¤[music ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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They are incredible things.
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Basically, everything that
grows began as one of these
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or maybe as one of these
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or could be as one of these.
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They can be very
small. They can be very large.
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They're as old as time itself.
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They show up for the
first time in the Bible
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on the first page of the Bible.
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They were here before humans,
before animals and birds.
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They were here before the sun.
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Genesis, chapter 1 says,
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"God said, 'Let the
earth bring forth grass,
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"'the herb that yields seed,
and the fruit tree that yields
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"'fruit according to its
kind, whose seed is in itself,
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"on the earth'; and it was so.
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"And the earth
brought forth grass,
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"the herb that yields
seed according to its kind,
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"and the tree that yields fruit,
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"whose seed is in
itself according to its kind.
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And God saw that it was good."
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Seeds--they're
absolutely vital to life itself.
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No seeds? No crops.
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No crops? No harvest.
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No harvest? No food.
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No food? No life.
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So, in each one of these little
miracles is potentially life.
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It's not an exaggeration to say
that you owe your life to them.
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Take them away and
the human race is done.
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There's no lab on the
planet that has figured out
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how to preserve
life without seeds.
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This one grows wheat,
from which we derive flour,
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out of which we produce
bread and tortillas and pasta
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and cookies and cakes
and pies and pancakes.
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That's just from this.
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This one? Corn.
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Of course, you could just eat
corn on the cob or creamed corn
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or corn on a salad of some kind.
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But corn becomes tortillas
and cornbread and popcorn
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and grits--I'm in
the South, remember.
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There's corn starch,
masa, mealie meal in Africa.
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Now, somewhere here you
might start to differentiate
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between corn and maize, but they
are essentially the same thing.
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And then there's corn
chips and nachos and tacos
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and quesadilla, and there's
corn dogs and hushpuppies--
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and corn flakes and so
many other breakfast cereals.
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And then you've got
corn syrup and corn oil.
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And as well as feeding
corn to humans and animals,
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as corn is a staple in animal
feed, it's also fed to vehicles.
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This seed can end up
being used to produce ethanol--
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ethyl alcohol, a biofuel.
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In many parts of the
United States you'll see signs
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at gas stations telling you
that the fuel you're putting
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in your vehicle is
10 percent ethanol.
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Now, that's all
from this one seed.
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Now, there's one more I
have to show you: this one.
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When harvested, it
can be boiled or fried.
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You can eat it brown or
white, the difference being
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that white rice has had
the bran and the germ removed.
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It's incredibly versatile.
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It can be made into
milk, noodles, pasta, bread,
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meaning that, like corn,
it's often a go-to for those
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who are gluten free.
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It's a staple for half
the population of the world.
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It might become
nasi goreng in Indonesia,
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or nasi lemak in Malaysia,
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or pilaf in the
Middle East or Europe,
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or sushi in Japan,
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or bibimbap in South Korea,
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or jambalaya in Louisiana,
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or biryani in India.
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And if we were to
discuss beans, same thing,
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they're incredibly versatile,
enjoyed the world over,
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incredibly good for you,
better than most people realize.
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They're inexpensive
and grown from a seed.
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Or to make it
even more interesting,
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the bean itself is a seed.
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Now, there's a lot
we can learn from seeds.
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Jesus Himself
used the humble seed
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as an important teaching tool.
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In fact, in one chapter alone,
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Jesus taught
three different parables
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using seeds as His teaching aid.
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That chapter is
Matthew, chapter 13:
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"On the same day
Jesus went out of the house
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and sat by the sea."
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Jesus is at the north
end of the Sea of Galilee
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in Capernaum or,
or very close to it.
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"And great multitudes
were gathered together to Him,
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"so that He got
into a boat and sat;
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"and the whole
multitude stood on the shore.
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"Then He spoke many things
to them in parables, saying,
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'Behold, a sower
went out to sow.'"
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Even today you can look up from
where Jesus would have been;
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you can see plants or
crops being grown on the hills
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just beyond the sea itself.
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You can imagine Jesus motioning
towards a farmer of some kind,
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a man growing
crops, a man sowing seeds.
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The seed would land in
the earth, and so would begin
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that remarkable process
of germination and growth
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and then the tending of the crop
and the production of the crop
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and ultimately harvest--
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and an income or food stored
for the use of the family.
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Now, this is the parable
where Jesus speaks of seed
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falling into different soil
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and how that affected
the viability of the plant.
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Jesus talks of seed
falling "by the wayside"
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and being eaten by birds.
