04:57 ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'” 05:02 So this being a parable, who is this sower we read about? 05:05 Well, that's Jesus, the Sower who came to the world 05:08 to scatter the heavenly grain of truth. 05:11 You could imagine in that agrarian society 05:12 there might have been a sower growing seed, 05:14 or sowing seed near where Jesus taught. 05:18 Maybe those who were listening to Jesus 05:19 could see someone sowing seed as Jesus spoke to them. 05:22 If that were so, that would really, 05:24 that would really anchor the lesson 05:25 into the minds of the people. 05:27 The sower goes forth to sow. 05:30 Now, these days you're more likely to see 05:31 a tractor plowing a field and then planting the seed. 05:35 Where I grew up there used to be big cornfields. 05:38 Today, the corn's all gone and instead 05:40 there's a great big crop of warehouses and businesses 05:43 that have sprung up in its place. 05:45 The seed is the word of God. 05:48 And there's something powerful here. 05:50 In each case, when the seed got into the soil, 05:54 something happened. 05:56 God's word is powerful, and it makes a difference. 06:00 Something grows; something is produced 06:03 when the word of God gets into a person's heart. 06:06 And notice, the idea is that there's a harvest. 06:11 When you plant a garden you don't normally put the seed 06:13 into the ground just for the sake of it. 06:15 You have an objective in mind: 06:17 you want a harvest! 06:19 You know, when Jesus returns there will be a harvest. 06:23 In Matthew, chapter 13, it says, 06:25 “The harvest is the end of the world.” 06:27 When Jesus comes back, 06:28 there'll be people ready to meet Him 06:29 and ready to spend eternity with Him. 06:32 And that's because the word of God got into their hearts 06:36 and something powerful happened. 06:38 If you want to see growth in your life, 06:41 if you want to see the right fruit in your life, 06:43 if you want there to be change 06:44 and maturity and spiritual strength, 06:47 the key is to get the word of God into your heart, 06:52 into your mind. 06:54 When the seed of God's word gets into the soil of your heart, 06:58 that seed is going to grow. 07:01 It's important for us to know that. 07:03 Because so many people are struggling 07:05 with things in their life that they wish were not there. 07:07 Sin. 07:08 Bad habits. 07:09 Something in your character that you want to change. 07:11 Some people are miserable because of what they are. 07:15 You want change? 07:17 Get the word of God into your life. 07:19 Put the seed into the ground; 07:20 it grows. 07:22 Get God's word into your heart; 07:24 it'll grow and you'll become strengthened. 07:26 You'll become a new person as God's presence, 07:30 through His word, takes over your life. 07:33 Now, in this parable Jesus emphasized 07:35 that there's different types of soil that the seed falls into. 07:39 Different people respond to the word of God in different ways, 07:42 just like different growing conditions, 07:44 different soil and growing conditions 07:47 impact a seed in different ways. 07:50 I mentioned a few months ago 07:51 we had something called chokos, or chayote. 07:54 They grew like weeds in our garden when I was growing up. 07:58 Pumpkins were the same. 07:59 Ours seemed to thrive on neglect. 08:02 We never even watered them, 08:04 but they grew and produced prolifically. 08:07 Now, on the other hand, 08:08 watermelon were about impossible. 08:10 I don't know why. 08:12 We just couldn't get them to grow. 08:13 My father-in-law? 08:15 He grows some of the best watermelon on the planet, 08:19 rivaled only by the watermelon grown by 08:22 my buddy Bob Wint in southern Tennessee. 08:25 Few things in this world taste better than good watermelon. 08:30 But you know, that seed might do well in certain conditions, 08:33 and not so good in others. 08:35 It didn't do well in ours. 08:37 Jesus taught this in the parable of the sower. 08:41 Now, in this parable Jesus identified 08:43 four different outcomes for the seed that was planted. 08:47 Most outcomes were not great, but one, excellent. 08:53 So which outcome best describes you? 08:58 We'll look at that in just a moment. 08:59 ♪[Music]♪ 09:09 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future 09:10 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 09:14 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 09:17 free planned giving and estate services. 09:20 For information on how we can help you, 09:22 please call 800-992-2219 09:27 Call today, or visit our website, 09:29 HisLegacy.com 09:31 Call 800-992-2219 09:37 >>John: Today I'd like to send you a booklet that demonstrates 09:39 how God foretold world events with absolute accuracy, 09:43 thousands of years in advance. 09:45 This booklet is called: “Can God Be Trusted?” 09:48 and its absolutely free. 09:50 Just call 1-800-253-3000 09:52 and ask for “Can God Be Trusted” 09:55 If the lines busy, please do keep on trying. 