Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September8
Monday

SOW WHAT?

READ:
Mark 4:1-20
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He who sows
righteousness will
have a sure reward.
__Proverbs 11:18
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On the clock tower of my alma matter is an Art Deco bas-relief sculpture titled The Sower. The inscription beneath it is from Galatians 6:7, "Whatsoever a man soweth." Michigan State University remains a leader in agricultural research, but despite many improvements in farming techniques and crop production, this fact remains: Seeds of corn will not produce a crop of beans.

Jesus used many farming metaphors to explain the kingdom of God. In the parable of the sower (Mark 4), He compared the Word of God to seeds sown in different types of soil. As the parable indicates, the sower sows indiscriminately, knowing that some seed will fall in places where it will not grow.
Like Jesus, we are to sow good seed in all places at all times God is responsible for where it lands and how it grows. The important thing is that we sow. God does not want us to reap destruction, so he wants us to sow what is good and right (Prov 11:18). The apostle Paul elaborated on the metaphor when he warned believers not to sow seeds of corruption. Instead, we are to sow seeds that will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8).

The answer to the questions, "Sow what ?" is "Sow what you want to reap." To reap a good harvest in your life, start sowing seeds of goodness. __Julie Ackerman Link

`````````````````````````````Sow a thought, reap an act;`````````````````````````````````
``````````````````````````````Sow an act, reap a habit;```````````````````````````````````
````````````````````````````Sow a habit, reap a character;````````````````````````````````
````````````````````````Sow a character, reap a destiny. __Anon.```````````````````````````
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A buried seed brings fruit;
a selfless life reaps an eternal harvest.

***********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Mark 4:1-20**************************************

1 And again He began to
teach by the sea. And a great
multitude was gathered to
Him.... 2 Then He taught
them many things by
parables, and said to them in
His teaching: 3 "Listen!
Behold, a sower went out to
sow. 4 and it happened, as he
sowed, that some seed fell by
the wayside; and the birds of
the air came and devoured it.

5 Some fell on stony ground,
whee it did not have much
earth; and immediately it
sprang up because it had no
depth of earth. 6 But when
the sun was up it was
scorched, and because it had
no root it withered away.

7 And some seed fell among
thorns; and the thorns grew
up and choked it, and it
yielded no crop. 8 but other
seed fell on good ground and
yielded no crop. 8 But other
seed fell on good ground and
yielded a crop that sprang up,
increased and produced:
some thirtyfold, some sixty,
and some a hundred"...

13 and he said to them, "Do
you not understand this
parable?... 14 the sower
sows the word. 15 and these
are the ones by the wayside
where the word is sown.
When they hear, Satan comes
immediately and takes away
the word that was sown in
their hearts. 16 these likewise
are the ones sown on stony
ground who, when they hear
the word, immediately
receive it with gladness;

17 and they have no root in
themselves, and so endure
only for a time. afterward,
when tribulation or
persecution arises for the
word's sake, immediately
they stumble. 18 Now these
are the ones sown among
thorns; they are the ones who
hear the word, 19 and the
cares of this world, the
deceitfulness of riches, and
the desires for other things
entering in choke the word,
and it becomes unfruitful.

20 But these are the ones
sown on good ground, those
who hear the word, accept it
and bear fruit: some
thirtyfold, some sixty, and
some a hundred."