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Good morning.
It is so good to have you guys here.
If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Matthew
chapter 13, which is where we will be today.
In just a moment, we will get there.
A couple things that I want to emphasize, maybe give you guys some updates on.
I want to echo what Pastor Dave said about our Sunday nights in August.
Really want to encourage you to be there.
They're going to be a little bit different than how we've done them before.
You can see on here, it's got the menu.
It's got everything, it's got the time.
Five o'clock, we'll be back here.
I want to kind of explain a little bit of how the night is going to work.
Number one, this is an event, this is a gathering time for those of all ages.
And so, we want you to bring your family.
We'll gather together.
We'll have a meal together.
And then after the meal time is over with, one of the things that's been kind of neat in
our senior adult luncheons is a few weeks ago, I guess a few months ago now, Micah Hood
came to talk about going on mission and what that looked like.
And me and Micah just sat there on the stage and kind of had a conversation, a little interview
back and forth.
And got a lot of feedback about how people enjoyed that in there.
And so, that's what we're going to have here on the stage.
We're going to talk each night about an aspect of living out our faith that if we're being
open and honest with each other can be difficult and hard to do in that initial faith step.
But when you do it, you see how God responds in faithfulness over and over and over again.
So, I'm going to have some people up here on stage that are walking in that road right
now and we're going to talk to them about what that looks like in their life.
And hopefully, that'll be encouraging for you to take that step if you haven't as well.
Then after the interview is over with, the kids will dismiss.
Aaron and I will take the elementary age kids and go do some fun activities with them.
And then Dawn has got coordinated for the younger ones and we'll have things taken care of for
them.
And then you guys will have an opportunity to sit around the table and we'll have a few
questions for you guys to discuss right there about what we have talked about from that morning
and from that evening.
And then the night will end in a very spirit-filled way as we will partake in desserts together.
All right.
And so, if you're curious, will the kids be in here for desserts?
Yes, they will because I will be with the kids and I want to be in here for the banana
pudding.
All right.
So, we want you to come and we want you to be a part of that.
Well, as you guys know, I wasn't here last week.
I want to thank Josh for preaching last week.
We had Black Mountain Week.
I think there were 60 middle school, high school, and adults who journeyed up there.
And Aaron and I had the wonderful privilege to be a part of that team and to go up there
and to serve.
It was wonderful.
It was a great week.
It was filled with games.
It was filled with laughter.
It was filled with tubing down a river.
But it was also filled with worship services and word from God's word.
And your kids and your adults worked so, so hard.
As you, I was part of a team that worked in the kitchen.
But the rest of them went out there.
They painted.
They stained.
They cut down trees.
They weed-eated.
They ran weed eaters.
They cleaned.
They deep-cleaned, folks.
So, moms and dads, when you're like, why is your room so dirty?
We need you to do like you did in Black Mountain, all right?
They can go up there.
They can get that done.
They organized things.
Just a wonderful, wonderful, absolutely exhausting week.
Yesterday, Aaron fixed us a wonderful dinner of stuffed peppers.
And it was ready about 5.30.
And we went and we ate dinner together.
And when we were done, I looked and said, and now I am heading to bed.
And at 6 o'clock, I tucked myself in.
And I went to sleep.
About 8.30, woke up with two extremely difficult, hard, painful leg cramps.
So, I sent Emma a text message, because, I mean, it's 2026, right?
I was like, hey, could you bring your dad a banana and some water?
So, she responded.
She brought him up there.
And, guys, she looks at me.
I don't know if you tell.
I've got, like, some allergy stuff that's going on.
I'd been in bed early, and now there's theirs.
She looked at me.
She's like, she parented me.
She said, how much water did you drink this week?
Not a lot, sweetie.
Not a lot at all.
And then she looked at me, and she said, do you think you're going to be able to preach tomorrow?
I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, we can.
We'll get through this.
Power of the Holy Spirit and sleep.
So, there we go.
But, yeah, so, great week.
Great week.
Thank you guys for being a church that sends.
Thank you for being a church that funds.
Thank you for being a church that disciples.
