Missions Update/Testimony: Before I get into the message, I want to provide you a quick update. While many of our children start school today in the United States, our Haitian schools in the Dominican Republic start their classes next Monday. We are excited to see our children come back to class.
The Lord connected our ministry with these schools last year. Here is a quick testimony of the progress we have seen in less than a year:
— We were able to move the children into better facilities at both locations.
— The children were not receiving meals during school hours. So now we provide breakfast for the morning school and lunch for the afternoon school.
— The student population has grown from 122 to 150, and we were able to increase the faculty count to support the growth.
— We are providing backpacks and schools supplies to ALL of our students, and even many children from the community who are not our students.
— Lastly, this year, as a first for our students, each student will have their own textbooks.
These may seem like small things for Americans and our children, but without question, these are HUGE things for our Haitian students in the Dominican Republic. A special thanks to our partners and supports. You are helping us share the love and light of God. Click this link for more information and to partner with us: http://ripministries.org/missions/haitian-schools-in-domrep
Now let’s get into the Word.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing to walk through the parable of the sower. Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
Jesus described three types of weeds in the thorny ground: the cares of this world, the love of money and everything else people want. We have already covered the first two. I spent time teaching on the cares of this world and the love of money, and how those things can choke-out the Word from working in your life. Today we shift to the third type of weed. When Jesus said, “everything else they want”, He was talking about people who hear the Word, but their internal lust for other things keeps them from receiving God’s desires and His best.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- The Word will work if you work the Word. But if you develop a lust for everything BUT God’s desires, then the lust in your heart will choke out the Word and keep it from working in your life.
- God is not going to force you to be blessed. His blessing has already been stored up for you and He is trying to get you to walk in it. But if you stubbornly continue to walk down the path of selfish desires, He will stand by and allow you to reap the harvest of your decisions.
- You are not a puppet and God is no grand puppet-master. God is not pulling your strings. He has stored up your blessing and prepared your success. But the only way to experience what He has for you is by dying to the person you became on your own. You can either die to self and live the life God planned for you (which is a great life), of you can continue to pursue life on your own terms. God will allow whatever you decide. You can choose Him or choose self. Either way, the choice is yours!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. There were times in my life when I pursued other things. But those times are over. I want You! I give You first place in my life. You are my #1 priority. I pursue Your purpose. I want to become the man/woman You called me to be. I die to sin, self and selfishness. I die to selfish pursuits. I die to me, so You can live through me. And as I do, Your Word works in my life, You produce fruit IN and THROUGH me, and You get to use me to leave a mark in this world that will not easily be erased! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