09:58 Or you can write to us at 09:59 It Is Written P.O. Box 6 Chattanooga, TN 37401 10:05 We'll mail a free copy to your address in North America. 10:09 >>John: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 10:12 I'm John Bradshaw. 10:14 In the Parable of the Sower, 10:15 Jesus talked about a man who sowed seed on his land. 10:19 Most of the seed grew up, 10:21 but, but not all of it really came to much. 10:23 There were four different growing conditions 10:26 Jesus identified, four different outcomes 10:29 when the seed was planted into the ground. 10:31 He said some seed fell by the wayside, 10:34 a path running along the edge of the field. 10:36 When the seed was scattered, 10:37 some of it inevitably landed on that pathway. 10:40 That seed wouldn't even germinate. 10:42 It got beaten, trodden and trampled, 10:44 ultimately devoured by the birds of the air. 10:47 Jesus said the birds here represent the evil one, Satan. 10:51 The wayside hearers are those, 10:53 well, superficial hearers upon whom the truth 10:56 of the gospel have no effect. 10:57 They just don't respond to God's love and grace and mercy. 11:03 It all rolls off them like water off a duck's back. 11:05 And think about that: the word of God intersects 11:09 with some lives and those lives are unaffected, 11:13 for a variety of reasons. 11:15 Before it can take root, 11:16 Satan snatches the seed of God's word away. 11:20 Next we have seed that falls into stony ground. 11:23 Now, you'll find where I live in Tennessee 11:25 areas where there's a lot of rock, 11:27 near the surface of the ground, 11:29 its covered by a thin layer of soil. 11:31 That doesn't do much to help a garden prosper. 11:34 Here the gospel seed falls into the hearts of the hearers 11:37 and finds enough soil to germinate, 11:38 but that the soil is shallow. 11:42 No depth. 11:43 One of the great things about this parable 11:44 is that Jesus interpreted it for us. 11:46 In talking about this he said in Matthew, 11:48 chapter 13, verses 20 and 21, 11:51 “But he who received the seed on stony places, 11:55 this is he who hears the word 11:57 and immediately receives it with joy; 11:59 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. 12:04 For when tribulation or persecution arises 12:07 because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” 12:12 You know, people can be like that. 12:13 The seed of God's word goes in, 12:15 it takes root, and it grows, for a time. 12:19 But there's no depth. 12:21 Some people will respond to the Gospel on an emotional level, 12:26 but when difficulties come or if there's trouble or persecution, 12:28 you find their roots just don't go down very far. 12:32 If they're challenged, 12:33 if their lives are shaken in anyway, 12:35 they just don't last with Jesus. 12:37 And challenges do come. 12:38 Opposition can come. 12:40 A friend of mine told me that in his academic field 12:42 it's challenging to be a Christian because, 12:45 because so many of the academics are atheists. 12:47 And he said they tend to discriminate 12:49 against Bible believing Christians, 12:51 at least in his environment. 12:53 I'd like to think that's not always the case, 12:54 but it was his experience. 12:56 He said a lot of his peers turned away 12:59 from faith in Christ because, from a career perspective, 13:03 it just made things easier. 13:06 Now, most of us living in the western world 13:08 don't really know much of anything about persecution. 13:11 But I've met people who've had to hide their faith; 13:14 I know people who have had family members executed 13:16 for their faith in Jesus, 13:18 people who fled their homeland for a chance 13:20 at being able to worship God freely. 13:22 Of course, not all challenges are that severe. 13:25 But however they come, you don't want challenges 13:28 or obstacles to push you away from God. 13:30 Instead, let them, let them push you towards God. 13:34 And some of the seed fell among thorns. 13:37 In verse 22, Jesus defined the thorns of the Christian life 13:41 as the “cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.” 13:45 The people represented here don't wither away 13:49 as rapidly as the stony ground hearers. 13:51 In fact, they look like they're doing well 13:54 when they get started on their journey. 13:56 But they get sidetracked and distracted. 14:00 It's easy to get busy with the cares of this world. 14:04 For some people it's business or family. 14:06 Maybe, maybe a sport. 14:09 Some people are so blessed with money, 14:11 but the blessing becomes a curse 14:13 when they start to love money more than they love God. 14:16 Weeds, of whatever kind, 14:18 don't usually appear immediately when the seed is sown. 14:21 The seed takes root; it springs up; 14:23 it begins to look like a plentiful crop is on the way. 14:25 But given a chance, thorns or weeds 14:28 will overtake your garden and prevent you from growing. 14:31 That's how it works spiritually. 14:33 We reap what we sow. 14:34 And the busyness or the distractions of life 14:37 can prevent you from reaching spiritual maturity. 