The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13: 3Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants. 8But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. 9If you have ears, pay attention!

Okay, my pastor preached on this today. It was a really good sermon, and I just wanted to summarize what he said, because I think it's important to anyone. Barely any of what I'm saying is coming from me; it just inspired me, and I'm telling you what Fred said. Jesus used parables in his teachings. It's not just a nice story. There is a reason, a purpose behind each one, and I think it's really important to know what these mean. Why? Well, that's answered in the next verses::
"These people will listen and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but never see. All of them have stubborn minds! Their ears are stopped up, and their eyes are covered. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them."

The first part is While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. We tell of Jesus. We are called to do so. But we can't tell who is going to understand; so we scatter the word amongst everyone. But when those seeds fall on hard hearts (along the road), they don't understand, and there is no harvest in their heart.

The second part is Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. This is where the people understand, and they start to grow. They get excited about the word and about God ... But when tough times come, they fall away and wither. Fred called this "Shallow heart"

The third one is Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants. This person understands, and starts to grow a little. But worry of the world around them choke them, and they fall away. This was called the strangled heart.

The last one is But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. An open heart! You hear, you understand, you grow ... you spread more seeds. You harvest!

I just thought it was a really cool sermon. Take it in.

feet.

wow, motivation sucks these days. But right now, I have something to write about.

feet.

I was walking to Safeway today. I went in shorts and flip flops in the 6 inch snow... By the way, I do not recommend. It's cold. After awhile of walking along the road, I noticed that my feet were colder than I thought they would be, and colder than earlier. I figured out that I was slashing dirt all over my feet and all up the back of my legs. Um, embarrassing! It's one thing for people passing to see that I'm in shorts and flip flops. But they now see that my feet and my legs are COVERED in dirt. So, my reaction was to wash it off with snow.

Problem...

I couldn't wash it all off. I needed someone there to wash the part off that I couldn't see was still dirty. I couldn't do it on my own. and I didn't think about the ultimate solution: put on pants and shoes... Smart one!

Anyway, it got me thinking... You know how it mentions in the bible that you need to have your feet clean before Jesus - and Jesus can wash your feet clean? If you think about it spiritually. I go out into the world with sin, with my feet dirty. As I keep walking, my feet get even more dirty. My sin grows as I walk. and a reaction is that you wipe it off. So, you wipe it off, and you think it's all good because you don't do those sins very much anymore. But what you don't know is... There is more dirt. Dirt that you can't see. Sin in your life that you don't know is still there. You need someone to wipe the rest off. That's where Jesus comes in.

Let Jesus clean your feet, so you don't have to be ashamed walking in the dirt - because you know that Jesus is walking along with you, washing your feet as you go along the journey.

worthless?

No one is a worthless piece of crap. You have to understand that everyone around you is human. We all make mistakes; big or not; they are mistakes.

Did you know that people said Jesus was worthless? They said he was blasphemy. Well, obviously he wasn't... He was God's son. He was God. But, seriously, he died for us "worthless pieces of crap." The creator of the universe loves us that much to give up his son to save us from death. Jesus loved the guy who was whipping his back. Wouldn't it be hard to turn to a person that's murdering you and think "I love you. Enough to let you do this to me."? Jesus loved the men that were chanting for him to be put to his death. I can't even pound it into your head enough for you to really understand. No one can yet fathom God's love. It's greater than anything.

I think it's hypocritical and wrong to say that another person is worthless. You are the same as him or her. God loves him or her. God loves you. No matter what you've done, no matter who you are. Non-Christians and Christians, he loves us the same.

Think about it.

Unwritten

Seizing a new life,
I come to you
Broken and unknown,
what can you do?

To fix this crushed life,
oh, it seems so rough
to open a heavy door,
disguised as too tough

Empty words roll off my tongue,
your light gives me courage to stand
I do nothing but complain
so why do you lend me this hand?

As I take your hand in child-like faith,
burning grace seeps through my eyes
God, please guide my every step
and take away the threatening lies

Open my heart to love again
give peace to the spirit that hides in me
take me through this deadly world
giving away every unspoken key

Whispers of love sound in my ear
I'm falling to my knees,
in awe of what you've done
This is the story of an unwritten tear...