Which Heart Is Yours?
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Throughout much of Jesus' ministry, He used parables to teach a truth. In the parable of the Seed and the Sower, we learn about our "heart" condition.
Our goal is to have the kind of heart that accepts the Word of God and begin to reproduce our hearts in the lives of other people.
So let's get started...
1. The Hard Heart - (vv.4,19)
Jesus is talking about the person who has been exposed to the Gospel but doesn't
fully comprehend what is being said. It has had some level of impact upon him,
but not enough to really sink in. This is a person who is not saved.
This kind of heart is influenced by Satan.
2. The Shallow Heart - (vv.5,6,20,21)
This person hears the gospel and about God's grace and says "Sign me up!" but
when they find out that the Christian life is not all roses they say, "Count me
out!" Their commitment is on the surface, and when trouble comes their way they
are quick to renege on the commitment they have made.
This heart is influenced by the flesh.
3. The Crowded Heart - (vv.7,22)
This person has so much going on in his life that he has very little time for
God. His concern is on the "cares of this life" and the "lure of material
things" that in time Christ is left out of the picture.
This heart is influenced by the world.
In these three types of hearts we find three influences - the world, the flesh,
and the devil. These are the same influences that we are warned against
(1 John 2:15-17).
4. The Fertile Heart - (vv.8,9,23)
How do we have a fertile heart? First, we have to hear the Word of God before
we can accept it. Sit down and study the Bible daily. Second, accept God's
Word into your heart (ask the Holy Spirit to commune with your innermost man)
and mind.
The result of this kind of heart is a harvest.
Have a blessed week,
Pastor Gary
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
A New Life Begins
I'm sitting in the waiting room at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI waiting for a baby girl to be born (it's 8:10 PM). Her name is Emma and she is almost here. Her mom, Andrea, is working hard to bring her into this world. She's going through a lot of pain but I'm sure when Emma gets here she will say it was worth it all.
When Jesus went to the cross he was abused, ridiculed, made ashamed, and killed for our sins. But when someone is born anew (accepts Christ as their Savior), I'm sure Christ says it was worth all He had to go through.
He made you, loved you (and still does), and died for you. Are you worth all that He went through? Christ thinks you are.
'Til the storm passes,
Pastor Gary
When Jesus went to the cross he was abused, ridiculed, made ashamed, and killed for our sins. But when someone is born anew (accepts Christ as their Savior), I'm sure Christ says it was worth all He had to go through.
He made you, loved you (and still does), and died for you. Are you worth all that He went through? Christ thinks you are.
'Til the storm passes,
Pastor Gary
Thursday, February 15, 2007
T.D. Jakes Speaks To Men
Greetings,
I have made a commitment to read a minimum of five books in 2007. My first one is T.D. Jakes Speaks To Men. Now, you may not be a T.D. Jake's fan but he does have some good stuff to say. During the next few blogs I will share some insight from his book.
Chapter One talks about the Apostle Paul's statement to the Corinthian church: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)
o I spoke as a child. We all need to be able to communicate our thoughts and express how we feel. Many young men have lost the ability to communicate, depending on how they were brought up. Some were raised in good, sound homes and taught how to respond to criticizm, treat women, respect elders, etc. But others were raised in broken homes or homes where parents did not take the time to "train up a child in the way they should go." As a result, they are influenced by what they see today.
o I understood as a child. Our understanding is the stage in which we come to a resolve and draw conclusions. Paul said that when he was a child he understood as a child. If as adults our understanding is still childish and elementary, we may
come to immature conclusions. Childish wisdom can be the most dangerous of all -- especially in the mind of a wounded adult.
o I thought as a child. Never in history have we been so afraid of our own children. Grown men are afraid to walk through crowds of pre-teen and young teenage boys in the city. Young men have become so angry that adult men are intimidated by them. And the story goes on and on and on.
The mind of a child should not be stressed with harsh issues like molestation, abuse, or domestic violence. Many young men have followed their fathers' footsteps into promiscuity, thinking it natural to define their masculinity by extreme sexuality. "Isn't that what dad did?"
The above thoughts are from T.D. Jakes Speaks To Men. Get the book. It will open your eyes to some pretty obvious reasons why young boys and young men are living the lives they are.
Next blog we will share more from T.D. Jakes' book.
'Til the storm passes,
Pastor Gary
I have made a commitment to read a minimum of five books in 2007. My first one is T.D. Jakes Speaks To Men. Now, you may not be a T.D. Jake's fan but he does have some good stuff to say. During the next few blogs I will share some insight from his book.
Chapter One talks about the Apostle Paul's statement to the Corinthian church: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)
o I spoke as a child. We all need to be able to communicate our thoughts and express how we feel. Many young men have lost the ability to communicate, depending on how they were brought up. Some were raised in good, sound homes and taught how to respond to criticizm, treat women, respect elders, etc. But others were raised in broken homes or homes where parents did not take the time to "train up a child in the way they should go." As a result, they are influenced by what they see today.
o I understood as a child. Our understanding is the stage in which we come to a resolve and draw conclusions. Paul said that when he was a child he understood as a child. If as adults our understanding is still childish and elementary, we may
come to immature conclusions. Childish wisdom can be the most dangerous of all -- especially in the mind of a wounded adult.
o I thought as a child. Never in history have we been so afraid of our own children. Grown men are afraid to walk through crowds of pre-teen and young teenage boys in the city. Young men have become so angry that adult men are intimidated by them. And the story goes on and on and on.
The mind of a child should not be stressed with harsh issues like molestation, abuse, or domestic violence. Many young men have followed their fathers' footsteps into promiscuity, thinking it natural to define their masculinity by extreme sexuality. "Isn't that what dad did?"
The above thoughts are from T.D. Jakes Speaks To Men. Get the book. It will open your eyes to some pretty obvious reasons why young boys and young men are living the lives they are.
Next blog we will share more from T.D. Jakes' book.
'Til the storm passes,
Pastor Gary
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