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"Some fell on stony places,
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"where they did
not have much earth;
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"and they immediately sprang up
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"because they had
no depth of earth.
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"But when the sun was
up they were scorched,
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and because they had no
root they withered away."
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Some of the seed landed
where there were thorns,
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and those thorns grew
up and choked the plants,
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and they had no future.
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"But others fell on good
ground and yielded a crop:
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some a hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty."
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And you'll notice Jesus says,
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"He who has ears to
hear, let him hear!"
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This was an important lesson,
one that impacted eternal life.
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And Jesus elected the humble
seed to be His object lesson.
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Then later in the chapter,
Jesus again talks about seeds.
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"Another parable He
put forth to them, saying:
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"'The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed,
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"'which a man took
and sowed in his field,
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"'which indeed is
the least of all...seeds;
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"'but when it is grown
it is greater than the herbs
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"'and becomes a tree, so
that the birds of the air
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come and nest in its branches.'"
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The kingdom of heaven,
the principles of heaven,
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the way God works in your life,
the way of spiritual growth,
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it's like a tiny seed
that grows to become a tree
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so large that birds
build nests in its branches.
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A profound lesson.
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¤[soft music]¤
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Now, this here
is a pumpkin seed.
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You couldn't know
just by looking at it
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that this little thing
would develop into something
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so incredibly productive.
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In the same chapter,
there's another parable dealing
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with seeds that will absolutely
impact your eternal destiny.
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We're going to take a
look at that, and I'll speak
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with an expert to find
out how seeds actually work.
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I'll be right
back. [bird twittering]
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¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
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Jesus considered seeds
so important that He built
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some of His most
memorable lessons around them.
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So, to find out
something about seeds,
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I traveled to the Show-me State.
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I spoke with Weston
Adams, who works with seeds
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at Baker Creek
Heirloom Seed Company
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just outside
Mansfield, Missouri.
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I figured if anyone
could help me with seeds,
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Weston was my man.
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So tell me how long you've
been hanging around seeds?
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>>Weston Adams:
I've been growing seeds
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since I was a little guy.
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One of the things I
used to do as a youngster
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is I'd go to the store and,
and pull beans off the shelf,
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dry beans, and
I'd go plant them.
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I'd plant them
and grow them out,
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and that was the
greatest fun to me.
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>>John: So what
is it about seeds
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that you find so fascinating?
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>>Weston: Well, seeds,
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seeds are a
little package of life.
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They have a little baby plant.
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If you break open a bean seed,
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you can even see
the little plant.
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And then they have the
food that that plant needs.
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So when we eat beans,
we're actually eating the food
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that it stored for the plant.
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That, that embryo is
just sitting in there waiting,
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and if you plant
that, it will use the food
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that's stored in the
bean to start a new plant.
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>>John: That's like a
little miracle, isn't it?
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>>Weston: It is; it's amazing.
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>>John: What happens that
makes this thing come alive?
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>>Weston: Well, the conditions,
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the conditions trigger
that plant to break dormancy.
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It's, there's a little
dormant plant in there,
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and when it's in the seed state,
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it's resistant to
a lot of conditions.
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You can freeze most
seeds, doesn't hurt them.
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You can dry them
out, doesn't hurt them.
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But when they get
the right conditions,
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they've been made that
they, they spring to life
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at that point, and they use the
food that's stored in the seed.
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Like in a, in a bean,
they, they use the food
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that's stored in that
seed to break through the soil.
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Because that plant, it can't
make food until it has light.
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So if it's buried an
inch under the ground,
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it has to have some food to
get up to the top of the ground
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when it can
start making its own.
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>>John: So, when I
grow seeds, I'm planting 10,
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and I'm getting three or
five or six. What's going wrong?
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>>Weston: There are so
many things that can happen.
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You can have seed issues.
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But, aside from seed issues,
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there's all kinds of
environmental things.
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Um, it may be a water issue.
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If seeds don't
have enough water,
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they're not going to germinate.
00:11:01.82\00:11:02.76
They need to, they
need to absorb that water
00:11:02.79\00:11:04.66
in order to trigger
them to break dormancy.
00:11:04.69\00:11:06.76
Um, it could be mold
issues, too much water.
00:11:06.80\00:11:08.90
Too much water will make
a seed rot in the ground.
00:11:08.93\00:11:11.37
Could be temperature,
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when we start seeds, we
start them on a heat mat
00:11:12.80\00:11:14.97
to keep them at
the right temperature.