And I want to thank, you know, publicly also Joel Van Ham for the time and the effort and the energy that he puts into 52 weeks out of the year with pouring and investing into these students.
And we don't have to look to the church of tomorrow to see that it's in good hands.
We can look at the church today and see these young people who are discipling others and investing in others and on mission for others.
And it's just wonderful to see all that God is doing in their life.
So, thank you for allowing us to be a part of that.
And Aaron and I love being a part.
And even though it was our kids, Emma and Grayson's last one as seniors, we hopefully, we pray that they'll keep us around for a few more years to do some cooking.
All right.
We are in Matthew 13 as we continue on in our study of Matthew.
Now, I'm going to give some academic pieces for this section to help us understand what God is teaching and what Jesus is doing here in Matthew 13.
Matthew 13 starts the third of Jesus' major teaching sessions that we see in the Gospel of Matthew.
Now, chronologically, what we find in Matthew 13, most scholars believe, is about 18 months or halfway through Jesus' public ministry.
So, this is, as scholars kind of look through, it's a point for them to look and see.
As Jesus is working toward the work that he will do on the cross, that this is that halfway point, this is that halfway mark in Jesus' public ministry.
Now, as you read through, and we've been doing this together, right?
We haven't looked at every section in Matthew, but most of them in Matthew.
And what you notice is that people have flocked to Jesus.
There are people who have flocked to Jesus, who have followed Jesus, who have put their faith, their hope, their trust in him, that have taken on his teaching, like we heard a couple weeks ago, right?
Like they're experiencing that yoke that he offers, the rest that he and he alone can offer.
But then there are some who are flocking to Jesus, right, because they kind of view him as this circus sideshow who can do some really cool things.
And then there are those who are flocking to Jesus, because they've heard the things he's teaching, and it's different.
So, they're curious, or they're skeptical, or they're flat out enraged that he would say the things that he's saying.
So, what we find is people are flocking to Jesus, and then a majority of them are returning right back where they came, both physically and spiritually.
That they've had a physical encounter with Jesus, but their hearts have not encountered Jesus.
And so, they come one way, and they leave again.
We've seen already in Matthew chapter 12, I think it's in verse 14, where because of the teachings and because of the things that Jesus is seeing,
there's even the religious elites who have been praying for and waiting for the Messiah.
But even though he is here, they have rejected him and even are planning on how they can kill him.
And this is where we find in Jesus' halfway point in ministry.
So, in Matthew 13, Jesus begins to teach, and he's going to teach in this third section, his third major block of teaching that we see in the life of Christ.
He's going to teach, but he's going to do so through the forms and through the means of parables.
Now, I want us to understand what a parable is.
A parable is a practical story, oftentimes framed in a simile that is going to illustrate a spiritual truth.
And this is what Jesus is going to do.
Now, there can be difficulty in interpreting and understanding parables, especially for audiences today.
So, kind of three quick things.
This is really good.
If you want to jot those down, it's going to help us track through as we see not just the parables this morning,
but it'll help you in parables as you read them in the future.
So, how are we, or how do we understand, how should we read and study parables?
The first thing we should do is this, is we should listen from the original hearer's perspective.
We should listen from the original hearer's perspective, right?
Jesus is not in Lexington in 2026 speaking to a bunch of people like you and like me.
What we see is we see Jesus speaking in a context of first century Roman occupied Jewish people
who feel beaten down and feel oppressed.
They're largely rural and largely agricultural in their setting.
These are people who believe that they are part of the kingdom of God,
regardless if they are a follower of Jesus or not.
This is the audience that Jesus is teaching.
This will largely be the audience that Jesus performs the miracles.
The second thing, not only should we listen from the original hearer's perspective,
but we should look for the main point.
We should look for the main point.
Jesus will tell stories to teach spiritual truths.
Jesus is teaching in a figurative way and not in a literal way.
The danger that you and I can have as we read through these
is we can try to make everything a point
instead of trying to figure out what is the main point.
What is Jesus trying to communicate to this audience?
