The word gives us life

In the Word, we find a loving and just God who mercifully redeems the circumstances of those who love Him and His ways.

On Thursday, December 4, we opened our study of Psalm 119 with a sermon identifying the deep desire of the author to love and live the Word of God: http://ecampuschurch.com/media.php?pageID=32.   When I read the 176 verses of Psalm 119, I realize that I have a long way to go in loving/living the Word in this way. We are all in a lifelong relationship with the written Word of God, the Bible, and it is a wise practice to invest some time this Break to ignite, revive and enlarge our appreciation for this Book. We want to be a community dedicated to loving and living out the Scriptures.

There are a variety of styles, practices and applications that we will draw on throughout the next few weeks, but today we are going to start with a good Bible reading exercise – thematic study.

Throughout the 176 verses of Psalm 119, a phrase helps us to understand why the author of this song was so dedicated to loving and living the Scriptures. “Give me life” occurs 11 times throughout the song (v25, 37, 40, 50, 88, 93, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159).   His dedication to the Scriptures was tied to the “life” (‘chayah’) that he drew from them.

It is sad that we find reading the Word to be so counter to this author’s experience. I doubt many of us would be able to write an entire song following our alphabet that expresses our deep love and obedience to the Scriptures. That’s not a knock on us so much as it is a challenge for this entire Break. How can we establish a loving relationship with this Word? How can we find the motivation to live it out more thoroughly?

The Big Idea for today’s devotion follows our “give me life” theme through the song:

In the Word, we find a loving and just God who mercifully redeems the circumstances of those who love Him and His ways.

College campuses are a strange dichotomy. At times they are buzzing with life. There aren’t many environments more electric than a college stadium during a big game, an arena packed for graduation, or even the daily ebbs and flows of classroom dismissal traffic. There is a lot of “life” on campus. However, there also aren’t many places where life seems more utterly depleted than a college campus. Envision the agony of the library around finals, the ever-increasing necessity of naps, and the frantic pace at which students run from one thing to the next.

Campuses expose a truth about our fallen world – there are temporary “life” offers that subtly deplete us. Take a moment to think about (and maybe even write down in a journal) a few things that deplete your energy, consume your time and leave you feeling drained…

Got a list?

Bonus Study Material: The author of Psalm 119 had a list as well – his included sickness (v25), over- consumption (v37), affliction (v50, 107), bad people (v85), future questions (v40), threats (v109), fear and shame (v116), confusion (v144) and neediness (v175). In his deep hunger he found the world’s solutions could not “give him life.”

There are two chunks of Psalm 119 that I think will help us to unpack our theme. The first one is from v145-152, specifically v149. Read through the whole section, but really spend some time lingering over the words of v149. Write down any initial thoughts you have…

When I was a kid in Sunday school, I wondered what God was like. I didn’t know if He looked like the flannel graph cut-outs we had, the coloring book pictures we filled in, or the illustrations from the Children’s Bible that we read from – I really didn’t know who He was. This uncertainty made praying to this God a strange practice.

In the Word, we discover the nature and character of God.

Getting to know the nature and character of God is one of the primary reasons that I read the Word diligently. Every other discipline – prayer, worship, service – is dependent on knowing the heart of God. Without His revealed nature, I’m afraid that we fall in love with a fantasy, or worse, a figment of our imaginations. God’s nature is objective, not subjective, and it is written all over the pages of Scripture. We know Him and fall in love with Him based on who is He is, not based on who we think He is or wish Him to be.

Bonus Study Material: Look at what the author of Psalm 119 says about keeping his statutes (v145), observing his testimonies (v146), hoping in his word (v147), meditating on his promises (v148) and ultimately finding a God who is loving and just (v149). When the author cried for an answer/help (v145, 147), called for salvation (v146), and lifted up his voice (v149), he knew the nature and character of the One to whom he was speaking. He was familiar with God’s attributes.

He reveals His loving nature/character in His Word, and we are “given life” as we fall in love with Him.

The second means by which He “gives me life” comes clear as we live according to His Word.

As a summer camp counselor, I was entrusted with pastoring campers. At night we would gather the boys around their bunks and share a devotional.  At the time I was first entrusted with a cabin, I had been diligently reading the Scriptures for about two months!

