HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
The word RESET means – to set again, or to begin anew. Think of all the things that come with a reset button. Our phones come with the ability to return them to factory settings. - Our homes have electrical breakers that allow us to reestablish the flow of current when they have been tripped. – God has designed our bodies so that when we break a bone they are able to be reset and heal and become strong again. God gave our children a reset button that helps the parents adjust an attitude problem; it is located on the Gluteus Maximus and is activated when the hand of reason is firmly applied to the seat of knowledge.
A reset is needed when things are not functioning they way they were designed or intended to function. A reset is a lot like a “do over”. It allows us to get back on track and to begin again in a new and fresh way.
Salvation is God’s ultimate reset button.
2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Without Christ we were lost, sinful, dirty and completely on the wrong road of life. Without Christ we were dead in our sins and we were enemies of God. Salvation set’s us free from the curse of sin and death. Salvation resets our relationship with God the Father. Once we could not call ourselves clean, but through the blood of Jesus Christ we are not only clean but righteous. You, as a Christian, are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Sometimes we need to hit the reset button by un-cluttering our lives. Most people live cluttered lives. Their daily schedule is as full as the closets in their house; filled with all kind of things but very little of it used. When Jesus called the disciples He told them that they were to travel light. Luke 9:1-3 (NLT) - One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. Jesus was reminding them of the power and necessity of a simple life. Many of us look forward to a time of spring cleaning in our homes. It freshens things up. Sometimes our homes don’t need a spring cleaning, they need a time of de-cluttering. A few months ago as we were praying God started telling many of us that He wanted to do a new thing in our church. He showed us that in order to do that we needed to simplify our ministries and our schedules and we needed to physically de-clutter our church facilities. We went on a massive cleaning binge and literally hauled away over a ton (that is over 2,000 lbs!) of unused things that we had been storing for years. We needed to unpack the worthless unused things that were cluttering our space and slowing us down.
What emotional baggage are you caring that is hindering you from walking in God’s fullness for your life?
What unrealistic expectations are you holding onto that Christ never put on you that cause you to be emotionally bogged down?
Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) - Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
~ Someone said that– Expectations are premeditated resentment.
Many people are trying to run their race weighed down by anger and resentment that was brought on by unmet expectations that you decided, if they were not met, you were going to be unsatisfied. Listen, it is time to un-clutter. Un- Cluttering means simplifying. There are many of us that have no room in our schedules for God to do anything.
In order to reset, we need to make sure to honor the Sabbath. There is a lot to teach about the Sabbath but for the idea of resetting we need to grasp hold of our need for another R-word - REST. A Sabbath day was to be set apart not only for worship but for rest. Holy means to be set apart. Jesus said honor the Sabbath Day and keep it HOLY. Rest is a Holy thing. For some of us this is a word of God for you. It is time to hit the reset button on your rest schedule.
This summer we are allowing God to “RESET” areas of our lives and our church. Take some time to rest and be renewed.
You are loved,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
In our year of Faith and Fruitfulness I am looking forward to sharing with you this month a sermon series entitled “Seed Secrets”.
Living the fruitful life that we have been promised and that God expects comes as we understand the one underlying principle that God has established; Seedtime and Harvest. Once you grasp this vital but simple principle you will begin to see your life change for the glory of God. A real harvest must be purposefully planted and carefully cultivated. The only things that grow by accident are weeds and wild things that produce fruit but not enough to actually sustain you for long periods of time. Genesis 8:22- “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
The Law of Sowing and Reaping is found throughout the scriptures. Understanding sowing and reaping and seedtime and harvest help us to understand God and His ways.
Galatians 6:7-9- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The laws that apply to actual farming and crop production are the same principles we can apply to every area of our lives. It is that simple. God has given us Spiritual laws that function like His natural laws, like the law of Gravity. They are beneficial and productive if we apply them to our life. They will affect our salvation, our marriage, our finances, our relationships, everything.
The good news is that there is no area of our life that has to be left to chance. The outcome is determined by our input. The correct seed produces good things, the quality is never in question if we do things God’s way.