So once we look and we see and we understand and we're listening from the context of the original hearer,
once we look for the main point of what Jesus is driving toward in that setting,
then it is the responsibility of you and I through the power of the Holy Spirit
to let that truth change our perception.
Maybe it's a teaching of Christ, about Christ.
Maybe it's a teaching about us.
Maybe it's a teaching about the world.
Maybe it's a teaching about sin.
Maybe it's a teaching about the gospel.
Maybe it's a teaching like we'll find this morning overall about the kingdom of heaven.
And then we apply this.
Now there's an interesting little dialogue that happens.
That why does Jesus do this this way?
Like why not just come out and say what it means?
Why not just come out and say and be very direct?
Why use parables in this manner?
I want you to look back, look at Matthew 13.
We're going to start here in verse 10.
It says,
Then the disciples came and said to him,
Why do you speak to them in parables?
And he answered them,
To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.
But to them it has not been given.
For to the one who has, more will be given.
And he will have an abundance.
But from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables.
Because seeing they do not see.
In hearing they do not hear.
Nor do they understand.
Indeed, in their case,
the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled.
That says,
You will indeed hear, but never understand.
You will indeed see, but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull.
And with their ears they can barely hear.
And their eyes, they have been closed.
Lest they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn,
and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes,
but blessed are your eyes,
for they see,
and your ears,
for they hear.
For truly I say to you,
many prophets and righteous people
long to see what you see,
and did not see it,
and to hear what you hear,
and did not hear it.
So what we find here
is that there's the purpose,
and there's a reason
for why Jesus
is even teaching
in the way that he does.
He says that in the teaching
that there's two groups of people.
There are a group of people
who are going to get it.
There are a group of people
who aren't.
And this comes back to
not intellect.
This is going to come back
not to training.
This is going to come back
not to education,
but that what we see in this
is the work and the move of God.
And so that when we look
at the parables,
what we see in the parables
woven through each
and every one of them,
whether it's a one-verse parable
or a full-chapter parable
that we find in our Bible,
there's evidence of God's mercy.
That in our simplicity
and the plainness of who we are,
that there are secrets
of the kingdom
and that God delivers them over to us
and we can hear them
and we can trust them
and we can believe them
and we can know them.
And so as a result,
that within this,
there's a stirring up
that we know
that this isn't from me,
that this is from God.
And we praise God.
Folks, that when we look
at God's word,
that it's not an interaction
of intellect.
It's an interaction
of the spirit of God
with the heart of man.
And that you and I
praise the Lord,
look at these words
and they're not dead,
but they're alive.
Because we're alive in God.
Alive in Christ.
But then the second part of that,
the second part is that
there's evidence
of God's judgment.
And folks,
we will see this
this morning clearly.
Folks,
Jesus is not passive.
Jesus draws hard lines.
Jesus says that there are those
who cannot hear.
There are those
who cannot see.
There are those
who cannot accept.
There are those
who cannot trust.
And we can't explain it
to the heart.
And that's
what Jesus
is about.
That's what Jesus
is about.
So this morning,
we're going to look
at two
different parables
that Jesus
tells
in this
setting.
Both of these
parables
dealing
with the kingdom
and the kingdom
of God.
The rule
and reign
of Christ.
The rule
and reign
of Christ
that he
in this setting
that he is here
and the kingdom
is advancing
and you and I
live in the world
today
that our king
has come
our king
has gone
the kingdom
is advancing
but that the second
part of the kingdom
of what we will see
is that the king
will return
and when the king
returns
the kingdom
is complete.
And so you and I
live
in the advancing
part of that.
So Jesus
is going to teach
these parables
to a group
where what
he is pursuing
after
is not
an explanation
of the mind
but a change
of the heart.
So let's look at
the first one.
Jump back
with me.
Matthew 13
verse 3
with the parable
of the sower.
It says,
And he told them
many things
in parables
saying a sower
went out to sow
and as he sowed
some seeds
fell along the path
and the birds
came and
devoured them.
Other seeds
fell on
rocky ground
where they did not
have much soil
and immediately
they sprang up
since they had
no depth
of soil
but when the sun
rose
they were
scorched
and since they
had no root
they withered
away.