I had a total of 2 devotions in my teaching arsenal – one on David and Goliath and the other on Jesus and Lazarus (which was one I actually stole from my co-counselor). I was in love with the Word, but I was not equipped to teach it. What I realized in these summer cabins was that the boys were more interested in my ability to live out the Word than they were in my ability to teach it.

My devotionals were not rich in material, but they were rich in testimony. When I read Psalm 119, I see the author expressing deep testimony of living out the ways of God. We’ll take another break from the screen to turn our attention to Psalm 119.153-160. Spend a few minutes reading it, again pausing on each of the three verses including our theme for the week (v154, 156, 159)…

We see our first point here when the author identifies the nature and character of God – calling on His mercy (v156) and steadfast love (v159). But, in this section, he clearly compares himself to those who do not love and live out the Scriptures.  In God’s economy, obedience to his way is rewarded by the “giving of life.”

I’m not always motivated to live out the Word. In fact, usually, when things aren’t going my way, I tend to wholesale God’s way in a DIY fashion. “Thanks for the instructions God, but something didn’t go according to my plan, so I’m gonna go rogue for a little bit until I figure this out. I’ll catch you on the flip side.” This type of thinking almost always leads to greater despair, greater pain, and greater need for God to clean up my mess.

Which brings me back to the big point this week,

 In the Word, I find a loving and just God (v149, 159) who mercifully (v156) redeems (v149, 154) the circumstances of those who love Him and His ways (v159).  In other words, in the Word, I find a God who “gives me life.”

What do you find when you open the Word?  What type of God is revealed there?  What type of applications are found?

Bonus Study Material: Notice that the author is not delivered (v153) from his circumstance, but rather his circumstances are redeemed (v154) according to God’s promises (sounds a lot like Romans 8.28 to me). He knows that God has established an order to things (rules, v159) and yet is merciful in the process of transforming us. He clings to his love of God’s ways (v159) trusting that the love God has for him will ultimately grant him what he seeks.

I hope as we continue through this Winter Break, we find ample time and energy to love the Word of God while living it out more thoroughly.

Предложения:
give us life

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.

дает нам жизнь

дарует нам жизнь

дает жизнь

дарит нам жизнь

дал нам жизнь

дают нам жизнь

подарил нам жизнь

дает мне жизнь

подарили нам жизнь

дающий нам жизнь

дающей нам жизнь

которой мы живем

давая жизнь нам

Soul is what gives us life.

We must protect what gives us life.

Who gives us Life, and animating Soul.

Fire gives us life, but also has the power to destroy everything in its path.

Огонь дарует нам жизнь, но также имеет власть разрушать всё на своем пути.

Nature is what gives us life.

These eruptions of gases formed the atmosphere that gives us life and protects us from the vacuum of space to this day.

Эти извержения газов создают атмосферу, которая дает нам жизнь и защищает нас от вакуума пространства до наших дней.

The environment is everything that surrounds us that gives us life and health.

Средой является все, что нас окружает, что дает нам жизнь и здоровье.

The air inside us is important because it is what gives us life.

Воздух, который мы вдыхаем, очень важен, так как это — то, что дает нам жизнь.

The sun gives us life, and it might even love us, too.

We still have a home without having destroyed what gives us life.

Мы — часть мира, мы больше не разрушаем то, что дает нам жизнь.

The star that gives us life.

That is what gives us life.

It is this energy that gives us life.

That is what gives us life.

After all… is the star that gives us life.

For it is She who gives us life.

It has never been more important for us as humans to protect the planet that gives us life.

Для нас никогда не было ничего более важного, чем люди, защищающие планету, которая дает нам жизнь».

for the one who gives us life

the one who gives us life?

We beg you, grant us your mercy and return the light that gives us life.

Мы молим тебя, даруй нам твоё милосердие и верни нам свет который даёт нам жизнь.

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

Результатов: 116. Точных совпадений: 116. Затраченное время: 128 мс

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I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.

Psalm 119:93

Overview

1. Introduction: The Word of God gives us life
2. God’s Word benefits every part of your body
3. Spending time in the Word brings joy from within and peace that leads you
4. Hearing and understanding God’s Word empowers you to receive an abundant harvest in your life
5. The size of your harvest depends on the measure of attention you give to God’s Word
6. As you keep receiving God’s Word, it is producing fruits in your life day by day
7. God’s Word in your heart overpowers death and corruption in your life
8. The enemy tries to replace God’s Word in your life to bring discouragement and confusion
9. Share the Word of God with your children and it will bring forth fruit in their lives
10. Salvation prayer
11. Closing prayer
12. OWN THE WORD (life application)

Introduction: The Word of God gives us life

Pastor Prince shares that the Lord has been giving us a revival in His Word for the past few weeks and imparting to us a fresh love for His Word.