Throughout the Bible things are likened to the development of a seed. The word of God is designated as a seed-
Luke 8:11- “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
The Word of God is the seed that we need. In 2 Peter we are told that God has given us all things that pertain to life and to Godliness. The Word of God contains everything that we need to live the abundant Spiritual and natural life He has for us. While God has given us everything we need, we must remember that it does not come full grown it comes in seed form. God gives us His word, our job is to apply it to our life and then leave the amount of the harvest to Him.
Our faith is likened to a seed. Matthew 17: 20 (Amp) - He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Remember a little faith is the source of great things. People are always concerned about applying the Word of God to their life until they know all there is to know. The Word you know is the seed that you sow. A little word goes along way. If you sow nothing you have nothing. Apply what you know and continue to sow as your understanding grows.
One of Satan’s primary ways of ruining our harvest is to deceive us about seedtime and harvest and about sowing and reaping.
When the Bible speaks about sowing and reaping it says “Do not be deceived”. Satan tries tells us that we can do whatever we want and it really will not make a difference. This goes against the entire idea of seed. You cannot plant an apple tree hoping to get a tomato. You cannot go against God’s ways and expect good fruit. The Bible reminds us that good trees bring forth good fruit and bad trees bring forth bad fruit. Satan mocks and scoffs at God’s ways all the time but that does not mean that God can be mocked. He always gets the last laugh when things function as He created them to work. The world scoffs and mocks at absolutes but seed always produces what it is. Remember- the Word is truth.
~ Somebody once said – “as you sow so shall you reap unless of course you are an amateur gardener”.
If the average farmer knew no more about the principles of farming than the average Christian does about producing a Spiritual harvest, he would never make it through the winter.
Our goal this year is to grow in our fruitfulness in every area of life; the principles of seedtime and harvest make that possible.
I look forward to what God is going to produce in our lives as we apply His Word (Seed) to our lives.
You are loved
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Easter is a time of celebration. It is interesting to me how many people honor the Resurrection like it was a funeral. Let me tell you something, Jesus put the fun in funeral because He overcame death, He overcame sin, and He overcame Hell. He did die on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins but three days later He rose from the dead.
Jesus died and He lived to tell about it! That is why we are able to rejoice.
Jesus has many names: Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Healer, Comforter, Provider, Salvation, Deliverer, Way Maker. God is the Alpha the Omega, Creator. Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.
In all my years as a Christian and in all my years of listening to sermons, I have never once heard a message on the name Wonderful. Wonderful is not just a description of what He is and what He does - His name is Wonderful.
Wonderful means – Inspiring, delightful, magnificent, superb, awesome, astonishing (it takes your breath away because what you are seeing is so worth admiring.) Wonderful is extremely good. Wonderful is something transcendent and beyond the common; something that is miles beyond the ordinary. It means something altogether unlike anything else.
When you look at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls or El Capitan in Yellowstone National park you know you are seeing something wonderful. When you read about how David killed Goliath, when Peter walked on water or Moses parted the Red Sea so Israel could cross over; you are learning about something simply magnificent. There are moments in the life of every Christian's walk when you press in and get to know Him that you realize how extraordinary our God is.
This Resurrection Sunday I pray that all of us have the life changing revelation of the love of God. The love of God is so accepting, so selfless, so complete so all encompassing that it transforms all who are the object of His affection. The love of a spouse or the love of a child will fill you with joy but it can never make you whole, it can never make you complete. The love of God makes us perfect, healed, and whole. Paul prayed for the saints to realize the enormity of God’s love for them. Ephesians 3:17-19 - that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
If you want to see the wonder of God sit by the side of a lake and listen to the gentle lapping of water on the shore or stand by the ocean and hear the roar of the waves. Stand in a field of wheat and feel the breeze as the wind cools you down in the evening or you can observe the amazing power of a tornado. He is wonderful. Romans 1:20 (AMP) - For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
If you want to know how wonderful God is just look at His creation. All of us have stood at the ocean’s edge or up at a mountain top in awe or the beauty of the Lord
Because He is Wonderful You are Wonderful. The truth is that you can look at some people and they do indeed make you wonder. Understand you are not a mistake. You were never an accident. Oh you may have been unplanned by your parents but you were designed by God.
