Bible Study Session 1: Sowing Seeds

In the introduction, I share how God prepares the soil of our heart before sowing seeds of faith. (Subscribers, click here to view video.)

INTRODUCTION: SEASONS

The sycamore tree reaching for the skyline tells me the season has turned. Evidence of life come and gone lays bare and open on my front lawn. Remnants of leaves crackle, turn and sway even at the hint of wind. A brown trail floats into oblivion down the boulevard. Winter is here, although it seems like fall, and no water reaches these leaves separated from the branch. They are dead and dry. It will be months before a green leaf sprouts from the branch, boasting signs of life anew, but nature’s cycle says it will come.

Spring will come.

Surely our own walk enters in and out of the cycle, feeling the bone cold chill of winter and becoming parched in the heat of summer.

What season am I in, Lord?

My contemplative heart searches within, wondering what God will reveal. I look around and find the sun casting a silhouette on this crisp winter day followed by a gust of wind.



No matter what season we are in, the Son will rise and shine.

“My going forth is as certain as the dawn.”  – God (Hosea 6:3a)

Seasons change, He does not.

God offers a profound promise set outside earth’s life cycle. A promise that withstands the natural elements. A promise sown in nutrient rich soil saturated with spring showers of living water.

Agrarian culture dominates the Bible, Old Testament and New. When Jeremiah, Isaiah or even Jesus spoke in metaphors of plowing, sowing or harvesting people understood the deep truths found below the surface. This study will be a very feeble attempt to dig through the soil of those words and discover rich nutrients of faith for our own walk.

BEING PLANTED

Read Jeremiah 17:5-8. The entire passage contains both a warning and a promise. Today we will take a glance at the promise.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But it’s leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

In this passage, God likens man to a tree.

What are the two conditions for being a firmly planted tree? What is the difference between the two?



Meditate on the wealth of these promises given by God when we trust in Him. We will explore these in depth in Session 2: Firmly Rooted.

 

• Planted by water
• Extended roots
• Will no fear when heat comes
• Leaves will be green
• Will not be anxious in year of drought
• Will yield fruit

What do these promises mean to you?

Seasons change environments and circumstances, but remember; the Son still rises and shines.

As I stand back and survey the landscape of these promises, I really have to wonder how we get there? How do we get to a place in our walk where we still yield fruit in the drought? How do we become firmly planted like this?

Can I still bear the fruit of love, joy and peace in a spiritually dry season?

Can I still stand strong against the fiery testing that is sure to come my way?

Can I still be secure in droughts of uncertainty, lack and stripping?

My God, your God, says, “YES.” Do you believe Him?

According to Jeremiah, being firmly planted is possible in one word: TRUST. Trust in God.

Trust, however, takes time to grow and be cultivated, remembering that when seasons change, God does not.

David strategically and purposefully begins His sacred collection of psalms, prayers and songs with an overarching truth that sets the tone for the subsequent 150 chapters.

According to David, being firmly planted possible in another word: DELIGHT. Delight in Word.

Read Psalms 1:1-6. This passage parallels Jeremiah’s divine insight and again, contains both warnings and promises. According to verses 1-3 what additional conditions yield God’s promises?

Now, catch a glimpse at the harvest David listed.

• Firmly planted by streams of living water
• Yield fruit in its season
• Leaf does not wither
• In whatever he does, he prospers

Have you been witness to any of these promises in your own life? In trusting God during the trials of your life, how have you prospered despite facing setbacks?

SOWING IN THE GARDEN OF OUR HEARTS

Read Isaiah 58:10-11

To sow, in essence, means to plant. In the video, I discussed the critical step of plowing to cultivate the soil in preparing for sowing. The Israelites needed their hearts plowed and God used the prophet Isaiah to not only declare God’s judgment on the people, but to urge them to keep His covenant so they could partake of promises to come. When we trust in God, His presence and guidance satisfies the dry seasons in our lives and gives strength so we will be like watered gardens, saturated with His truth.

Before God plants seeds of faith, hope or love, He breaks up the stony places of our heart to receive more water to our roots. In Ephesians 5:26, what is significant about water?

As David indicated in Psalm 1, our delight and meditation in God’s Word is a condition for harvest.

What does Ecclesiastes 12:9-12 reveal about words?

Contrast what the writer says about words with what the psalmist says in Psalm 1. What is the Spirit speaking to you in this passage?

Close your time, by reading the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23. It’s a familiar story and while you may be tempted to rush through it, read it anew. While this passage is giving a picture of those who receive God’s Word through salvation and those who do not, it also represents conditions of our hearts at given points in our walk.