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
— 1 Peter 1:23 KJV

“Incorruptible” — We are born again of the incorruptible seed of God’s Word which lives and abides forever.

We know that we cannot live without food and by the same token, we cannot live without the Word of God (Matt. 4:4)

The Word God is what gave us life in the very beginning. When God made man from the dust of the ground, man had all his features but was lifeless. The breath of God gave life to man in his spirit. That life then permeated his soul, before giving life to his body (Gen. 2:7).

Today, we can see how much life we are enjoying in our bodies by looking at how healthy we are. Being sick in certain parts of our body indicates that there is a lack of life or death has set in.

When we partake of the holy Communion, the Lord wants us to discern that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and removed our sins in His own body, and that by His stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:5). When we don’t discern the Lord’s body that was broken for our health, we are actually submitting ourselves to the law of death that is already released in this world (1 Cor. 11:29–30).

God does not want us to be subject to the condemnation and death that came in when Adam sinned. The first stage of death is constant fatigue and tiredness, followed by sickness and finally death itself. But God’s Word gives us life!

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . ”
— 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

“inspiration of God” — This phrase means “God-breathed” in the Greek translation.

The very breath that gave life to man is the life that we are to live by. As you spend time in the Word of God, the Word is actually resuscitating and reviving your body, causing you to experience the abundance of life that Jesus came to give you (John 10:10).

God’s Word benefits every part of your body

When we feel despondent or depressed in our minds, it is a sign that death has crept into the area of our emotions. Not only is God against sin, but He is also against death.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
— Romans 8:2 NKJV

God does not want us to fall under the law of sin and death. In order to offset this curse, we simply need to partake of the Lord’s Supper in a way worthy of His sacrifice—by remembering and discerning what He has done for us at the cross. The Bible says that the reason many are weak, sick, and die before their time is because they do not receive life by discerning the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:29–30). How then do we receive this life?

It is not about taking the Communion whenever you are sick as though following a formula. This is not effective because everything in the kingdom of God works by faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The best way to take the Lord’s Supper is to first saturate ourselves with what God’s Word says about it, which fills us with faith before we partake of it.

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”
— Proverbs 4:20-22 KJV

“life . . . and health to all their flesh” — The very life that God breathed into us in the beginning is now within the pages of the Bible. When you spend time in God’s Word, it brings life and health not only to your physical body, but your entire being including your spirit and soul.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
— Isaiah 55:9 NKJV

“My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” — God’s wisdom is so concentrated and beyond us that we are not able to understand and digest it all at once. That is why He does not give it to us all at once but in bite-size pieces.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,”
— Isaiah 55:10 NKJV

“For as the rain comes down” — If all of God’s wisdom fell on us at the same time, we would not be able to handle it. Yet God is so good and kind that He allows His wisdom to fall like rain or snow. As rain falls on the smallest and most delicate flower, refreshing and nourishing it instead of hurting it, so does God’s wisdom come to us in bite-size portions to bless us instead of overwhelm us.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
— Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

“It shall not return to Me void . . . it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” — If you are sick in your body, listen to God-breathed words from the Scriptures on healing. The Word of God is likened to a seed as it will always reproduce after itself. Words of healing will reproduce healing in your body. When you receive God’s Word, you are receiving prosperity in the area the Word is speaking about because the Bible says His Word will prosper in the thing for which He sent it.

Spending time in the Word brings joy from within and peace that leads you

“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
— Isaiah 55:12 NKJV

When you spend time in the Word of God, you will experience:

1. “go out with joy” — a joy within that is beyond the normal joys of life and your emotions.
2. “be led out with peace” — a peace deep down that leads you in your decision-making.

“The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” — Everywhere you go, as you walk with joy and are led forth with peace, important people (represented by the mountains) and people around you (represented by the hills) will clap their hands.

You are a blessing everywhere you go when you are filled with the Word of God (Isa. 55:13). When you receive God’s Word, expect to go out with joy and be led forth with peace!