Psalm 139:13-14- For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Somebody needs to hear this today. You are purposefully and wonderfully made. You are God’s creation. You are unique. You are not a unique freak. You are beautiful in the sight of God. He formed you, made you, created you and you are marvelous. David said and that my soul knows very well. You are marvelously you. Do you know how marvelous and how wonderful you are? I believe one of the ways that God’s resurrection power works in our lives is to cause us to realize that we are wonderfully made. That is not pride, it is simply a recognition that you are God’s handy work. You are a wonder as certainly as any of God’s other creations. God made you so that when others see you they know that there is a God. Think about that.
He is Wonderful!
May the Lord bless you and your family this Resurrection season,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn-
Christ the Lord is Risen!
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Easter is a time of celebration. It is interesting to me how many people honor the Resurrection like it was a funeral. Let me tell you something, Jesus put the fun in funeral because He overcame death, He overcame sin, and He overcame Hell. He did die on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins but three days later He rose from the dead.
Jesus died and He lived to tell about it! That is why we are able to rejoice.
Jesus has many names: Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Healer, Comforter, Provider, Salvation, Deliverer, Way Maker. God is the Alpha the Omega, Creator. Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.
In all my years as a Christian and in all my years of listening to sermons, I have never once heard a message on the name Wonderful. Wonderful is not just a description of what He is and what He does - His name is Wonderful.
Wonderful means – Inspiring, delightful, magnificent, superb, awesome, astonishing (it takes your breath away because what you are seeing is so worth admiring.) Wonderful is extremely good. Wonderful is something transcendent and beyond the common; something that is miles beyond the ordinary. It means something altogether unlike anything else.
When you look at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls or El Capitan in Yellowstone National park you know you are seeing something wonderful. When you read about how David killed Goliath, when Peter walked on water or Moses parted the Red Sea so Israel could cross over; you are learning about something simply magnificent. There are moments in the life of every Christian's walk when you press in and get to know Him that you realize how extraordinary our God is.
This Resurrection Sunday I pray that all of us have the life changing revelation of the love of God. The love of God is so accepting, so selfless, so complete so all encompassing that it transforms all who are the object of His affection. The love of a spouse or the love of a child will fill you with joy but it can never make you whole, it can never make you complete. The love of God makes us perfect, healed, and whole. Paul prayed for the saints to realize the enormity of God’s love for them. Ephesians 3:17-19 - that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
If you want to see the wonder of God sit by the side of a lake and listen to the gentle lapping of water on the shore or stand by the ocean and hear the roar of the waves. Stand in a field of wheat and feel the breeze as the wind cools you down in the evening or you can observe the amazing power of a tornado. He is wonderful. Romans 1:20 (AMP) - For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
If you want to know how wonderful God is just look at His creation. All of us have stood at the ocean’s edge or up at a mountain top in awe or the beauty of the Lord
Because He is Wonderful You are Wonderful. The truth is that you can look at some people and they do indeed make you wonder. Understand you are not a mistake. You were never an accident. Oh you may have been unplanned by your parents but you were designed by God.
Psalm 139:13-14- For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Somebody needs to hear this today. You are purposefully and wonderfully made. You are God’s creation. You are unique. You are not a unique freak. You are beautiful in the sight of God. He formed you, made you, created you and you are marvelous. David said and that my soul knows very well. You are marvelously you. Do you know how marvelous and how wonderful you are? I believe one of the ways that God’s resurrection power works in our lives is to cause us to realize that we are wonderfully made. That is not pride, it is simply a recognition that you are God’s handy work. You are a wonder as certainly as any of God’s other creations. God made you so that when others see you they know that there is a God. Think about that.
He is Wonderful!
May the Lord bless you and your family this Resurrection season,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn-
Christ the Lord is Risen!