14:41 You can be so busy you think you don't have time to pray, 14:44 or don't have time to read the Bible, 14:46 or be involved in church, 14:47 or with sharing your faith. 14:49 You never reach your potential that way. 14:52 That way, you can never become what God wants you to become. 14:57 When you're gardening, weeds need to be pulled out. 15:00 It's important to weed negative influences out of your life. 15:05 Now, they can be people, associations, places, 15:08 things you read or listen to. 15:10 The old habits of a life of sin are not completely weeded out; 15:15 if you allow Satan to take root in your life, 15:18 God's word will be choked right out of your heart. 15:23 I remember my Dad doing battle with a weed called Convolvulus. 15:27 Even though it had a pretty flower, 15:28 it was a nuisance. 15:30 It could take over a garden 15:31 and choke the life out of everything else. 15:35 But Dad spent hours and hours one year 15:36 getting rid of this menace. 15:39 But if he didn't? 15:40 If he didn't, that whole garden and his years of work 15:43 would be completely ruined. 15:46 Just like that weed had to be rooted out 15:48 so the garden could be saved, 15:50 there are negative influences, destructive things, 15:53 some of which look good, 15:55 that have to be uprooted and pulled out of the life. 15:57 You need to be honest about this, 15:59 because some of these can be things you love. 16:01 Weeds can be destructive. 16:04 Getting rid of them can take vigilance and effort. 16:08 It takes faith in God and surrender to His will 16:11 to get the weeds of sin out of your life. 16:13 But let me tell you, it's worth it. 16:16 Here's how Paul explained how he kept the weeds of sin 16:19 out of his heart. 16:21 He said this in Galatians, chapter 2 and verse 20. 16:26 “I have been crucified with Christ; 16:29 it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; 16:32 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith 16:36 in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 16:42 Jesus in your heart is to sin 16:47 what a powerful weed killer is to weeds. 16:52 So did any of the seed in the parable thrive? 16:55 Yes, some did. 16:57 And that can be you. 16:59 How? 17:00 We'll take a look at that right ahead. 17:03 ♪[Music]♪ 17:11 Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 17:14 “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 17:17 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” 17:21 “Every Word” is a one-minute, 17:22 Bible-based daily devotional presented by 17:25 Pastor John Bradshaw, 17:26 and designed especially for busy people like you. 17:29 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 17:32 or watch it online every day on our website, 17:34 ItIsWritten.com 17:36 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:39 Watch “Every Word.” 17:40 You'll be glad you did. 17:42 Here's a sample. 17:45 ♪[Theme music]♪ 17:51 >>John: It's good to know the difference 17:53 between right and wrong. 17:54 But sometimes a person might feel as though he or she 17:57 needs to straighten out people 17:58 who don't see things his or her way. 18:01 In the parable of the wheat and tares, 18:02 some men asked the farmer if they should uproot weeds 18:05 growing among the wheat, 18:06 and he replies by saying in Matthew 13:29, 18:09 “No, lest while you gather up the tares 18:11 you also uproot the wheat with them.” 18:14 Now, these were weeds, 18:15 yet God advised caution in dealing with them. 18:18 He said he'd take care of that. 18:20 We can surely see here that God's wish is that 18:22 we are patient and careful with erring people. 18:24 As with children or plants, 18:26 rough treatment can be disastrous. 18:28 Do what you can do today to encourage people, 18:32 rather than working to uproot them. 18:34 Usually, what failing people need most 18:37 is kindness and caring. 18:39 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 18:41 Let's live today by every word. 18:46 >>John: In the parable of the sower, 18:48 a man sowed seed in his field. 18:51 Some of it fell on the wayside and was eaten by birds. 18:53 In the experience of some people, 18:55 the seed of God's word is sown but Satan 18:57 snatches it away and it does not take root in the human heart. 19:01 Some seed landed where there was no depth, 19:03 the plant grew up but couldn't last without deeper soil. 19:07 Jesus said this represented people 19:08 who accept the word of God, 19:10 but when trials come they don't have any depth. 19:13 Trials separate them from faith in God 19:16 instead of driving them to faith in God. 19:19 Then there were the people who rejoiced in the word of God, 19:21 but the cares of this world distracted them, 19:24 and they lost their way. 19:25 They're the ones represented by the thorny ground. 19:29 But then some of the seed fell into good soil. 19:33 So now we see the heart responding to the softening 19:36 influence of the word of God and the Holy Spirit. 19:39 A good crop is produced. 