Our topic today is the importance and power of becoming a “farmer” for the sake of building or “growing” a better future. Not a farmer in the literal sense, but the type of person who sees their future based on the kinds of seeds they’re planting in the ground today — seeds for a better tomorrow. 

A “farmer” can plant seeds into a wide variety of soils, as Jesus teaches us in the parable of the sower in Matthew Chapter 13. Some seeds landed on the road and birds ate them up. Some landed on rocks and soil in the ground and sprung up quickly, but when the sun came, they all withered and died. Others grew in good soil, but weeds grew up with them, choking them out. Finally, some grew and bore a great harvest — 30, 60, to 100-fold. Then Jesus ended the sermon. Everyone scratched their heads and wondered what His story meant. 

Friend, when the disciples heard this parable, they were confused and asked Jesus why He tells such mysterious stories. They wanted to know its meaning. Jesus replied that the seeds are the Word of God! Let’s pause for a minute. The seeds are the Word of God: words of promise, words of hope, words of fresh vision, words of understanding and wisdom. Words of experience, words that are ideas, and inventions. These are all words! And when they’re thrown out into the world, some make it and some don’t. What’s the difference? When they fall onto the good soil of your heart and you understand them, they are able to produce a harvest yielding 30, 60 to 100 times what was sown!