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Easter is a time of celebration. It is interesting to me how many people honor the Resurrection like it was a funeral. Let me tell you something, Jesus put the fun in funeral because He overcame death, He overcame sin, and He overcame Hell. He did die on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins but three days later He rose from the dead.
Jesus died and He lived to tell about it! That is why we are able to rejoice.
Jesus has many names: Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Healer, Comforter, Provider, Salvation, Deliverer, Way Maker. God is the Alpha the Omega, Creator. Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.
In all my years as a Christian and in all my years of listening to sermons, I have never once heard a message on the name Wonderful. Wonderful is not just a description of what He is and what He does - His name is Wonderful.
Wonderful means – Inspiring, delightful, magnificent, superb, awesome, astonishing (it takes your breath away because what you are seeing is so worth admiring.) Wonderful is extremely good. Wonderful is something transcendent and beyond the common; something that is miles beyond the ordinary. It means something altogether unlike anything else.
When you look at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls or El Capitan in Yellowstone National park you know you are seeing something wonderful. When you read about how David killed Goliath, when Peter walked on water or Moses parted the Red Sea so Israel could cross over; you are learning about something simply magnificent. There are moments in the life of every Christian's walk when you press in and get to know Him that you realize how extraordinary our God is.
This Resurrection Sunday I pray that all of us have the life changing revelation of the love of God. The love of God is so accepting, so selfless, so complete so all encompassing that it transforms all who are the object of His affection. The love of a spouse or the love of a child will fill you with joy but it can never make you whole, it can never make you complete. The love of God makes us perfect, healed, and whole. Paul prayed for the saints to realize the enormity of God’s love for them. Ephesians 3:17-19 - that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
If you want to see the wonder of God sit by the side of a lake and listen to the gentle lapping of water on the shore or stand by the ocean and hear the roar of the waves. Stand in a field of wheat and feel the breeze as the wind cools you down in the evening or you can observe the amazing power of a tornado. He is wonderful. Romans 1:20 (AMP) - For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
If you want to know how wonderful God is just look at His creation. All of us have stood at the ocean’s edge or up at a mountain top in awe or the beauty of the Lord
Because He is Wonderful You are Wonderful. The truth is that you can look at some people and they do indeed make you wonder. Understand you are not a mistake. You were never an accident. Oh you may have been unplanned by your parents but you were designed by God.
Psalm 139:13-14- For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Somebody needs to hear this today. You are purposefully and wonderfully made. You are God’s creation. You are unique. You are not a unique freak. You are beautiful in the sight of God. He formed you, made you, created you and you are marvelous. David said and that my soul knows very well. You are marvelously you. Do you know how marvelous and how wonderful you are? I believe one of the ways that God’s resurrection power works in our lives is to cause us to realize that we are wonderfully made. That is not pride, it is simply a recognition that you are God’s handy work. You are a wonder as certainly as any of God’s other creations. God made you so that when others see you they know that there is a God. Think about that.
He is Wonderful!
May the Lord bless you and your family this Resurrection season,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn-
Christ the Lord is Risen!
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
In our year of Faith and Fruitfulness I am looking forward to sharing with you this month a sermon series entitled “Seed Secrets”.
Living the fruitful life that we have been promised and that God expects comes as we understand the one underlying principle that God has established; Seedtime and Harvest. Once you grasp this vital but simple principle you will begin to see your life change for the glory of God. A real harvest must be purposefully planted and carefully cultivated. The only things that grow by accident are weeds and wild things that produce fruit but not enough to actually sustain you for long periods of time. Genesis 8:22- “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
The Law of Sowing and Reaping is found throughout the scriptures. Understanding sowing and reaping and seedtime and harvest help us to understand God and His ways.
Galatians 6:7-9- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The laws that apply to actual farming and crop production are the same principles we can apply to every area of our lives. It is that simple. God has given us Spiritual laws that function like His natural laws, like the law of Gravity. They are beneficial and productive if we apply them to our life. They will affect our salvation, our marriage, our finances, our relationships, everything.
The good news is that there is no area of our life that has to be left to chance. The outcome is determined by our input. The correct seed produces good things, the quality is never in question if we do things God’s way.