Are there areas of your life related to any of the conditions described in the parable?

1. Hard Heart
2. Shallow Heart
3. Crowded Heart
4. Fruitful Heart

Our response to the plowing of God in a particular area of our lives greatly determines our growth. Each of the first three fruitless hearts in the parable is influenced by a different enemy – Satan, the flesh and the world. When a farmer plows, it’s important to maintain straight rows. Bends in the row lead to inefficiency and overcrowding where the plants compete for space and sunlight. The only way farmers maintain straight rows is by looking for marker in the distance and fixing their eyes straight on that marker. As God plows, we, like a farmer, can fix our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith, knowing harvest will come.

REAPING ABUNDANCE

Growing and producing fruit is and always will be the work of God…

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow.” I Corinthians 3:6-7

…and in His harvest there is abundance.

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Matthew 13:23 (NIV)

Sowing is both a promise and a command. As we encounter God, He uses others to plant seeds of His Word in our hearts, enabling us to sow seeds for His kingdom. Comfort and grace are found in knowing the Master Farmer equips us for His work. In your study guide this week, you’ll further explore the command of sowing seeds.

Discussion: Share a comment about the study. Describe the season you are in OR share a time when God has prepared the soil of your heart for greater things. 

Comments

[Melissa Brotherton]

Right now I feel like I'm in a spring-like season in my life. It's been a hard winter, I've sensed things happening underground where no eye can see, but now sprouts are beginning to pop up here and there. What once looked like a dry, barren field has taken on a green shimmer. There's life here and God is doing a new thing. :) Loved the video, Melissa. I'm very excited for this study!

[Madabella]

I've had all month to think about my season and looking back I've experienced a lot of loss. In my family life, I feel defeated and it seems winter has stayed a little too long. It is hard to see that sun shining even thought that verse in Hosea turns over and over in my mind constantly. But then I look at friendships and my relationship with my husband I see spring. I see blossoms and fruit beginning to bud.

God PLOWED my heart right out of me in preparation for this study last year. He showed me a lot of sin in my life that was cut off at the boughs, but then he showed me the shoot of Jesse spring up in Isaiah 11. Oh the comfort of the King!

[Madabella]

I was going to go first and you beat me to it! I am SO glad you are entering spring. You have been so open about Gods conviction in your heart and it has been a HUGE example to me in my own walk. Just to take a step forward and let trust God to sort it out. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Im looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks. :) I drove by your house the other day, did you hear me honk? Haha!

[Dana]

My heart is rich. The last year has been, as you know, a test of faith, trust and love, for me.
The hardened earth of my heart has been broken and amended. For the first time in my life I feel a holy surrender. May the richness of His labor bear much fruit. Bless the Lord!

[Madabella]

Hello Ladies! The verse I referenced in Ecclesiastes is Chapter 12:9-12 (not Ch. 13). I updated it in the post as well.

[Cheryl]

I have to say first what a total blessing it is that I found this study - totally by mistake! - such a word for me during this time in my life. For the past few years, in the season of my heart, it has been a long and dark winter. I did not remember hope. Sometimes we can't see our bondage for what it truly is until we start breaking free, and that's definitely the case with me. Now I see how I cloaked myself in lies when life grew cold, and I grew accustomed to numbness. I sought it, in fact. Why would I choose to wander lost in darkness when I knew the Light - had only to call upon it? For the life of me I do not know! I do know this: Spring does come. There is a Love that will pursue you despite your greatest and futile efforts to hide and when it finds you - when you open yourself to it - the chains of fear fall away like dust. I am totally awestruck and completely humbled by the relentless pursuance of my Savior...I have a Redeemer and His name is Jesus :) Really happy to be doing this study and looking forward to Day 2!

[Heidi Woodruff]

I printed the lesson out, I want to spend some time with it in one hand and my Bible in the other. I know what a dry season feels like. I know what winter feels like. I know what it feels like to be plowed up. But I can tell you the JOY I know now because God took me through those painful lessons. Sometimes it's things I've done and sometimes it's a result of nothing I've done, but a lesson none the less. I praise God for who He has made me into today. And I live my life with eternity as my perspective.

Thank you for the time you put into this wonderful, truthful lesson from the Word.
Blessings, Heidi

[Madabella]

Does that mean i can eat the fruit from your branches? :) I praise Him for His work in you and for your willingness to not lose heart. I see the gift of your imperishable faith and its shining like gold.