Other seeds
Jesus says
fell among
the thorns
and the thorns
grew up
and choked
them.
The other seeds
fell on good
soil
and produced
grain
some
a hundredfold
some sixty
some thirty
he
who has
ears
let him
hear.
So some things
about this
we've got
four main
aspects
that you and I
need to see
four main
characters
of what we're
going to find
in the parable
of the sower.
The first
is the
sower
so let's
identify
who is
the
sower.
You and I
often times
when we read
this and we
begin to think
through this
we can have
a tendency
I know
that I
have before
to put us
at the center
of this
and that we
are the
sower
and that this
is a call
to missions
and I'm not
going to say
that we can't
look at this
and apply
this
but what we
see is the
sower
and Jesus
is the
sower
of all
that he's
talked about
of all
that he's
pointed
through
of all
that we're
going to
find
that we're
going to
see
as he
shares
the gospel
in the
context
we find
Jesus
himself
is the
sower
so you
ask them
well what
about us
well that's
fine
we are
we can
go
and do
the work
that the
sower
has called
us to
do
as
ambassadors
is what
the Bible
calls us
and as
ambassadors
go
right
we are
to
carry
from the
king
who has
sent
us
so as
we
sow
seed
where
God
has
called
and God
has placed
us
and this
is important
that we
are sowing
the seed
as the
reflection
of the
one
who's
saved
us
who's
called
us
who's
sent
us
why does
that matter
because it's
not the
work that
I do
it's the
work that
Jesus
does
through
me
and so
we see
that
Jesus
is
the
sower
the
second
thing
in this
that we
see
is that
the
seed
is the
gospel
message
the
seed
is the
gospel
message
it's
not
works
it's
not
behaviors
it's
not
religious
attitudes
it's
not
a
government
it's
not
a
mindset
it's
not
a
mind
shift
it's
not
positive
vibes
it's
not
good
works
it's
not
any
of
things
that
we
want
to
label
that
we can
go
to
do
to
impact
the
world
around
us
the
seed
is
the
gospel
message
so
the
sower
is
speaking
of
the
importance
of
taking
the
seed
Jesus
says
here's
how
the
gospel
message
is
going
to
go
we
are
going
to
go
Jesus
says
we're
going
to
carry
the
gospel
message
when
the
seed
is
going
to
fall
onto
the
soil
during
that
day
as
the
farmer
would
have
gone
and
scattered
the
seed
he
would
have
done
so
in
a
manner
like
this
when
my
wife
goes
out
and
she
plants
green
beans
in
the
yard
right
she
goes
out
into
our
neat
little
beds
that
we
built
and
that
we've
constructed
and
that
we've
nourished
over
years
because
all
we
have
is
sand
and
so
we've
got
some
good
fertile
black
it
up
and
then
she
drops
another
seed
and
covers
it
up
and
she
drops
another
seed
and
covers
it
up
and
that
works
really
good
when
you're
trying
to
plant
20
green
bean
plants
but
when
you've
got
several
acres
of
wheat
field
the
sower
goes
reaches
into
the
bag
some
seed
falls
as
he
goes
and
he
scatters
and
he
scatters
and
he
scatters
and
he
scatters
and
it's
a
beautiful
picture
of
the
measure
to
which
we
carry
the
gospel
it's
the
ministry
that
Jesus
has
been
doing
Jesus
walks
in
town
after
town
after
town
interaction
after
interaction
grab
it
in
scoop
and
grab
it
in
scoop
and
grab
it
and
scoop
it
the
beautiful
wonderful
life
giving
message
of
the
gospel
but
then
there's
four
soils
there's
four
soils
and
it's
important
for us
as we
get
through
this
remember
this
isn't
an
intellectual
debate
that we're
getting
into
this
is
dealing
with
the
sinful
condition
of
the
human
heart
and
so
the
soil
the
soil
is
the
human
heart
and
here's
what
is
important
about
this
we
live
in a
world
you and
I
live in
a
culture
that is
getting
more
and more
godless
by the
day
we
lived
at
one
point
in
time
where
we
were the
predominant
culture
in
the
United
States
and
that's
not
the
case
any
longer
when
we
went
up
to
the
mission
trip
for
the
high
schoolers
it
was
remarkable
there
were
these
people
and
it was
very
evident
that
they
were
Asian
and
I
had
an
opportunity
to
have
a
conversation
with
one
of
them
and
asking
them
what
they
were
doing
because
they
were
standing
out
having
conversations
with
people
and
that
New
Yorkers
are
New
Yorkers
and
do
New
Yorker
things
right
and
so
we
see
people
pulling
people
aside
and
having
conversations
with
them
anyway
come
to
find
out
they
were
South
Koreans
who
had
come
to
the
U.S.