Hearing and understanding God’s Word empowers you to receive an abundant harvest in your life

The Parable of the Sower

Pastor Prince shares the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 13:1–12 to illustrate how we can receive a full, hundred-fold harvest of God’s Word in our lives.

The four types of ground mentioned in this parable are a picture of the four different states of our hearts (our attitudes) that we can have when we receive God’s Word. Of these, only one particular attitude receives the bountiful, hundred-fold harvest from the Word.

1. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.”
   — Matthew 13:18–19

   “does not understand it . . . received seed by the wayside” — The first attitude is represented by seed received by the wayside. These people hear God’s Word but have no heart (desire) to want to understand it, to ask God for wisdom, or to seek the Lord to have that word revealed to them. It also refers to people who are listening to the Word by the sidelines and not really paying attention. For example, they may switch on the Word being preached online on Sunday but then get distracted by doing other things such as looking at their phones. They are hearing the Word but not understanding it as their minds are on something else.

   Those who listen to the Word this way often become prey to the enemy, who seeks to steal God’s Word from their hearts.

   When you don’t understand the Word of God, the enemy steals it from your heart (John 10:10). The enemy doesn’t go straight for your health or relationships—he goes straight for God’s Word because he knows that by stealing God’s Word, he is ultimately stealing all the positive results that are a consequence of receiving God’s Word in your life. The enemy knows that when he takes God’s Word out of your heart, you have nothing to reproduce in your life because God’s Word is the seed that reproduces every good thing.

2. “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”
   — Matthew 13:20–21 NKJV

   “received the seed on stony places . . . he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while” — The second attitude is represented by seed that falls on stony ground. These people hear the Word and immediately receive it with joy, but later stumble when trouble arises because of the Word. They give up because they have no root in themselves and the Word becomes unfruitful in their life.

   “tribulation or persecution arises because of the word” — If the enemy cannot steal God’s Word from your heart, the next thing he will try to do is to cause trouble or persecution to arise “because of the word.” In doing so, he is trying to convince you that the Word is a lie and cannot be believed because of the trouble it has brought to your life. My friend, stand steady in God’s Word and don’t doubt that what He has spoken will surely come to pass! His Word is the truth that will outlast every circumstance.

3. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”
   — Matthew 13:22 NKJV

   “received seed among the thorns . . . the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word” — The third attitude is represented by seed that is received among the thorns. These people hear the Word but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke it before it can grow, causing it to be unfruitful.

4. “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
   — Matthew 13:23 NKJV

   “received seed on the good ground . . . hears the word and understands it” — The fourth attitude is represented by seed received on good ground. These people hear and understand the Word and thus produce the best fruit. Some receive a harvest of a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.

It is so important for us to have a heart to understand God’s Word!

When you are hungry for the Word of God, the state of your heart (your attitude) is good ground to receive the seed. Instead of seeking psychology, scientific facts, or the opinions of experts, you will prioritize the Word of the living God! And as you spend time in the Word of God, seeking understanding and crying out for knowledge and wisdom, you will understand the wisdom of God and find the knowledge of the Lord (Prov. 2:1–5). And you will see a great harvest in your life!

The size of your harvest depends on the measure of attention you give to God’s Word

What causes us to receive a hundred-fold harvest in our life from God’s Word?

We saw from the parable that the same seed is sown on all four types of ground but produces different results in each type.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
— Mark 4:23–25 NKJV

“what you hear” — Mark emphasizes the importance of what you hear as it is God’s incorruptible seed (His Word) that produces fruit in your life and regenerates it. What are you listening to most of the time? Are you flooding your mind and heart with the news or social media? Or are you taking in God’s Word?

“Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
— Luke 8:18 NKJV

“how you hear” — Luke emphasizes how you hear the Word. The Bible says that to whoever has a hearing heart or attitude of wanting to hear God’s Word, more will be given to them. As for those who do not have this hearing heart, even what they already have will be taken away.

“the same measure you use” (Mark 4:24) — The measure of attention you give to the Word is the same measure of harvest you will reap. So if you give thirty-fold attention and focus to the Word, you will get back a thirty-fold benefit, revelation, and harvest from the Word in return.

It is not that it is God’s will for you to only receive a thirty-fold harvest. Your harvest depends on your attitude towards the Word. Let’s not be distracted when listening to the Word!

