Pastor Mac Hammond | July 18, 2021

Recap:
In part two of the message, “Sowing and Reaping,” Mac Hammond teaches how the mystery of sowing and reaping is a fundamental understanding for how the kingdom of God works. Jesus emphasized the importance of the mystery of sowing and reaping: “If you don’t understand this mystery, how will you understand any of the mysteries?” In other words, our lives, good or bad, are built on this principle. So if you don’t like what’s happening in your life, examine what kind of seed you’ve been sowing. You get what you give! Or as the proverb says, “You reap what you sow.”

Dive Deeper:
Too many believers get mystified when they exercise their faith and don’t see the result that they want to see. They blame God, not realizing they have often planted bad seed and are reaping the harvest of it. God’s grace can redeem bad situations and turn them around for good, but that shouldn’t be the reason why we make bad choices. We can’t choose to live as we want and expect good things to come into our lives because God is gracious. God has a higher way for us: We need to eventually learn how to plant good seed so we can expect a good harvest.

Before we can sow into other people’s lives, we need to become fruitful in our own lives. We do this through watering the seed of God’s Word planted and allowing God’s Word to flourish in our lives. In time, the Spirit moving in our lives will produce the fruit of the spirit we see in Galatians chapter 5. The Spirit works on the inside of us to produce love and joy. The more we settle into His love for us, we find ourselves becoming more and more patient. We find faithfulness and gentleness and self-control becoming a part of our daily choices.

This Spirit-led internal change precedes the outward change that so many of us want to see. This change is what then draws people to know God better and partake of the fruit of the spirit in your life. That change is the written epistle that sows seed into other people’s lives.

Read More:
Mark 4:3-20 KJV
“Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

“And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

“And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”

Galatians 6:7 KJV
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 Amp.
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”

Discussion Questions:
1. Have you seen the pattern of planting the seed of God’s Word, watering it, and harvesting it in your own life or in the lives of others?

2. When have you seen a harvest of good things in your life? When you have you seen a harvest of weed seeds in your life?

3. What can you do today to choose to let the Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace, and patience reign in your life?

Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!

Recent Sermon Notes

Grace Unveiled: Everyone Is Guilty (Rom. 2:1–9)  | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the fifth installment of his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The first three chapters of Romans can be summed up by saying people who rely on their own righteousness, their own ability, their own self-effort will not escape the judgment of God. It is only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can any man escape His judgment. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul defines New Testament righteousness as the ability to stand before God without a sense of guilt or inferiority.

2024 Prayer and Presence Conference | Heidi Baker, Joseph Harris, and Leif Hetland

Demonstrations of the presence of God were manifested at The Prayer and Presence Conference this past weekend. Guest speakers Heidi Baker, Joseph Harris, and Leif Hetland shared what was on their hearts, and a definite theme came forth—we are at the threshold of a great awakening to God. The flames for world evangelism were ignited by three different videos: 1) an update on Living Word’s church planting mission, 2) a video of how Iris Global Ministries is in the midst of violence and persecution, yet they bravely continue their work, and 3) a video of a great outpouring of God’s Spirit in Asia!

Grace Unveiled: How to Get a Reprobate Mind #4 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave his fourth installment in his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled,” with the subtitle being “How to Get a Reprobate Mind.” This is a series on the book of Romans, a book considered to be the greatest writing of Christian doctrine in all the Bible. Pastor Jim says it has multiple themes on redemption. It touches on our inability to work for the favor of God, the guilt that we have to deal with on a daily basis, and the fact that salvation is only to be received by believing. Romans 1: 24–32 is the subject of this message.

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Love | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac taught the third installment of his series entitled, “Focus on Effect,” based upon 2nd Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The apostle Paul said the hardships in our lives can be light and momentary. It all depends on what we place our focus upon. Paul says we are to focus our attention on what is eternal, rather than what is temporal. There are three things that are eternal: faith, hope, and love. We are to focus on that.

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Hope | Mac Hammond

This series is all about focus, meaning where do you give your attention. This is important because whatever you give your attention to will determine how hard or difficult your life will be. And conversely, it will determine how easy and carefree it will be. Teaching on 1st Corinthians 13:13, Pastor Mac says you can gain the clarity you need to succeed in your life by focusing on matters of faith, hope, and love.