on
a
mission
trip
to
share
the
gospel
right
so
America
as we
think
of
ourselves
in
the
Christian
context
of
sending
missionaries
and
sending
missionaries
and
sending
missionaries
that
there's
churches
all
over
the
world
who
probably
see
our
culture
more
realistic
than
the way
you
and I
want
to
see
it
Jesus
in
here
the
importance
for
us
of
what
we
have
to
hold
on
to
of
what
we
have
to
cling
to
when
dangerous
words
like
relevant
begin
to
be
thrown
around
as
the
ultimate
standard
is
that
we
have
to
understand
that
the
sower
and
the
seed
cannot
change
the
problem
in this
parable
is not
the
sower
the
problem
in this
parable
is not
the
seed
the
problem
in
this
parable
is
the
soil
the
problem
in
this
world
is
the
heart
of
man
and
so
Jesus
describes
Jesus
describes
four
soils
four soils
that would
have been
common
that people
would have
understand
they reached
in and
grabbed
down
and
scooped
and
scattered
would have
been
the
common
acceptance
rate
of growth
of a
crop
in that
area
he says
some of
it
fell along
the path
the hard
path
the path
that would
be worn
down
and beat
down
as you
walked
over
and over
again
through the
rows
as you
scattered
the path
on the
sides
where people
would use
to pass
by
and this
path
is the
hard
heart
folks
what we
see
in
scripture
we should
take this
as a
warning
we should
take this
as a
warning
for
ourselves
and for
where we
live
and the
people
around
us
that the
hardening
of the
heart
is real
the
hardening
of the
heart
is real
that there
are people
no matter
how persuasive
you and
I
try to
be
that there
are people
no matter
how
influential
we try
to be
that there
will be
people
no matter
how
sacrificial
that we
try to
be
that they've
given
in to
a hardening
of their
heart
and the
seed
of the
gospel
will not
penetrate
and will
not take
root
what we see
from this
is what
Jesus
will tell
his disciples
in the
explanation
of this
is that
the birds
that come
and pick
that seed
up
that's
like
Satan
who
comes
and who
picks
it up
the
spiritual
warfare
and the
spiritual
work
that's
happening
here
we see
the hard
heart
but then
we also
see the
superficial
heart
the rocky
soil
heart
the
superficial
heart
it's the
immature
the
lacking
of
depth
the
commentator
that I
read
yesterday
about this
referred to
this as
the easy
believism
mindset
it's a
heart
that's
there
for the
good
time
it's a
heart
that's
there
for the
emotional
time
but that
within
there
is no
depth
of
relationship
no
true
life
change
that
has
happened
and with
that
is a
heart
with no
endurance
when it
comes
to the
difficult
times
that will
be in
this
world
and so
people
will
come
Jesus
says
people
will
respond
and then
when the
heat
begins
to be
turned
up
just a
little
they'll
all
scatter
away
that's
not a
failure
of the
church
if it
were a
failure
of the
church
it would
be a
failure
of
Jesus
but it's
the reality
of what
will happen
and take
place
the
fourth
that we
see
is the
divided
heart
the
divided
heart
the
thorny
soil
that while
this
heart
says
it wants
one
thing
it's
consumed
by the
ways
of the
world
and then
over time
the plant
that once
began to
grow
will be
choked
out
not
immediately
but
eventually
well it
will see
it's a
heart
that gives
in to
the
idols
and the
pursuits
it's
the heart
that says
it's not
just
Jesus
and with
him
is my
life
with him
is my
hope
with him
is my
future
that I
find
my
satisfaction
I find
my joy
I find
my purpose
in him
and him
alone
but it's
the heart
that tries
to allow
everything
else
to mesh
and come
together
and Jesus