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If you start them
in a cool environment,
00:11:16.34\00:11:17.91
a lot of seeds will rot.
00:11:17.94\00:11:19.71
So, there's so many
things, so many factors
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that can influence
that kind of thing.
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¤[soft instrumental music]¤
00:11:24.05\00:11:25.68
>>John: And that's
the big difference.
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Sometimes you'll get
seed from a packet like this,
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and that seed will
grow, or maybe it won't.
00:11:29.65\00:11:32.32
And when it doesn't, it's either
because of what you've done
00:11:32.35\00:11:35.66
as a grower or
because the seed just failed.
00:11:35.69\00:11:39.66
But there's one
seed that always,
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always grows and
produces in your life.
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And that's the Word of God.
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Peter said in 1
Peter 1, verse 23,
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"Having been born again,
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"not of corruptible
seed but incorruptible,
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through the word of God
which lives and abides forever."
00:11:57.11\00:12:01.32
Peter knew what it was
to need to be born again.
00:12:01.35\00:12:05.39
You remember he
denied Jesus three times,
00:12:05.42\00:12:08.66
but he knew that what you need
00:12:08.69\00:12:11.23
to right the sinking ship of
your life is the Word of God.
00:12:11.26\00:12:15.63
And he likened it to a seed.
00:12:15.66\00:12:18.47
Plant it in your
heart. Get it in your mind.
00:12:18.50\00:12:21.80
But one of the
challenges that many people face
00:12:21.84\00:12:24.04
is they're not planting the seed
00:12:24.07\00:12:26.24
of the Word of
God in their lives.
00:12:26.27\00:12:29.04
In fact, they're
planting in their lives
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that which militates
against the effectiveness
00:12:31.48\00:12:34.15
of the Word of God,
00:12:34.18\00:12:35.38
that undermines what God is
trying to do in your experience.
00:12:35.42\00:12:40.32
¤[reflective music]¤
00:12:40.36\00:12:42.82
There are a lot of spiritual
lessons that can be learned
00:12:42.86\00:12:46.06
from seed-sowing.
00:12:46.09\00:12:47.86
To find out more, I
sat down with Jere Gettle,
00:12:47.93\00:12:51.07
the founder of Baker
Creek Heirloom Seed Company.
00:12:51.10\00:12:54.90
>>John: So you've
been selling seeds
00:12:54.94\00:12:56.04
for more than a quarter of
a century. Who's buying them?
00:12:56.07\00:12:58.14
>>Jere Gettle:
Definitely a, a lot of people
00:12:58.17\00:12:59.54
from all different generations
and cultures are growing food.
00:12:59.57\00:13:02.41
We've definitely seen a lot
more minorities getting back
00:13:02.44\00:13:04.38
into growing their own food.
00:13:04.41\00:13:05.98
We're also seeing a,
a huge trend in, like,
00:13:06.01\00:13:08.05
the 24- to 35-year-olds.
00:13:08.08\00:13:10.42
That's one of
our biggest groups.
00:13:10.45\00:13:11.99
Probably our two
biggest groups are like that,
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.99
24-35 and then
also the, like, 54-65,
00:13:14.02\00:13:18.26
that early retirement
area. >>John: That's surprising.
00:13:18.29\00:13:20.80
>>Jere: People just starting
their homes, their families
00:13:20.83\00:13:22.93
or getting out on
their own, basically,
00:13:22.96\00:13:24.63
and that's a big push.
00:13:24.67\00:13:26.20
And then the second
biggest group is that
00:13:26.23\00:13:27.87
"I'm just getting ready
to retire, I've just retired,
00:13:27.90\00:13:29.70
and I want to grow my own food."
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.44
But a lot more
gardeners are starting gardening
00:13:31.47\00:13:34.44
maybe not as big of
gardens as in the past.
00:13:34.48\00:13:36.38
But a lot of people
want some of their own food,
00:13:36.41\00:13:38.25
some of their own herbs,
some of their own flowers.
00:13:38.28\00:13:40.15
You know, they
want to have a backyard
00:13:40.18\00:13:41.15
that's full of
bees and butterflies,
00:13:41.18\00:13:42.95
and, you know--
>>John: Yeah, yeah.
00:13:42.98\00:13:44.29
>>Jere: ...they want that
kind of connection to nature.