Throughout the Bible things are likened to the development of a seed. The word of God is designated as a seed-
Luke 8:11- “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
The Word of God is the seed that we need. In 2 Peter we are told that God has given us all things that pertain to life and to Godliness. The Word of God contains everything that we need to live the abundant Spiritual and natural life He has for us. While God has given us everything we need, we must remember that it does not come full grown it comes in seed form. God gives us His word, our job is to apply it to our life and then leave the amount of the harvest to Him.
Our faith is likened to a seed. Matthew 17: 20 (Amp) - He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Remember a little faith is the source of great things. People are always concerned about applying the Word of God to their life until they know all there is to know. The Word you know is the seed that you sow. A little word goes along way. If you sow nothing you have nothing. Apply what you know and continue to sow as your understanding grows.
One of Satan’s primary ways of ruining our harvest is to deceive us about seedtime and harvest and about sowing and reaping.
When the Bible speaks about sowing and reaping it says “Do not be deceived”. Satan tries to tell us that we can do whatever we want and it really will not make a difference. This goes against the entire idea of seed. You cannot plant an apple tree hoping to get a tomato. You cannot go against God’s ways and expect good fruit. The Bible reminds us that good trees bring forth good fruit and bad trees bring forth bad fruit. Satan mocks and scoffs at God’s ways all the time but that does not mean that God can be mocked. He always gets the last laugh when things function as He created them to work. The world scoffs and mocks at absolutes but seed always produces what it is. Remember- the Word is truth.
~ Somebody once said – “as you sow so shall you reap unless of course you are an amateur gardener”.
If the average farmer knew no more about the principles of farming than the average Christian does about producing a Spiritual harvest, he would never make it through the winter.
Our goal this year is to grow in our fruitfulness in every area of life; the principles of seedtime and harvest make that possible.
I look forward to what God is going to produce in our lives as we apply His Word (Seed) to our lives.
You are loved
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Praise God for His faithfulness and goodness to HCC. I also praise God for each of you. You are faithful in prayer, faithful in giving and desire to see God pour out His Spirit in our church and His life through our church. It is encouraging seeing how many of us at the beginning of each year understand and embrace the value of prayer and fasting. Along with you, I know God has heard our cry and will answer throughout the year. Get ready for a fruitful year, both personally and in the life of our church.
In this year of Faith and Fruitfulness, I am reminded of at least two stories in the Gospels that speak of Jesus coming to a fig tree and finding it full of leaves but no fruit. One tree He cursed and it withered and died by the next day. In another parable the master found a tree in his orchard in the same condition and instructed his manager to cut it down and throw it into the fire. The manager said, "let me give special care to the tree, water it, fertilize it and see if it will produce fruit". The implication was that, in time, with that special attention the tree did indeed produce fruit.
A walk of faith will always produce a fruitful life. Sometimes we go through seasons of barrenness and must give special attention to our spiritual condition so that we become fruitful again or so that we are able to produce much fruit instead of just a little. We need a season of watering, feeding and pruning, and after we have done those things we can expect to see a stunning harvest. I believe that as a church we are entering a season where we can expect a stunning harvest in many ways; spiritually, financially, in souls and in personal growth.
When I was growing up we had two berry bushes at the end of our sidewalk in the back yard, one on each side of the walkway. I am not sure exactly what type of berry they were but we sure did enjoy picking bowlfuls and eating them all summer long. One year we noticed that the trees were not producing many at all. At first we thought the birds were beating us to the harvest. We decided that we would help them along by giving them some TLC. We trimmed the trees we watered almost every day and we put down some fertilizer. Anytime we saw birds in the tree we would chase them away. Within two months the transformation was amazing. Years later after I had left home those berry trees finally showed their age and my father had to cut them down. I remember how excited we were each year when we saw the fruit. I feel the same way when I see the Fruit of the Spirit in my own life and when I see God’s people reaping a harvest of good things because of their diligence to walk by faith and not by sight. There is nothing more thrilling than to watch my natural children and my spiritual children producing much fruit as they live for the Kingdom of God.
