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Seedtime and Harvest
Sermonette by Martin G. CollinsLike the farmer waiting patiently for the rains, we must wait patiently for the yield of the implanted seed, the fruit God will harvest from us.
God's Kingdom in the Parables (Part One): Sower and Seed
'Prophecy Watch' by David C. GrabbeThe 'kingdom of heaven' is commonly interpreted to describe the church, but in the first four parables of Matthew 13, it has a clearer application: Israel.
Words Versus Images
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughSpiritually, relying on images leads to shallowness of thought at best and idolatry at its worst. Virtually everything we know about God comes through words.
Continuing on to Completion
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsBecause of God's grace, those who are called late will reap as much as those who are called early. Whenever we are called, we must continue faithfully.
Still Producing Fruit?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe fertile ground consists of those who receive the word with a noble and good heart. These individuals keep the word. They observe it. They obey it. They follow its teachings. They bear fruit with patience or endurance. Luke uses two Greek words to describe the hearts of these people. They have a kalos or noble heart. This word means honorable. They have a beautiful heart. It is excellent. It is good quality. Well disposed. They receive things so well because their heart is excellent and wants excellent things. They want to accept excellent things and improve on these excellent things. God's word is excellent. It is beautiful. These people take it in and want to use it. They are described as having an agathos heart. This is necessary because agathos means upright or virtuous. They want to do what is right. They accept the word because they understand that it is the right way to go. They stick with it. It is not a passing thing. They accept it and it becomes permanent. They begin producing fruit over the long haul. They hear the word and understand it. They accept it. They bear fruit. They produce some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. They are the receptive ones. They get with the program. They are out in the fields working and producing fruit. They follow all the steps. Because of that and because of their hard work and their application of what they have learned they bear fruit. They get better. They grow. They become more like Christ.