says
that in
that heart
that there's
no growth
there's no
sustainability
and so
then Jesus
talks about
the fruitful
heart
the fruitful
heart
the good
soil
the good
soil
here's
what's
remarkable
about the
seed
that is
planted
in the
good soil
the seed
that's
planted
in good
soil
will
always
produce
fruit
Jesus
says
sometimes
it's
a hundred
fold
sometimes
it's
60
sometimes
it's
30
the fruit
based off
of the
season
of life
sometimes
may
increase
sometimes
we may
see
less
but that
there's
evidence
of the
working
of the
hand
of God
in the
heart
of that
individual
so Jesus
says
there's
these
four
soils
folks
the
hard
heart
doesn't
need
logic
and
reason
the
hard
heart
needs
Jesus
the
superficial
heart
doesn't
just need
more
encouragement
and a
step of
growth
the
superficial
heart
needs
Jesus
the
divided
heart
doesn't
need
a new
spreadsheet
with new
sets of
priorities
the
hard
heart
needs
Jesus
folks
the
question
I have
for you
Jesus
stands
here
and tells
this
parable
to a
group
of
people
who
believe
that
they
are a
part
of the
kingdom
of God
the
question
I have
for you
this
morning
is
which
soil
are you
which
soil
are you
is
your
heart
hardened
and you're
here
for the
appeasement
of those
around you
folks
just
turn to
Jesus
is
is your
heart
superficial
lacking
of depth
easy
believism
like man
God
I will
follow
you
as long
as you're
doing all
the things
that I
need
and you're
giving me
all that I
want
and all
that I
desire
and as
long as
life is
good
then praise
God
sign me
up
for
another
but the
moment
that life
begins
to be
difficult
you begin
to feel
that you
disengage
you don't
just need
things to
start going
well
folks
you need
Jesus
is your
heart
divided
and you've
got a lot
of categories
of priorities
in your
life
and in
the calendar
that is
your world
Jesus
finds his
spot
folks
you don't
need better
time management
you need
Jesus
are you
seeing
the fruit
of the work
of Christ
in
your
life
drop down
with me
to verse
24
parable
of the
sower
more
common
more
known
but now
we see
the parable
of the
weeds
a
warning
the
Bible
says
that he
put another
parable
before them
saying
the kingdom
of heaven
may be
compared
to a
man
who
sowed
good
seed
in his
field
but while
his men
were
sleeping
his
enemy
came
and
sowed
weeds
among
the
wheat
and
went
away
so
when
the
plants
came
up
and
bore
grain
then
the
weeds
appeared
also
and
the
servants
of the
master
of the
house
came
and
said
to
him
master
did
you
not
sow
good
seed
in
your
field
how
then
does
it
have
weeds
and
he
said
to
them
an
enemy
has
done
this
so
the
servants
said
to
him
then
do
you
want
us
to
go
and
gather
them
but
he
said
no
lest
in
gathering
the
weeds
you
root
up
all
the
wheat
along
with
them
let
both
grow
together
until
the
harvest
and
at
harvest
time
I
will
tell
the
reapers
gather
the
weeds
first
bind
them
in
bundles
to
be
burned
but
gather
the
wheat
into
my
barn
so
what's
been
planted
here
what's
been
planted
is
seeds
for the
wheat
and
weeds
now
here's
the hard
part
about
having
a
garden
like
we
do
and
being
ignorant
about
plants
which
I
am
sometimes
you
go
and
you
see
a
weed
and
you
think
that's
a
weed
and
so
you
reach
down
and
you
pull
out
the
weed
and
then
you
hear
from
someone
who's
intelligent
about
the
plants
that
want
to
know
why
you
have
just
pulled
out
all
of
their
squash
plants
right
so
there's
early
on
unless
you're
educated
in
the
plant
world
they
can
look
the
same
imagine
again
acres
and
acres
and
acres
you
can't
walk
through
one
after
the
other
but
boy
you
can
tell