00:13:44.32\00:13:46.02
>>John: So if somebody
wants to plant something, uh,
00:13:46.05\00:13:49.62
doesn't matter to me
whether they have a farm
00:13:49.66\00:13:51.13
or a, a balcony at an apartment,
00:13:51.16\00:13:53.23
what can somebody
do to, to get started?
00:13:53.26\00:13:55.73
Or what can somebody do to, to
grow their little home operation
00:13:55.76\00:13:59.57
and, uh, become more expansive?
What would you recommend?
00:13:59.60\00:14:02.30
>>Jere: I guess the first thing
is trying different things.
00:14:02.34\00:14:04.17
You know, a lot of people think,
00:14:04.21\00:14:05.44
"Oh, I just want
to grow tomatoes."
00:14:05.47\00:14:06.78
So they just try
tomatoes. But the biggest thing
00:14:06.81\00:14:08.51
is to try different things
and also talk to your neighbors,
00:14:08.54\00:14:11.11
talk to your family, talk to
your friends that are gardening.
00:14:11.15\00:14:13.28
That's the biggest help, is
talk to those right around you.
00:14:13.31\00:14:15.78
Go talk to the older
ladies at the garden club.
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.42
They have, you know,
00:14:18.45\00:14:19.59
a lot of times they have,
like, 80 years of knowledge.
00:14:19.62\00:14:21.56
So it's, you know, a
great place to start.
00:14:21.59\00:14:23.46
If you're short on space, try
something in a bucket or a box
00:14:23.49\00:14:26.46
or a, you know, you can use
almost anything to grow stuff--
00:14:26.49\00:14:28.76
in a, a storage tub
or a barrel or whatever,
00:14:28.80\00:14:32.23
wherever you're at,
if you don't have soil.
00:14:32.27\00:14:34.24
Or you can also look
for a neighbor or a friend
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.24
or a community garden.
There's plenty of places
00:14:36.27\00:14:38.14
where you can get a little
piece of ground to grow on.
00:14:38.17\00:14:40.48
>>John: So what are some of
the biblical lessons that have,
00:14:40.51\00:14:43.75
have struck you over the years
as you've worked with seeds?
00:14:43.78\00:14:48.25
>>Jere: Yeah, and
that's a good question.
00:14:48.28\00:14:49.58
I mean, I think,
first off, you know,
00:14:49.62\00:14:51.35
it's where God
originally put us.
00:14:51.39\00:14:52.79
I mean, He put us in a garden.
Um, when you're in the garden,
00:14:52.82\00:14:56.29
it just--how to keep, to
think more about your life,
00:14:56.32\00:14:59.06
it takes you away
from the rat race.
00:14:59.09\00:15:01.00
And it makes you think
about how God made that little,
00:15:01.03\00:15:03.60
tiny piece of dust, and you
sit there and watch it transform
00:15:03.63\00:15:07.74
into something, and
you're like, you know, it's,
00:15:07.77\00:15:10.11
it's unbelievable.
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.31
It's like, you know, it's
like, uh, nothing growing into--
00:15:11.34\00:15:15.24
it seems like nothing;
it's actually a, you know,
00:15:15.28\00:15:17.05
an amazing little
package growing into this big,
00:15:17.08\00:15:19.95
you know--and I guess
that's the same way God works
00:15:19.98\00:15:22.02
with, you know, people
and, uh, life in general.
00:15:22.05\00:15:25.75
It's, you know, little,
tiny things, you know, matter.
00:15:25.79\00:15:27.99
Little, tiny, you
know, thoughts or, uh, deeds
00:15:28.02\00:15:31.46
or, whatever we do, it's
like these little, tiny things
00:15:31.49\00:15:33.96
are oftentimes
the most important.
00:15:34.00\00:15:35.33
¤[reflective music]¤
00:15:35.36\00:15:39.67
>>John: So, if I were to plant
one of these, what would grow?
00:15:39.70\00:15:44.41
>>Jere: A squash or a
pumpkin, the same thing.
00:15:44.44\00:15:46.47
But, yeah, that's
definitely what you would get.
00:15:46.51\00:15:49.31
>>John: If I were
to plant one of these,
00:15:49.34\00:15:54.08
what am I going to get?
00:15:54.12\00:15:55.08
>>Jere: A hard-shell
gourd, a big old gourd.
00:15:55.12\00:15:57.35
>>John: Not a
pumpkin? >>Jere: No.
00:15:57.39\00:15:58.69
Yeah, big old green gourd.
00:15:58.72\00:16:00.22
>>John: Not a
squash? >>Jere: No.
