27/08/2017: “Sowing Saints”
BIBLE READING
Psalm 126: GNB
A Prayer for Deliverance
When the LORD brought us back to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
2 How we laughed, how we sang for joy!
Then the other nations said about us,
“The LORD did great things for them.”
3 Indeed he did great things for us;
how happy we were!
4 LORD, make us prosperous again,
just as the rain brings water back to dry riverbeds.
5 Let those who wept as they planted their crops,
gather the harvest with joy!
6 Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed
will come back singing for joy,
as they bring in the harvest.
SERMON POINTS
1. There is a Word of Praise…Deliverance…Delight…Decision…Prayer & Promise
2. Tears of the Sower…Tears of Past experience
3. The Triumph of the Sower …The Word Works! Don’t eat your seed
4. The Heart of the Saint who Sows. Remember, our search reveals what we truly value. How much urgency and passion do you have for those who are far from God?
STUDY DISCUSSION
- What mood does “When the Lord brought us back to Jerusalem, it was like a dream” capture? What verses show the exiles had mixed feelings? On what do they agree? What problems do they still have?
- Has God ever done something so great you had to pinch yourself to see if you were dreaming?
- A harvest is never instant; it demands time. How does Galatians 6:9 convey the elements of time in the process of harvest? Discuss the concept of “don’t eat your seed.”
- You and I will never move to the next level if we’re scared half to death of what awaits us. Confess your fears about the future and read and pray Jeremiah 29:11.
- What part do you think faith and patience play in our wait as we obey God and look for the first sprouts of harvest?
- The Heart of the Saint who Sows. Remember, our search reveals what we truly value. How much urgency and passion do you have for those who are far from God?
God’s ability to restore life is beyond our understanding. Forests burn down and are able to grow back. Broken bones heal. Even grief is not a permanent condition. Our tears can be seeds that can grow into a harvest of joy because God is able to bring good out of tragedy. When burdened by sorrow know that your times of grief will end and that you will again find joy. We must be patient as we wait. God’s great harvest of joy is coming.
WHAT NOW?
- What is one practical thing you need to take out of this discussion as an individual?
- What does our group need to do with what we’ve discussed and discovered today?