as
the
seeds
grow
what's
happened
so
the
good
has
been
planted
and
it's
growing
the
bad
has
been
planted
and
it's
growing
and
so
they
come
and
they
say
now
that
it's
here
should
we
go
and
pull
out
the
bad
so
that
we
can
set
the
good
free
master
says
no
we
can't
do
that
there's
a very
practical
reason
of why
we
can't
do
that
the
practical
reason
is
the
roots
will
grow
together
I've
done
this
before
as
well
and
you
grab
the
weed
and
you
pull
the
weed
out
and
then
the
plant
that's
supposed
to
be
in
the
ground
the
good
plant
comes
out
with
it
and
you
tear
up
the
garden
space
that's
been
worked
so
hard
so
what
you
have
to
do
even
though
it's
not
ideal
is
you've
got
to
let
the
weeds
grow
with
the
good
plants
and
then
what
can
happen
is
when
it's
harvesting
season
they'll
be
separated
folks
this is
the
warning
this
is
the
warning
in this
world
there's
the plants
of Christ
that are
growing
and in
this
world
there's
the weeds
of this
world
that are
growing
there's
the
hard
hearts
that are
growing
right
along
there's
the
soil
there's
the
good
there's
the
bad
it's
all
there
and
Jesus
gives
a
warning
that
right
now
they
may
all
be
in
this
garden
in
this
world
together
but
one
day
when
the
king
who
came
in
the
kingdom
that
is
growing
and
that
is
working
and
that
is
moving
one
day
the
king
will
return
and
he'll
complete
the
kingdom
and
when
the
king
comes
and
he
completes
the
kingdom
he's
going to
separate
the
weeds
from
the
plants
of
the
kingdom
one's
going
to be
put
for
destruction
one's
going to
be put
for
glory
heard
Dr.
James
Merritt
say
this
past
week
he
pastors
a
church
in
Atlanta
Georgia
he
said
the
greatest
lie
that
you
could
believe
is
that
you're
saved
when
you're
not
I'm
not
the
Holy
Spirit
but
my
concern
for
you
this
morning
is
that
your
heart
is
hard
your
heart
is
hard
and
right
now
in
this
moment
you're
suppressing
the truth
of the
gospel
that
right
now
your
heart
is
filled
with
the
thorns
and
you're
suppressing
the
truth
of the
gospel
that
right
now
your
heart
is
rocky
and
you're
suppressing
the
truth
of the
gospel
one
day
it's
all
going
to
be
taken
and
it's
going
to
be
separated
and
there's
no
one
more
worship
service
to
go
to
where
I
can
get
it
right
there's
no
more
one
more
moment
it's
either
come
and
receive
or
away
from
me
I'm
gonna
ask
the
band
to
come
up
on
the
stage
worship
team
ask
the
prayer
and
courage
to
get
in
place
one
more
parable
this
one's
for
free
I
didn't
plan
on
doing
this
so
it's
not
on
the
screen
so
I
apologize
but
look
at
with
me
now
in
Matthew
13
verse
44
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
like
a
treasure
hidden
in
a
field
which
a
man
found
and
covered
up
then
in
his
joy
he
goes
and
sells
all
that
he
has
and
buys
that
field
when
we
were
in
Black
Mountain
they
got a
thrift
store
there
if
you've
sent
your
youth
up
there
if
you've
been
up
there
for
one
of
our
trips
you know
they
got
this
thrift
store
and
the
thrift
store
is
great
my
family
loves
thrift
store
shopping
I'm
not
crazy
about
it
I
don't
know
about
you
but
my
wife
will
go
into
outfit
after
outfit
after
outfit
after
outfit
every
time
I
go
into
a
thrift
store
I'm
like
wouldn't
wear
that
wouldn't
wear
that
wouldn't
wear
that
wouldn't
wear
that
wouldn't
wear
that
and
then
she
finds
like
five
shirts
for
me
I
don't
know
where
they
were
hiding
so
I
think
they
put
them
in
a
back
corner
that
is
for
the
ladies
only
to
buy
for
their
husbands
right
but
I
do
when
I
go
into
a
thrift
store
I
will
go
find
the
golf
clubs
and
I
will
try
to
see
did