00:16:00.26\00:16:01.86
>>John: If I were to plant this?
00:16:01.89\00:16:05.93
>>Jere: Maize or corn.
>>John: Not a cucumber?
00:16:05.96\00:16:07.86
>>Jere: Wouldn't get a
cucumber or anything else.
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.27
>>John: Maize or
corn? >>Jere: Yeah.
00:16:10.30\00:16:11.63
>>John: Every
time? >>Jere: Every time.
00:16:11.67\00:16:13.84
>>John: Without
exception? >>Jere: Correct.
00:16:13.87\00:16:15.34
>>John: Okay. So why is that?
00:16:15.37\00:16:16.97
>>Jere: Because
you reap what you sow.
00:16:17.01\00:16:19.67
>>John: That's an
interesting one, isn't it?
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.41
You reap what you sow.
That's a biblical principle.
00:16:23.45\00:16:27.38
We'll look at it
further in just a moment.
00:16:27.42\00:16:30.12
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:16:30.15\00:16:37.16
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:16:38.79\00:16:40.83
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00:16:40.86\00:16:44.23
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00:16:44.27\00:16:47.47
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00:16:47.50\00:16:51.74
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00:16:53.24\00:16:54.71
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00:16:54.74\00:16:58.51
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00:16:58.55\00:17:01.35
Our number
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00:17:01.38\00:17:05.52
or you can visit us
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00:17:05.55\00:17:08.56
¤[music]¤
00:17:09.19\00:17:10.36
>>John: There are some
things you don't want to forget,
00:17:10.39\00:17:12.99
and there are some things
00:17:13.03\00:17:14.20
God specifically
tells us to remember.
00:17:14.23\00:17:17.33
At the dawn of time,
the Creator of the universe
00:17:17.37\00:17:20.37
gifted to the human
family a divine prescription
00:17:20.40\00:17:24.01
for combating stress, busyness,
and the pressures of daily life,
00:17:24.04\00:17:28.71
a regular blessing of
time spent in the heart of God.
00:17:28.74\00:17:32.91
Don't miss "A Day to Remember."
00:17:32.95\00:17:35.45
We'll travel to the largest
Ten Commandments in the world
00:17:35.48\00:17:38.65
and rediscover
heaven's purpose for your life:
00:17:38.69\00:17:41.96
"A Day to Remember,"
00:17:41.99\00:17:43.02
a personal God seeking
a meaningful connection
00:17:43.06\00:17:45.96
with His children, a way
forward for spiritual renewal.
00:17:45.99\00:17:50.03
We'll open the Bible together
00:17:50.07\00:17:51.67
and learn that God has
blessings for His children
00:17:51.70\00:17:55.00
that have been
overlooked and neglected.
00:17:55.04\00:17:57.64
Get more from God.
Go deeper in your faith.
00:17:57.67\00:18:01.08
"A Day to Remember,"
00:18:01.11\00:18:02.71
watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:02.74\00:18:05.48
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:18:05.51\00:18:06.85
¤[soft reflective music]¤
00:18:10.32\00:18:14.32
>>John: The apostle Paul wrote
about horticultural principles.
00:18:18.43\00:18:22.30
Writing to the
church of Galatia,
00:18:22.33\00:18:23.83
which was located
in a fertile region
00:18:23.87\00:18:26.00
towards the northwest of Turkey,
00:18:26.03\00:18:28.47
Paul said, "Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked;
00:18:28.50\00:18:33.68
"for whatever a man
sows, that [will he] also reap.
00:18:33.71\00:18:38.11
"For he who sows to his flesh
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.42
"will of the
flesh reap corruption,
00:18:40.45\00:18:43.25
"but he who sows to the Spirit
00:18:43.28\00:18:45.39
will of the Spirit
reap everlasting life."
00:18:45.42\00:18:48.42
That's Galatians,
chapter 6, verses 7 and 8.
00:18:48.46\00:18:51.69
You reap what you sow.
00:18:51.73\00:18:53.83
Put a carrot seed in the
ground, sow carrot seeds,
00:18:53.86\00:18:57.17
and you'll harvest carrots.
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.17
You know that.
00:18:59.20\00:19:00.27
Plant a pumpkin
seed; harvest pumpkins.
00:19:00.30\00:19:03.51
No one ever planted
lima beans and got arugula.
00:19:03.54\00:19:07.18
No one ever planted
celery and got cabbage.
00:19:07.21\00:19:10.25
You reap what you sow.
