Sunday Preview: From Seed to Harvest

We are now ¾ of the way through our Vision Plan curriculum for 2023. This year’s theme has been based on Colossians 2.6-7 – Paul’s call to walk in Christ and to be deeply rooted in faith. Our journey is not merely about gaining spiritual knowledge. Rather, Paul is drawing out God's intention: for believers to embody their faith in daily life, within the church, and through family relationships. God's commitment to you is unwavering. He seeks to complete the transformative work He has begun in you, all for the higher purpose of highlighting His unparalleled grace, love, power, and redemptive desire.

This quarter we’ll be focusing on the natural result of a committed life to God. You have been recreated for the purpose of representing Him in this world. We are His ambassadors who have been called to represent Him in this world. This is our mission. We who are being made like Jesus have been called to show others the way to Jesus.

It is with this in mind that we focus Sunday on the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13.1-8. Here, Jesus paints the image of a sower who, rather unexpectedly, is not careful about where his seeds land. The emphasis on various types of soil—hard, rocky, thorny, and fertile—serves as a metaphor for the diverse conditions of human hearts and their responsiveness to the Word.
Contrary to what we most often hear, this parable centers not on humanity but on God. This is a depiction of a God whose grace, love, and mercy are unbounded, who is indiscriminate in where His seeds—His messages of love and hope—fall. God's perspective doesn’t segregate the world into good or bad soil. Every heart, every condition, is worthy of His love. This understanding is reinforced by John 3.16, reminding us of God's vast love and His gift of grace which is to be embraced with unwavering faith, as depicted in Ephesians 2.8-9.

As we study together Sunday we will:

• Do a quick review of where our study of being rooted has led during 2023.
• Examine the Parable of the Sower and discover it’s primary focus.

As you prepare for worship be prepared to answer the following questions:

1. How does the depiction of different soil types in the parable reflect the varied states of our own hearts and receptivity to God's message?
2. In what ways does our personal understanding of being 'good' or 'challenging' soil influence our relationship with God and our own spiritual journey?
3. How might the indiscriminate sowing of seeds by God challenge traditional views of worthiness and divine love?
4. What practical steps can believers take to transition from mere recipients of God's grace to active sowers in their communities?
5. How does the affirmation of God's unfailing love shape our understanding of faith, doubt, and redemption?

OPENING / WELCOME
Kody Pritt
SONG LEADER
Chris Terrian
PRAYER OF PRAISE
Dan Dekoski
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Greg Morrison
 ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
Gary Stewart
Paul Braden
Brayden Grushon
Ed Sollinger
SCRIPTURE READING
Billy Robbins
Matthew 13.1-8
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Jim Grushon
CLOSING COMMENTS
George Wacks
WELCOME CENTER
Taylor Robins / Jessica Johnson
USHERS
Roger Robins / Dan Spargo
CLOSING THE BUILDING
Josh Childers