Often, when you are trying to listen to God’s Word, the enemy will try to tell you to catch up on something you’ve put aside such as contacting a friend or replying to a text message. My friend, there are so many things trying to hold you back from hearing God’s Word because the devil is so afraid that you will receive it.

The enemy knows that his influence and power in your life will be broken because the Word of God is greater than him!

Take heed of the measure of attention you are giving to God’s Word. If you give your full attention to it, you will receive a full harvest and abundant fruitfulness!

As you keep receiving God’s Word, it is producing fruits in your life day by day

The Parable of the Growing Seed

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.”
— Mark 4:26–27 NKJV

“the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how” — Jesus shared another parable of a man who sowed his seed and then went about his normal daily life. As he was doing this, the seed sprouted and grew, though he did not know how.

There are many ways to listen to and receive God’s Word. As you are studying or reading God’s Word, it is sinking into your heart and sprouting. For people who don’t like to read, there are audiobooks available so you can listen to God’s Word instead of reading it.

My friend, would you prioritize God’s Word in your life? Even though we already know about what God has done for us, we need a fresh revelation each time in order to be able to receive from Him.

“And in His law he meditates day and night.
. . . Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”
— Psalm 1:2b–3 NKJV

“he meditates day and night . . . whatever he does shall prosper” — Meditation on God’s Word is so important because it causes us to hear the Word again and again, bringing a fresh revelation. As you meditate on the Word day by day, you will always be young, vigorous, and whatever you do will prosper.

“he himself does not know how” (Mark 4:27) — As this man is in contact with the Word through hearing, meditating, or reading it, it is sinking into his heart and germinating. God is saying that this man does not need to know or worry about how the seed grows. All he needs to do is make sure he is listening and has a good attitude toward the Word (a hearing heart that seeks to understand the Word). If he has that heart, as he leads his life day to day, God’s Word in his heart will naturally grow, leading to a great harvest.

Our only job is to receive the Word. Then the Word itself does the job of producing the harvest!

This is much like how when a woman conceives after receiving seed from a man, she does not need to worry about what her body should do to develop the baby. The seed takes care of itself because the wisdom of God to reproduce another human being is within the seed itself.

God’s Word in your heart overpowers death and corruption in your life

On the third day of creation, God brought forth grass, plants, and all the fruit trees bearing seed in themselves reproducing after their own kind (Gen. 1:11–13). All of the trees and plants that we see today are a reproduction of the very first seed that was in the garden of Eden when God first spoke. It is amazing how seeds reproduce themselves!

Pastor Prince shares a story of seeds that were discovered in excavations carried out at King Herod’s palace in Masada in the 1960s. These seeds included Judean date palm seeds that were estimated to be around 2,000 years old. In 2005, these Judean date palm seeds were planted and miraculously began to sprout. The tree was named “Methuselah” and is now being used to pollinate other female palm trees in Israel. This is the power of resurrection contained in a seed!

The Bible says the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, still bring forth fruit in old age, and “shall be fat (vigorous) and flourishing (green)” (Ps. 92:12–14 KJV). Generation after generation, a tree reproduces itself after its own kind. Man’s best invention cannot reproduce itself. Man can modify existing life but there is no one on earth today who can create life. Only God gives life.

The incorruptible life of God’s Word

“And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean.”
— Leviticus 11:37 NKJV

“any planting seed . . . remains clean” — A carcass is a picture of corruption and death. If it falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, that seed remains clean. Death and corruption cannot overpower or stop the resurrection life that it is in that seed! The life contained by the seed swallows up death.

When you have God’s Word in your heart, death and corruption cannot overtake you because the seed of God’s Word in you is greater.

Beloved, if you are struggling in any area of your life—whether you are facing a financial lack or health issue—spend time in the Word and saturate yourself with it. Start hearing sermons where the Word of God is being expounded on and the revelation is being unfolded to you. When the Word of God sinks into your heart, you will manifest its harvest in your life!

The enemy tries to replace God’s Word in your life to bring discouragement and confusion

In Mark 4:35–41, right after sharing the parables of the seeds, Jesus gave His disciples a practical lesson on taking heed of what they hear and how they hear the Word of God.

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great (‘megas’) windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
— Mark 4:35–38 NKJV

“Let us cross over to the other side” — Jesus said these words, yet His disciples did not give much weight to it. To the same measure of weight they gave to His words, that was the same measure to which they received.