00:19:10.28\00:19:12.88
So, if you're going around
all day angry at the world,
00:19:12.91\00:19:17.29
you're going to reap what?
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.95
It's pretty simple, isn't it?
00:19:19.99\00:19:21.46
But if you're
sowing joy, happiness,
00:19:21.49\00:19:24.33
what can you expect
to echo in your life?
00:19:24.36\00:19:27.00
You know it's true.
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.30
If you're sowing selfishness,
00:19:28.33\00:19:30.07
you're going to
reap selfishness.
00:19:30.10\00:19:31.77
If you sow
generosity, on the other hand,
00:19:31.80\00:19:34.00
you're going to reap generosity,
or plenty, in your life.
00:19:34.04\00:19:37.94
Now, this is not the
power of positive thinking
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.61
or name-it-and-claim-it.
00:19:40.64\00:19:42.51
It's God who rules the
universe, not you and me.
00:19:42.54\00:19:45.51
But an unalterable
law of the universe
00:19:45.55\00:19:47.95
is that if you sow
faith, you reap blessing.
00:19:47.98\00:19:52.35
If you sow
obedience, you reap God's favor.
00:19:52.39\00:19:56.73
You reap what you sow.
00:19:56.76\00:19:58.86
There's an old
story I heard years ago.
00:19:58.89\00:20:00.86
I don't think it's
meant to be documentary.
00:20:00.90\00:20:03.26
A family was moving to a
new town and stopped for gas
00:20:03.30\00:20:06.43
not too far from
their destination.
00:20:06.47\00:20:08.54
They said to the
gas station attendant,
00:20:08.57\00:20:10.47
"We're moving to
the next town over.
00:20:10.51\00:20:12.34
What are the people like there?"
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.21
The person said, "Well,
what were the people like
00:20:14.24\00:20:16.61
where you just moved from?"
00:20:16.64\00:20:18.11
"Wonderful," they said.
00:20:18.15\00:20:19.78
Person said, "Well,
I reckon you'll find
00:20:19.81\00:20:21.58
the people where
you're moving just the same."
00:20:21.62\00:20:24.95
Later a man stops and
tells the gas station attendant
00:20:24.99\00:20:27.29
the same story: "I'm moving
to the town just north of here.
00:20:27.32\00:20:30.36
What are the people like?"
00:20:30.39\00:20:31.59
Same question: "What were they
like where you've been living?"
00:20:31.63\00:20:34.83
"Terrible," he said.
"I couldn't stand them."
00:20:34.86\00:20:37.50
"Hmm. I reckon you'll find
the people where you're moving
00:20:37.53\00:20:41.20
pretty much the same."
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.84
You know, you reap what you sow
00:20:43.87\00:20:45.54
when it comes to the
way you treat others.
00:20:45.57\00:20:48.54
There's all kinds of
people who aren't enjoying life
00:20:48.58\00:20:51.25
because, for whatever reason,
00:20:51.28\00:20:52.78
they're not sowing
the right kind of seed.
00:20:52.81\00:20:55.92
They're not investing in others
00:20:55.95\00:20:57.65
or maybe even in themselves.
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.06
If you're not
investing in yourself,
00:21:00.09\00:21:02.29
your health is going
to go down the drain.
00:21:02.32\00:21:04.63
It takes some
effort to keep weight off,
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.33
to eat better, to exercise.
00:21:06.36\00:21:08.40
You are sowing when you
take care of those things.
00:21:08.43\00:21:11.70
You're sowing when
you walk or ride a bicycle
00:21:11.73\00:21:14.37
instead of driving.
00:21:14.40\00:21:15.54
When you think to
eat fruits and veggies
00:21:15.57\00:21:17.17
and cut back on
fried food, you're sowing;
00:21:17.21\00:21:20.84
you're investing in yourself.
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.04
You're going to reap
fewer health problems.
00:21:23.08\00:21:25.55
You're going to
reap better health.
00:21:25.58\00:21:28.52
When you go to church
and get involved at church
00:21:28.55\00:21:32.85
and look for ways to be
of service, you are sowing.
00:21:32.89\00:21:37.23
You could sit on the couch and
drink soda and eat potato chips.
00:21:37.26\00:21:40.76
You could aimlessly
scroll through online videos.
00:21:40.80\00:21:44.23
Or you could go to that Bible
study or that midweek service
00:21:44.27\00:21:48.10
and grow spiritually.