19:41 And that's the object of faith: 19:43 to give yourself to God in such a way that His righteousness 19:47 is seen in your life. 19:49 If you've ever done much growing you'll have had something 19:52 that looked good but didn't produce anything. 19:55 A fruit tree maybe, a bush of some kind. 19:58 You might keep the plant or tree for decorative purposes, 20:01 but if you're serious about a harvest, 20:03 that fruitless tree or bush or plant is going to go. 20:07 The idea is to produce fruit. 20:11 Remember the thorny ground hearers: 20:13 things started well but withered 20:14 in the face of difficulty and opposition. 20:17 But things are different in the hearts 20:18 of the good ground hearers. 20:20 The changes that we see here are permanent and effective. 20:23 Can you see what's happened? 20:24 As the seed takes root in the good soil, 20:27 the life is transformed; the heart changes. 20:32 And this doesn't happen by chance. 20:34 It happens because a person perseveres in faith, 20:38 and clings to God in spite of whatever 20:40 may happen in their life. 20:42 In Jesus, this believer sees something worth holding onto 20:46 no matter what. 20:48 Jesus said in Matthew 13 and verse 23: 20:52 “But he who received seed on the good ground 20:56 is he who hears the word and understands it, 20:59 who indeed bears fruit and produces: 21:02 some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” 21:07 A fruitful life. 21:08 Now, that's what we want to live. 21:10 And we can, and we will, when the word of God 21:13 enters your life and is allowed to do its work. 21:16 The good ground here didn't force itself to produce. 21:20 It's just what happened when the word of God got in, 21:22 and there was depth, and the weeds were kept out. 21:26 Growth happens when the conditions are right. 21:31 I have family living in New York City 21:33 who decided to grow a garden on their balcony in Manhattan. 21:37 Mum and Dad bought containers and bags of soil 21:40 and the children got involved and helped, 21:41 and they grew eggplant and lettuce and strawberries 21:44 and mint and more tomatoes than they could count. 21:48 Right there in New York City! 21:50 The children learned quickly that 21:51 if you want a garden to grow successfully, 21:53 if you, if you get the growing conditions right, 21:57 good soil, 21:58 the right amount of water, 21:59 you keep the pests away, 22:01 then you have the elements of success 22:03 even on a New York City balcony. 22:06 It's the same with the spiritual life. 22:07 Attend to the soil of the heart, 22:10 let the Spirit of God take root 22:11 and you will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. 22:15 Gladys Mary Talbot tells the story of a pine tree 22:18 that grew near a beautiful lake in Maine. 22:20 It was loved by people all around. 22:23 One day the pine was glad to notice a little spruce tree 22:25 had been planted nearby. 22:27 It was glad because for some time 22:28 it had wanted the company of other trees. 22:31 The spruce tree asked the pine tree 22:33 how he could grow as big as the pine tree. 22:36 The pine tree said, 22:38 “If you want to grow as tall and as big as me, 22:41 then you need to look upward every day.” 22:45 Which the spruce tree did. 22:47 And it grew into beautiful, tall tree. 22:49 Just a story, now. 22:50 You won't find too many talking trees. 22:54 But the story makes a good point. 22:55 If you want to grow spiritually, 22:58 put your roots deep into the soil of God's word, 23:00 and look up. 23:01 Look up. 23:03 Don't allow the devil to snatch God's word out of your heart. 23:06 Don't be shallow; 23:07 don't let trials turn you away from a loving God; 23:09 and don't let the cares of life distractions, 23:13 busyness, choke spiritual life out of you. 23:17 Friend, look up, look toward God in faith and Jesus Christ, 23:22 who died for you. 23:23 Look up, and let God grow you; 23:26 let God prepare you for eternity with Him. 23:29 Make it your business to read the Bible. 23:32 Carve out some time every day and read. 23:36 Pray. 23:37 Commit parts of the Bible to memory. 23:40 And the good seed of God's word will reach down 23:43 deep into the soil of your heart, 23:46 and then will grow up and produce a harvest for eternity. 23:51 ♪[Music]♪ 23:59 >>John: Today I'd like to send you a booklet that demonstrates 24:01 how God foretold world events with absolute accuracy, 24:05 thousands of years in advance. 24:07 This booklet is called: “Can God Be Trusted?” 24:10 and its absolutely free. 24:11 Just call 1-800-253-3000 24:14 and ask for “Can God Be Trusted” 24:17 If the lines busy, please do keep on trying. 24:20 Or you can write to us at: 24:21 It Is Written P.O. Box 6 Chattanooga, TN 37401 24:27 We'll mail a free copy to your address in North America. 24:30 It Is Written is a faith based ministry, 24:33 and your support makes it possible for us 24:35 to share God's good news with the world. 24:39 Your tax-deductible gift 24:40 can be sent to the address on your screen. 