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"The kingdom of God is like this: Someone plants some seed in the ground. Then, during both the day and night, whether that person is awake or asleep, the seed is growing silently. Now the person who planted the seed can't see how it is growing (because it's hidden under the ground). But in darkness, the soil is helping the seed to grow. First the plant sprouts through. Then the tender stalk appears. Then the stalk puts on buds, and finally the full head of grain or fruit appears. Then, when it is ready and ripe, the farmer cuts it, because it's harvest time!" Mark. 4:26-29

LESSONS

1. God expects growth in my life and in my church.
2. Any fruit in my life (good or bad) comes from seeds planted by people. 3. We often can't see the seeds growing in our lives.
4. Growth in my life is slow and gradual and happens in stages.

"Be confident of this: That He who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." Phil. 1:6 (NLT)

Action Plan: Pick 2 of the 10 laws that will correct and boost your future yields the most. Focus on the hopeful growth to come. How will your relationships, finances, health, and church benefit? Set an attainable goal that can be reached in 90 days for each.

LAWS OF SPIRITUAL PLANTING

1. EVERYTHING STARTS AS A SEED

At Creation: "Then God said. "Let the earth have seed-bearing plants and let trees bear fruit with seeds in them. Then let those seeds produce the same kind of plants and trees that they came from. So, the earth was filled with seed-bearing vegetation." Genesis 1:11

2. A SEED HAS NO POWER UNTIL IT IS PLANTED

Jesus: ". . . Unless a grain of wheat is planted and buried in the soil, it cannot reproduce. It will remain only a single seed. BUT, if it dies, it will produce many seeds and much fruit. If you selfishly hold on to your own life, you'll lose it! But if you give up living for this world, you'll gain eternal life!" John 12:24-25

"Does a farmer always plow and never plant? Is he forever cultivating his soil but never planting it? No! . . . The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding." Isaiah 28:24, 26 (NLT)

3. SOME SEED SHOULD BE PLANTED INSTEAD OF EATEN

"Because the famine was so severe, everyone in Egypt sold their land to Pharaoh. . . . Then Joseph told them this: 'I will provide you with seed so you can plant crops. Then, when you harvest it, you are to give 20% of it back to the King, and you get to keep 80%. But don't eat all your seed! Use your seed to plant next year's crops, so you can feed your family in the future.' The people replied, 'You've saved our lives!'" Gen. 47b:20-25

"God, who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and he will make it grow so that you can then give away even more and more fruit from your harvest!" 2 Cor. 9:10 (LB)

4. WHATEVER I PLANT IS WHAT I'LL HARVEST

"Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant." Galatians 6:7

"Dishonest people can get rich for a moment but if you plant righteousness, you'll harvest a reward that lasts." Prov. 11:18

"If you plant the good seeds of righteousness, you'll harvest a crop of my love. So plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, so that he may come and shower goodness on you like rain." Hosea 10:12 (NLT)

5. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE PLANTING SEEDS IN MY LIFE

Jesus: "I sent you to reap where you didn't plant; others had already done work before you, and you will gather the harvest." John 4:38

6. I HARVEST IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN I PLANT

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. . . . A time to plantandatimetoharvest....Atimetoscatterandatimetogather..." Eccl. 3:1-5

7. I ALWAYS HARVEST MORE THAN I PLANT

"So Isaac planted seed where he was living, and that year he gathered a hundredfold harvest from what he'd planted because the Lord blessed him!" Gen. 26:12

"Some seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, MULTIPLYING thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times." Mark 4:8

8. I CAN INCREASE MY HARVEST BY PLANTING MORE SEED

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give what he's decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:6-7

"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller." Prov. 11:24 (MES)

Action Plan: Who are the people in your life who don't know God? Plant seeds of kindness and love by meeting a need of a family member, neighbor, or co-worker. Take time and listen to what's going on in their life. Ask God to help you hear their unspoken needs as well.

9. I SHOULD ALWAYS BE PLANTING GOOD SEEDS

"Those who wait for perfect conditions will never plant seeds; and those who look at every cloud will never reap a harvest." Eccl. 11:4 (NCV)

"Do your planting in the morning AND in the evening, too! You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one planting will do better than the other." Eccl. 11:6 (TEV)

10. WHILE WAITING FOR MY HARVEST I MUST BE PATIENT AND NOT GIVE UP

"We must not become tired of doing good. We will reap a harvest at the right time IF we do not give up!" Galatians 6:9

Q: What losses have I experienced this past year? Keep planting seeds!

"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, BUT they sing as they return with the harvest!" Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT)

Q: What personal plowing and weeding do I need to do before planting?

"Your hearts have become hard, like an unplowed field where weeds have taken over. So plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste good seed by planting among weeds." Jer. 4:3 (CEV & NLT)

Action Plan: Make a list of losses you experienced this past year and mark if you grieved them or not. For the ones you have not, set aside an hour and bring them before God. Tell him how they've affected you. Has your heart become hard as a result of them? Ask God to plow up this field of sorrow so you can plant new and better ideas, habits, convictions, and perspectives in their place.

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