“asleep on a pillow” — Jesus was sound asleep at the back of the boat in the midst of the great storm because when He said, “Let us cross over to the other side,” He believed that what He said would surely happen.

When you meditate on God’s Word and the storm around you begins to grow stronger, this is similar to the parable in Matthew 13 where trouble arises because of the Word. The enemy wants to steal the Word from your heart, and with it, the joy, peace, and faith that it brings.

The disciples were panicking because they were not meditating on Jesus’ words or giving the due measure that His Word deserved. The storm they were caught in was likely one to be truly afraid of in the natural (they were experienced fishermen and yet they could not handle it). Yet the storm didn’t faze Jesus since He had already spoken that they would all cross over to the other side. Jesus didn’t wake up because of the storm but because of the cry of His disciples whom He loved (Mark 4:38–39).

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand (‘suniémi’) it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”
— Matthew 13:19 NKJV

“understand” — The word “understand” here is the Greek word “suniémi,” which means “to put two and two together.” It implies wisdom in understanding God’s Word. God gives us all this “suniémi” type of wisdom and understanding. When the disciples saw the mighty storm, they were not able to put two and two together regarding Jesus’ words about crossing to the other side.

My friend, it is important for you to guard your ear and eye gates as it is through what you hear and what you see that things are able to enter your heart. The enemy is always putting out words to replace God’s Word in your heart.

It is not good for you to be always saturated with social media all day and looking at words that can poison your heart and your attitude, or cause discouragement to come in. Looking at social media or the news now and then is fine, but if you are filling your mind with negative things all day and not spending time in God’s Word, it is no wonder that the fruits they produce are despondency, misery, and stress instead of joy and peace.

Give God’s Word honor and priority. You can even put your Bible around your house so that it’s in sight and you can pick it up to read anytime and anywhere. As you do this, you are releasing the seed of God’s Word in your life and it is growing.

Share the Word of God with your children and it will bring forth fruit in their lives

Pastor Prince encourages parents to share the Word of God with their children.

You may think your young children have no heart yet for the things of God, but they are actually receiving and experiencing the presence of God much more than you realize.

You can share nuggets of the Word with your children in the midst of daily life. They may not appear to be listening, but most of the time they are actually receiving it and the Word is penetrating into the deepest recesses of their heart. With time, it sprouts and brings forth fruit in their lives. Pastor Prince shares a personal story of how he has seen this to be true in his son Justin’s life.

Let God’s Word have the power! It is not about your persuasion or the words you use, but it is simply about the Word. Your sharing does not need to be long. Simply share little teachings with them that you find interesting.

Pastor Prince shares two things that parents need to do with their children for successful Christian parenting:

1. Play with your children.
2. Pray with your children.

Both are necessary. When you play with them without praying with them, God’s Word is not dropped into their hearts. When you pray with them without playing with them, children can become angry as they grow older because they may feel that all you want is to demand a certain “Christian” way of living from them.

Beloved, would you prioritize God’s Word from now on knowing that everything that you want in your life comes by the Word of God that you receive? It may not germinate immediately, but in the days to come, you will see it. The growth is not by your persuasion, wisdom, or labor, but the seed itself produces life (Mark 4:28–29).

Pastor Prince prays for people with the following conditions:

• Chest pains
• Tooth and gum condition
• Back condition
• Elbow condition
• Migraines
• Fear of death

Salvation prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank You that Christ died on the cross for my sins and that you raised Him from the dead and I was justified in Him. I thank you, Father, that Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. I thank You that from now on my life is a life of favor, holiness, and righteousness with You. I thank You, Father God, that You have given me an overcoming life, a victorious life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing prayer

This coming week, the Lord bless you with the blessings of Ephesians 1 and the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. May they all manifest in your life this week. The Lord keep you and your loved ones, protect you from the COVID-19 virus, from every sickness and disease, from every danger and harm. The Lord keep you from the power of the evil one through His blood. The Lord make His face to shine on you, be favorable to you. May you experience the favor of God everywhere you go this week and may you always be, through the grace of God, at the right place at the right time. The Lord lift up His countenance on you and your loved ones and grant to you and yours His shalom peace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

OWN THE WORD (life application)

Is there an area of defeat in your life you haven’t been seeing a breakthrough in, no matter how hard you’ve been trying to turn things around?