someone
give
away
their
brand
new
ping
driver
and
now
it's
for sale
for
five
dollars
because
if
you're
a
bad
golfer
like
I
am
what
you
need
is
not
lessons
what
you
need
is
new
clubs
because
that's
what
fixes
your
game
or at least
that's
what I'm
convinced
and that's
why I'm
bad
because
I've
got
old
clubs
right
so
I'm
back
there
and I
see
this
putter
I see
this
putter
and you
can tell
this
putter
is
old
it's
a
really
old
putter
so
I
grab
this
putter
and I'm
looking
out
and this
is
a
cool
looking
1960s
I said
really
old
I
might
have
offended
some
of
you
I
apologize
in
putter
years
it's
old
all right
in
people
years
it's
young
and
fresh
and
full
of
energy
and
it's
valued
at
$90
and
it's
for sale
for
three
and
I
it
was
like
I
won
the
lottery
in
that
moment
and
I
carried
that
butter
I
took
it
up
to
the
counter
and
I
bought
that
I
made
that
three
dollar
investment
and
all
of
the
happiness
that
it
is
there
because
it's
valued
at
$90
now
what
will
I
do
with
that
putter
I'll
tell you
what
I
do
with
that
putter
it
will
sit
in
the
corner
of
my
garage
until
the
next
yard
sale
and
then
I
will
get
rid
of
that
putter
for
$4
right
the
silly
things
of
this
world
that
we
think
matter
and
that
bring
us
joy
Jesus
says
there's
a man
and he
finds a
treasure
and folks
the treasure
is the
kingdom
of heaven
and it's
priceless
it's
priceless
it's
worth
more
than
anything
that he
could
ever
save
up
for
it's
not
comparable
to
anything
this
world
has
to
offer
and so
he
goes
he
goes
and he
leaves
from
there
and he
sells
everything
he
sells
his
house
he
sells
his
animals
he
cashes
out
all
of
his
retirement
every
bit
that
he
has
and he
buys
the
entire
field
because
of the
priceless
treasure
that's
found
in it
here's
what I
want to
say
to you
this
morning
the
kingdom
of
heaven
Jesus
Christ
is
worth
losing
everything
for
everything
don't
settle
don't
settle
the
treasure
is
worth
more
than
the
field
Jesus
is
worth
more
than
any
simple
pursuit
that
you
and I
could
have
Jesus
is
worth
more
than
any
wait
for
tomorrow
wait
till
I
understand
wait
till
I've
got
it
figured
out
Jesus
says
the
faith
that
he
calls
us
to
is
the
faith
of
a
child
who
does
nothing
more
than
hold up
their
hands
so
their
heavenly
father
can
embrace
them
a
prayer
for you
this
morning
where's
your
heart
where's
your
heart
what's
the
gospel
done
and would
you get
rid of
it all
would you
get rid
of it
all
for the
king of
kings
Lord
of
lords
would you
pray with
me
God we
thank you
for today
we thank you
for the
truth of
your word
God I
pray that
in
in the
ramblings
of a
simple
man
that the
power
of your
holy
spirit
would
work
and move
in the
lives
of the
individuals
who are
here
today
God could
you take
hard hearts
and make
them soft
would you
take
thorny
hearts
and make
them receptive
would you
take rocky
hearts
Lord and
smooth them
out
so that
they would
receive
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ
Jesus that
you died
for us
making a
way
for us
that all
who put
their faith
hope
and trust
in you
would have
eternal life
and on
that day
of separation
Lord what
we will
hear
is well
done
my good
and faithful
servant
we ask all
these things
in Jesus
name
amen
that's it
for this
week's
message
be sure
to check
back
next week
for a
new episode
and in
the meantime
you can
visit us
online at
willowridgechurch.org
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Church on
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for listening
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