[Madabella]

Cheryl! Thank you and praise Him for meeting you where you are at. Your testimony of the God who pursues us, leaves me praising Him...truly. I have recently felt the numbness and detachment in my walk, its easy to hide in the comforts of our skin. Yet, God reminded and continues to remind me of who He is and that I am clothed in HIM! Yes, God longs to be gracious to us...longs for us to walk freely in Him...and to trust Him. Lately, I have relied on His promise to renew my strength and Iknow He is faithful! In Isaiah 57, God says, I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.Praise Him forHis promise to bring revival inboth of ourhearts.

[Madabella]

Heidi! I once told my husband, my blog is not for people who look at blogs for the very reason you mentioned....the slowing down and reading alongside the Word. Because thats really my goal...to growdeeper inour knowledge ofHim so wewill knowa more excellent way. (Philippians 1:9-10) Thank you for sharing the JOY and necessity of walking through each season.And you are right, having the eternal perspectiveleads to such freedom and liberty in our walk.

[Rachel Parker]

Awesome Bible study! So excited to be doing this with you guys.

I have to say that right now I think I'm in the Spring of my walk with God, which is (in some ways) a dangerous position to be in. Sometimes it's difficult not to become the shallow or the crowded heart, especially when you're first getting to know God. I'm working really hard to be a fruitful heart, but I'm most influenced by the world in terms of time, and feeling like much of my time is monopolized by things that seemingly have little to do with the Lord. I think, though, that it's important to focus on the fact that God has a presence in every part of your life, and it's you who loses sight of Him (not the other way around). So I'm going to work on making sure that I continue to have time with Him in my daily life despite the craziness that wants to choke that out of me. For me, that's the first step to plowing my own heart!

xo.

[Madabella]

Hi Rachel, Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Spring is a beautiful time and I love that God promises us that even in winter, we can bear fruit and have leaves that wont wither away.Even when we plant a mustard seed oftime with Him, He causes tremendous from our faithfulness...faithfulness in the small things. Thanks again for sharing!

[Bernice]

I can't 'pin-point" clearly an season i am in.....
I know clearly for an while now that God wants me to go deeper with Him....To stay with the symbolic...He is plowing in my heart greatly.......
Maybe i can call this season i am in is autumn.....The green leaves are drying in to brown and all colours and falling to the ground.....But the tree is still there.....and there is still life in it....

I must say/confess that i am struggling a lot in this season but indeed SEASONS ARE CHANGING BUT GOD NOT!
It is up to me where i put my eye/mind on.....
It must be in His Word and looking -up and praying to Jesus.......
last year i got 'the word" TRUST and this year WAIT...
In seasons you learn also to wait and trust!

[Veronica]

I just started this bible study and love it! I am excited to see what the Lord is going to reveal to me. I recently went through a cold winter of trails that I thought that I could not endure, but the Lord amazingly stood right besides me through it and shined down on me the beauty of his unfailing love and showed me that I can do all things through Him. Through doing this bible study, I found that I need to delight more in God's word. Sometimes, I find myself just going with the flow of life, when I know that I can live a richer and fuller life walking closer with God. Like the color and newness of spring, I see his blessings all around me and know I can have more joy in my life, as long as, I just trust and remember that He is greater than any trials I face.

[Madabella]

Iadmired your response about not knowing exactly what season you are in. I can relate, as sometimes I feel like Im blooming, and thena day offalling will throw me off. Whats soimportant, likeyou said, is the comfort of Gods stability in our lives no matter what. And wait - wow....for you to embrace that word for yourself is a blessingin and of itself.Its so hard for us to wait. But like a ketchup commercial here in the states, good things comes to those who wait. :) Thank you for sharing your thoughts here.

[Madabella]

God is so faithful to walk with us through the trials and the valleys of struggle. I know those hard times can leave us feeling defeated, but God promises the put a victory banner of love over us. Thank you for sharing and for being here. Praying a flood of joy for you!

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This study is such a blessing. Due to time and the inability to do much in the past 6 months, I have not been involved in a study where I was accountable to actually participate. This is a good motivator for me. Life can bring so many "other", lesser things that interrupt this precious time.
I have become more "purposed" to do the study and have experienced the blessing.
One insight I gathered from the "Reaping and Sowing" section of "Sowing Seeds" and Matthew 17:20 was the fact that I don't have to move the mountain (which is often the mode I can get into without the Spirit's leading), God will move it! I just need to nourish my faith so that there will at least be "mustard seed" faith. That takes a lot of weight off and allows me to rest in my Savior-the mountain mover.