24:42 Or through our website at itiswritten.com 24:46 Thank you for your continued prayerful support. 24:48 Again our toll free number is 800-253-3000 24:53 and our web address is itiswritten.com 24:59 >>John: There's power in the word of God, 25:01 but how do you get that power into your life? 25:03 Let me take a couple of moments to share with you, 25:05 how you can practically experience God's power; 25:08 the power in His word, 25:10 in your life. 25:11 When you come to the bible there are hundreds and hundreds, 25:13 its even been said thousands of promises in God's word. 25:17 Those are promises that are made to you, 25:20 and you can claim those promises and tell God 25:23 that you expect Him to do for you 25:25 what He says in the bible that He will do. 25:28 Now careful, 25:30 you don't want to be presumptuous, 25:31 this is about faith not presumption. 25:33 So if you were living a life in opposition to God, 25:36 you're not repentant, 25:38 you're not stretched out before God, 25:40 you wouldn't ordinarily be expecting too much. 25:43 That's not to say that God doesn't do great things 25:46 for people who, are way outside of God's will, 25:48 but typically these promises are made to people of faith. 25:52 So, not presumption, faith. 25:55 You go to the promises of God; 25:56 Philippians 4:19 is a great example, it says: 25:59 “And my God shall supply all your need 26:04 according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 26:06 Now you heard that. 26:08 Paul wrote to the church at Philippi 26:10 and he said that God will supply your need. 26:14 How does that work in our lives? 26:16 You need to make the rent payment, 26:17 a car payment, 26:19 and you just try as you might, 26:20 don't know where the money's going to come from. 26:22 You go to God, you say God I need your help with this. 26:25 There is a way you can get me through. 26:26 I'm claiming Philippians 4:19, 26:28 you have said that you will supply my need. 26:31 Here it is written in the bible, 26:34 and I'm asking and expecting you to do so. 26:38 And then you watch and see God do great things. 26:41 Pray, but pray on the basis of the promises 26:43 that God has made to you; these promises are for you. 26:49 Now careful, sometimes you'll claim a promise, 26:51 maybe about health; somebody dies. 26:55 Well this is where faith comes in. 26:56 We don't always see the big picture 26:59 and if someone's life was dependent 27:01 simply upon claiming a promise of God, well who would die? 27:06 You've got to remember that not 27:07 all of our prayers are answered. 27:09 And when that happens we defer to the will of God 27:11 and believe that in eternity we will understand 27:14 why these things are so. 27:17 Now there's another promise in proverbs chapter 3 27:22 starting in verse 5: 27:23 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 27:25 lean not unto your own understanding; 27:27 in all your ways acknowledge Him, 27:29 and He shall direct your paths." 27:32 That's a promise. 27:34 God promises to guide you, 27:36 to bless you, 27:37 to lead in your life. 27:39 It's the promise of God for you. 27:41 You go to God, you say: God here's what you have said. 27:44 I believe it, 27:45 I'm trusting you, 27:46 I'm expecting you. 27:47 When you pray like that, and you take God's word 27:49 and His promises to Him like that in faith, 27:52 you can expect to see God do great things. 27:55 ♪[Music]♪ 28:02 If you'll let the word of God in take root in your life, 28:05 then you can expect the word of God 28:07 will produce a harvest in your life: 28:09 a harvest of righteousness, 28:10 a harvest of peace, 28:13 a harvest of confidence, 28:15 and a harvest of hope. 28:17 Let's pray together now. 28:20 Our Father in Heaven, I thank you for your word. 28:23 We're just humans here, Lord. 28:24 We struggle, we are weak, 28:27 we battle, 28:29 we have tendencies towards walking in the wrong way. 28:34 We love sin way too much. 28:37 And yet you call us to live holy lives. 28:41 Thank you, Lord, for allowing that to happen 28:44 through the power of your word. 28:47 Give us grace to hide your word in our hearts. 28:51 Let it be a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. 28:56 We remember David asked the question, 28:58 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways?” 29:01 and answered it by saying, 29:03 “By taking heed thereto according to your word.” 29:06 Give us grace to do that, 29:08 that your word would be our guide and our strength, 29:11 and that through the power of your word 29:14 we can be everything you want us to be, 29:16 and ready to meet Jesus when he comes again. 29:19 Keep us until then, we pray, 29:22 in Jesus' name, 29:24 Amen. 29:26 Thanks so much for joining me today. 29:27 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:30 Until then, remember: 29:32 It is written, 29:34 man shall not live by bread alone, 29:36 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 29:41 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2017-08-07