At the heart of a life of faith is a life lived in love. At the heart of all fruit that is produced is love. The Bible says now abides faith, hope and love but the GREATEST of these is love. Faith works by love. It is energized by love. Faith is put into motion by love.
God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. Faith walks in love because it believes that Love will never fail: Because God is Love and God never fails. The primary evidence of faith in our life is not the working of miracles not the presence of the Gifts of the Spirit – the proof of true faith is love. Remember love is the anchor component of the Fruit of the Spirit. Without love all of our acts of faith are just a bunch of noise. That which is perfect is love. Trying to walk by faith without love is proof of childish understanding concerning spiritual things. Those who are mature in the faith have a grown up understanding of Love. It is being rooted and grounded in love that enables us to live a life of faith. The heart of our year of Faith and Fruitfulness will be a true and pure love for God and people. The walk of faith can only be attained as we walk in Love. I just realized that I was emphasizing love in the month of February or Valentine month. I had not done that intentionally but I believe it was by God’s design. Now go walk by faith.
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
In our year of Faith and Fruitfulness I am looking forward to sharing with you this month a sermon series entitled “Seed Secrets”.
Living the fruitful life that we have been promised and that God expects comes as we understand the one underlying principle that God has established; Seedtime and Harvest. Once you grasp this vital but simple principle you will begin to see your life change for the glory of God. A real harvest must be purposefully planted and carefully cultivated. The only things that grow by accident are weeds and wild things that produce fruit but not enough to actually sustain you for long periods of time. Genesis 8:22- “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
The Law of Sowing and Reaping is found throughout the scriptures. Understanding sowing and reaping and seedtime and harvest help us to understand God and His ways.
Galatians 6:7-9- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The laws that apply to actual farming and crop production are the same principles we can apply to every area of our lives. It is that simple. God has given us Spiritual laws that function like His natural laws, like the law of Gravity. They are beneficial and productive if we apply them to our life. They will affect our salvation, our marriage, our finances, our relationships, everything.
The good news is that there is no area of our life that has to be left to chance. The outcome is determined by our input. The correct seed produces good things, the quality is never in question if we do things God’s way.
Throughout the Bible things are likened to the development of a seed. The word of God is designated as a seed-
Luke 8:11- “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
The Word of God is the seed that we need. In 2 Peter we are told that God has given us all things that pertain to life and to Godliness. The Word of God contains everything that we need to live the abundant Spiritual and natural life He has for us. While God has given us everything we need, we must remember that it does not come full grown it comes in seed form. God gives us His word, our job is to apply it to our life and then leave the amount of the harvest to Him.
Our faith is likened to a seed. Matthew 17: 20 (Amp) - He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Remember a little faith is the source of great things. People are always concerned about applying the Word of God to their life until they know all there is to know. The Word you know is the seed that you sow. A little word goes along way. If you sow nothing you have nothing. Apply what you know and continue to sow as your understanding grows.
One of Satan’s primary ways of ruining our harvest is to deceive us about seedtime and harvest and about sowing and reaping.
When the Bible speaks about sowing and reaping it says “Do not be deceived”. Satan tries to tell us that we can do whatever we want and it really will not make a difference. This goes against the entire idea of seed. You cannot plant an apple tree hoping to get a tomato. You cannot go against God’s ways and expect good fruit. The Bible reminds us that good trees bring forth good fruit and bad trees bring forth bad fruit. Satan mocks and scoffs at God’s ways all the time but that does not mean that God can be mocked. He always gets the last laugh when things function as He created them to work. The world scoffs and mocks at absolutes but seed always produces what it is. Remember- the Word is truth.
~ Somebody once said – “as you sow so shall you reap unless of course you are an amateur gardener”.
If the average farmer knew no more about the principles of farming than the average Christian does about producing a Spiritual harvest, he would never make it through the winter.
Our goal this year is to grow in our fruitfulness in every area of life; the principles of seedtime and harvest make that possible.
I look forward to what God is going to produce in our lives as we apply His Word (Seed) to our lives.
You are loved
Pastor Marvin & Dawn