00:21:48.14\00:21:49.94
You could lie in
bed or get out of bed
00:21:49.97\00:21:52.74
and spend
devotional time with God,
00:21:52.77\00:21:55.51
reading your Bible, and praying.
00:21:55.54\00:21:58.05
That's sowing.
00:21:58.08\00:22:00.38
Do the opposite? Okay,
you get more time in bed,
00:22:00.42\00:22:02.95
but go to bed a little earlier
00:22:02.98\00:22:04.39
or don't waste
time on social media,
00:22:04.42\00:22:06.42
and then you won't
need that extra sleep time.
00:22:06.45\00:22:09.36
That extra time in bed
comes with a heavy price tag:
00:22:09.39\00:22:12.33
not feeding
yourself spiritually,
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.20
not growing in
your walk with God,
00:22:15.23\00:22:17.70
shriveling up instead and
never becoming all you could be
00:22:17.73\00:22:22.00
as a disciple of Jesus.
00:22:22.04\00:22:24.11
And speaking of
sowing and reaping,
00:22:24.14\00:22:26.31
look at Romans 6,
verses 5 and 6 with me:
00:22:26.34\00:22:28.98
"For if we have
been planted together
00:22:29.01\00:22:31.35
"in the likeness of His death,
00:22:31.38\00:22:33.45
"we shall be also in the
likeness of His resurrection:
00:22:33.48\00:22:37.62
"knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with Him,
00:22:37.65\00:22:42.39
"that the body of
sin might be destroyed,
00:22:42.42\00:22:45.79
that henceforth we
should not serve sin."
00:22:45.83\00:22:49.60
"Planted together in
the likeness of His death."
00:22:49.63\00:22:52.93
Right before this, Paul
has written about baptism.
00:22:52.97\00:22:56.20
Now, the old you is
being put to death, crucified,
00:22:56.24\00:23:00.78
same idea as baptism,
which is the burial of the old,
00:23:00.81\00:23:05.75
unconverted, unborn-again
you in a watery grave.
00:23:05.78\00:23:10.39
The old you is planted,
as it were, and new life
00:23:10.42\00:23:14.62
springs forth from
where that old you once was.
00:23:14.66\00:23:19.13
This expands the idea
to take on the concept
00:23:19.16\00:23:22.06
of sowing your life in Christ
and reaping everlasting life.
00:23:22.10\00:23:28.10
Now, there's
something else to watch for.
00:23:28.14\00:23:31.11
Back in Matthew 13 there's
another seed-based parable,
00:23:31.14\00:23:35.24
the parable of the
wheat and the tares,
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.91
or the wheat and the weeds.
00:23:37.95\00:23:40.22
In this parable, Jesus says,
00:23:40.25\00:23:42.75
"The kingdom of heaven is
like a man who sowed good seed
00:23:42.78\00:23:47.09
"in his field; but while
men slept, his enemy came
00:23:47.12\00:23:51.86
and sowed tares among
the wheat and went his way."
00:23:51.89\00:23:56.06
Now, this was a
nasty thing to do.
00:23:56.10\00:23:57.93
But it would happen in that day.
You could ruin someone's crop.
00:23:57.97\00:24:00.80
You could ruin
somebody's livelihood that way.
00:24:00.84\00:24:03.97
The man's grain
sprouted and grew,
00:24:04.01\00:24:06.11
and the weeds grew
up among the grain.
00:24:06.14\00:24:09.21
In that area at that
time, there was a darnel
00:24:09.24\00:24:11.51
that looked so much like wheat
00:24:11.55\00:24:13.35
you couldn't tell them
apart until they'd matured,
00:24:13.38\00:24:16.52
and by then, you
had havoc in your field.
00:24:16.55\00:24:20.42
The owner of the field
said, "An enemy has done this."
00:24:20.46\00:24:24.79
So it's possible, it seems,
for others to sow in your field,
00:24:24.83\00:24:28.90
to sow negativity in your life.
00:24:28.93\00:24:31.33
And, of course, we know
that the enemy in this story
00:24:31.37\00:24:33.87
is the devil.
00:24:33.90\00:24:35.44
The devil will sow
doubt, unbelief, lack of faith,
00:24:35.47\00:24:40.64
discouragement.
00:24:40.68\00:24:41.64
¤[soft music]¤
00:24:41.68\00:24:42.84
You don't want to let that
happen, and you don't have to.
