“If you don’t like the fruits you’re growing,

then change the seeds you’re sowing,”

is what a mother always told her daughter, I am reading in a magazine.

The Bible tells us also that we are reaping what we are sowing.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SOW TO PLEASE THEIR SINFUL NATURE.

Obvious are the acts of the sinful nature, says the  Word of God, and the list is endless:

“JOY”

1. Sexual immorality,

2. impurity,

3. debauchery, 4. idolatry, 5. witchcraft, 6. hatred, 7. discord, 8. jealousy, 9. fits of rage, 10. selfish ambition …

BUT THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO SOW TO PLEASE THE SPIRIT.

What is the fruit of the Spirit?

1. Love,

2. joy, 3. peace …

If we sow to please our sinful nature, we will reap DESTRUCTION from that nature, the Scripture says.

If we sow to please the Spirit, we will reap ETERNAL LIFE from the Spirit.

And please listen to the encouragement and promise in the BOOK OF BOOKS , the Bible:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”

I am wondering why the mother always told her daughter, “If you don’t like the fruits you’re growing, then change the seeds you are sowing?” Maybe the daughter always told her mother that she was reaping destruction?

Another beautiful flower

“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.” – Isaiah 38:17

“DEAR FRIEND, …”

Third John :11

The name of the friend is Gaius.

We find the skeleton for our sermon in the third letter of John.

We are told what to imitate and what not to imitate.

A.  “… DO NOT IMITATE WHAT IS EVIL, …”

A good sermon and a good story has a skeleton

“Journalists are people who take in other people’s washing and then sell it,” says the Australian writing team Marjorie Bernard and Flora Eldershaw.

“Maybe listening to the news once a day is enough.” Something like that said a visitor we had some time ago.

I remember also hearing over the news the word “copycat murder”.

 B.  “BUT WHAT IS GOOD.”

1.  The church of God in Corinth is told by Paul to imitate him (First Corinthians 4:16).

2.  The saints in Ephesus are told to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1).

3. We are learning that the church of the Thessalonians became imitators of Paul, Silas, Timothy and of the Lord (First Thessalonians 1:6).

4. They also became imitators of God’s churches in Judea (First Thessalonians 2:14).

5.  In this verse we find another “do not” and a “but”.

The readers of the epistle are told not to become lazy, but to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12).

6. Here the readers are told to imitate the faith of their leaders ( Hebrews 13:7).

“Anyone who does what is good is from God.

Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

“shine like stars”

“THE SEASON TO SHINE,” says the poster in one of the shops here in town (postie).

At the right side of the poster I remember seeing a Christmas tree and underneath the poster lots of presents.

To the saints in Christ at Philippi the Apostle is writing that they shine like STARS in the universe. (Philippians 2:15)

“shine like stars”

To his disciples the Lord Jesus Christ says “let your light shine before men”.

For disciples of the Lord it is always “THE SEASON TO SHINE,” always and always.

And we, his disciples, have every reason to shine always, because: “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, …” (Romans 8:1)

The Question:

Why should every Christian be a soul winner?

There are several answers, but I like especially this answer:

It is the only biblical explanation why a child of God, whose citizenship is in heaven, remains in this world:

• Second Corinthians 5:17-21

• Philippians 3:20