Tend to your seed

​Everyone receives good seed from the Word.
What makes the difference in how much fruit I bear?
Marina looks anew at the Parable of the Seed Sower and the way God worked with Gideon's fears and doubts.
The message is followed by partaking in the Communion. You are invited to get something to eat and drink; and join us celebrating the Lord's Supper.
This playlist will add two kids' scripture video clips on The Sower (3 minutes) and Gideon (2 minutes) at the end.
Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15
Gideon - Judges 6:1-40, Judges 7:1-25

Parable of the Sower

• Matthew 13:1–23,
• Mark 4:1–20,
• Luke 8:4–15

​Matthew 13:19 | NLT
19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents
 those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it.
 Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.
20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.  21 But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. 
They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.
22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word,
 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

Psalms 32:8 | NKJV
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will guide you with My eye.

Psalms 141:8 | NKJV
But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; 
In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.

Luke 2:19|NLT
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Exodus 33:10-11|NLT
10  When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. 11  Inside the Tent of Meeting, the  LORD would speak to Moses face to face,  as one speaks to a friend.  Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him,  Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

Joshua 1:7-9|NLT
7  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8  Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9  This is my command-- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

John 20:24-27 | NKJV
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him,  "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 
27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Judges 6:12 | ESV
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor."

Judges 6:13 | NLT
Gideon replied "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'?
 But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites."

Judges 6:14 | NKJV
Then the LORD turned to him and said,
 "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. 
Have I not sent you?"

Judges 6:15 | NLT
"But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? 
My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh,
 and I am the least in my entire family!"

Judges 6:16-18 | NKJV
16 And the LORD said to him,
 "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."
17 Then he said to Him,
 "If now I have found favor in Your sight,
 then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You." 
And He said, "I will wait until you come back."

Judges 6:22-23 | NKJV
22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD.
 So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."
23 Then the LORD said to him, 
"Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die."

Judges 6:34 | NIV
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon,
 and he blew a trumpet,
 summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

Judges 7:3 | NLT
Tell the people, 'Whoever is timid or afraid 
may leave this mountain and go home.' 
So 22,000 of them went home, 
leaving only 10 000 who were willing to fight.

Judges 7:10 | NLT
But if you are afraid to attack,
 go down to the camp with your servant Purah.

Luke 8:5-8 | NIV
5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
 As he was scattering the seed,
 some fell along the path; it was trampled on,
 and the birds of the air ate it up.
6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up,
 the plants withered because they had no moisture.
7 Other seed fell among thorns,
 which grew up with it and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil. 
It came up and yielded a crop, 
a hundred times more than was sown."