00:24:42.88\00:24:46.41
When you've made a decision
that Jesus has your life,
00:24:46.45\00:24:50.25
your heart, your loyalty,
00:24:50.29\00:24:53.12
and if you'll renew
that decision every day,
00:24:53.15\00:24:56.02
you'll keep the enemy
from sowing damaging seeds
00:24:56.06\00:24:59.36
in your field.
Sure, things will happen.
00:24:59.39\00:25:01.73
This is life we're living,
not a game we're playing.
00:25:01.76\00:25:04.97
But in all of
life's ups and downs,
00:25:05.00\00:25:07.47
you can choose to trust God,
to stay grounded in the Word,
00:25:07.50\00:25:11.41
and to keep up your
connection with God.
00:25:11.44\00:25:13.44
There'll be efforts
made to derail your faith.
00:25:13.48\00:25:16.44
An enemy has done this.
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.65
Sometimes it'll be a
person having a bad day,
00:25:18.68\00:25:21.18
and you're
bearing the brunt of that.
00:25:21.22\00:25:23.42
An enemy has done this.
00:25:23.45\00:25:25.65
Illness, grief,
loss, disappointment--
00:25:25.69\00:25:30.53
an enemy has done this.
00:25:30.56\00:25:32.76
But even in the midst of that,
00:25:32.79\00:25:35.73
God will give you
"beauty for ashes,
00:25:35.76\00:25:38.43
"the oil of joy for mourning,
00:25:38.47\00:25:41.40
"the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness;
00:25:41.44\00:25:44.77
"[so] that [you] might be
called trees of righteousness,
00:25:44.81\00:25:48.11
the planting of the Lord,
that He might be glorified."
00:25:48.14\00:25:53.55
Remember, you reap what you sow.
00:25:53.58\00:25:56.99
Sow to the flesh,
and you reap corruption.
00:25:57.02\00:26:01.02
Sow to the Spirit,
00:26:01.06\00:26:02.79
and of the Spirit
you'll reap everlasting life.
00:26:02.82\00:26:06.90
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:26:06.93\00:26:07.93
>>Announcer: Today's free offer
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.13
is "Victorious:
Living a New Life in Jesus."
00:26:10.17\00:26:13.03
You'll learn how to move
beyond the mistakes of yesterday
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to experience victory today.
00:26:15.40\00:26:17.14
To receive "Victorious:
Living a New Life in Jesus,"
00:26:17.17\00:26:19.81
call 800-253-3000 right now.
00:26:19.84\00:26:22.88
That's 800-253-3000
00:26:22.91\00:26:25.58
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00:26:25.61\00:26:28.82
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00:26:28.85\00:26:30.52
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00:26:30.55\00:26:33.36
800-253-3000 or iiwoffer.com.
00:26:33.39\00:26:37.79
>>John: Let me pray for
you now. Let's pray together.
00:26:39.79\00:26:42.40
Our Father in heaven, in
Jesus' name we come to You,
00:26:42.43\00:26:45.00
thanking You that we
might reap what we sow.
00:26:45.03\00:26:48.94
We're grateful that as we
sow Your Word in our lives
00:26:48.97\00:26:51.61
and sow through prayer
and worship and fellowship
00:26:51.64\00:26:55.14
and service, that we
can expect Your presence,
00:26:55.18\00:26:58.98
and we can expect Your blessing.
00:26:59.01\00:27:01.32
Now, give us grace,
Lord, because far too often
00:27:01.35\00:27:03.89
we sow negativity;
we sow unhappiness;
00:27:03.92\00:27:07.96
we sow discouragement;
we sow hostility.
00:27:07.99\00:27:11.19
Really, we don't want that.
00:27:11.23\00:27:12.53
We are asking that Jesus
would live His life in us,
00:27:12.56\00:27:16.20
that we would be
filled with Your Holy Spirit,
00:27:16.23\00:27:18.80
that Your will would be done,
00:27:18.83\00:27:20.77
and we could sow into this
world the character of Jesus.
00:27:20.80\00:27:24.94
We thank You for Your Word.
00:27:24.97\00:27:26.34
Let it take deep root in
our heart and bear much fruit
00:27:26.37\00:27:29.31
for Your glory, we
pray, in Jesus' name.
00:27:29.34\00:27:32.98
Amen.
00:27:33.01\00:27:34.02
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:35.15\00:27:36.45
Looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:36.48\00:27:38.55
Until then, remember:
00:27:38.59\00:27:40.42
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:40.46\00:27:44.56
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:44.59\00:27:48.30
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:48.33\00:27:53.34
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:26.84\00:28:28.84