Friend, the Lord has made things easy for you. When it comes to that area of unfruitfulness in your life—whether it is your family life, relationships, marriage, career, finances, ministry, or mental and emotional wellbeing—the answer to seeing a great harvest of breakthroughs and blessings is found in receiving the seed of God’s Word in your heart.

Just as a man who scatters seed on the ground sees it sprout and grow without knowing how it happens (Mark 4:27), so you will see the seed of God’s Word germinate and bear fruit in your life without needing to worry about how it will happen.

This week, how do you receive God’s life-bringing, fruit-bearing Word in your heart?

1. Pay attention to what you are listening to. Are you listening and giving priority to God’s Word or to the negative voices and circumstances around you? Choose to seek out and listen to what God’s Word says about your situation.

   For example, if you are struggling with a health challenge, listen to scriptures or sermons on healing, which will reproduce healing in your life. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that the Word of God will prosper in the thing for which He sent it.

2. Pay attention to how you are listening to God’s Word. When you listen to His Word with a heart to lean in and understand it, your heart becomes good ground for the seed of His Word to take root and grow. So take time this week to give your attention and priority to hearing and understanding what God’s Word says about your situation. The measure of attention you give to His Word is the same measure of harvest you will reap (Mark 4:24)!

   As you learn to value God’s Word, as you listen to it with a desire to understand and believe it, you will not need to worry about that area of unfruitfulness in your life. Simply go about your daily tasks and see the seed of His Word grow and bring an abundant harvest of breakthroughs and blessings!

We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.

© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2021
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The Hebrew word used for light is [owr] and means light, or illumination.  The lamp gives light. 

What did the golden lampstand represent in the tabernacle?

2 Samuel 22:29 – For You are my lamp, O LORD; and the LORD illumines my darkness.

Job 29:3 – When His lamp shone over my head, and by His light I walked through darkness.

Not only is Jesus the lampstand, He is the light that comes from the lamp.

Hebrews 1:3 – And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

Proverbs 6:23 – For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.

Acts 10:38 – You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

How does the lamp give light to our path?

How does the Word give direction to our life?

1 Corinthians 10:11 — Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

I pray that you are living in the light today!

God’s book of wisdom contrasts the life of the foolish man with the life of the wise man. It shows us how life works best in a fallen world. And talk is deeply important in recognizing which of those two paths we’re walking. Paul Tripp even argues that Proverbs is most fundamentally a treatise on talk. He summarizes Proverbs’ teaching on talk this way: “words give life; words bring death—you choose.” Every utterance that escapes our lips mat­ters, which means you’ve never spoken a neutral word in your life.

You’ve never spoken a neutral word in your life.

Our words are moving either in a direction of life or death. If our words are moving in a life direction, they will be words of encourage­ment, hope, love, peace, unity, instruction, wisdom, and correction. But the death direction brings forth words of anger, malice, slander, jealousy, gossip, division, contempt, racism, violence, judgment, and condemnation. We don’t give much thought to our talk in mundane times, yet that’s where we tend to get into trouble, and Proverbs instructs us well.

Killing Words

Proverbs 10 contrasts two kinds of talkers—the wise and the foolish:

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many. But fools die for lack of sense. (Prov. 10:20–21)

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. (Prov. 10:31–32)

Solomon cuts to the heart of what this book is arguing in Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

In America when police officers arrest a person, they caution him regard­ing his rights, including the Miranda warning, which begins, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Words, when uttered by a person accused of committing a crime, can be a matter of life and death, at least when it comes to what could happen during the trial. Say something foolish, and life could become even more difficult for you. So it is in everyday life. Words have the potential to kill and to give life. We all know people (maybe even ourselves) who have been verbally abused by parents, spouses, even friends, to a point that the insults have become part of their identity and have ruined their lives.

Say something foolish, and life could become even more difficult for you.

In college I had a friend whose father had told him he was stupid for so many years he’d come to believe it and embraced it as central to his iden­tity. His father’s constant disapproval, usually shown through verbal jabs, led him to a life of drug and alcohol abuse before college. In a sense, his father’s words had killed him. Our words affect others, with the potential to destroy them.

Life-Giving Words

Words can also give life. Think of how en­couraging that Christian friend was to you when she told you how skilled you were in something you valued—maybe your singing voice, your teach­ing ability, your golf swing, how well your children read. Think about how your daughter smiled when you told her how proud you were that she had made the honor roll or all-star team.

Pastors have a special relationship to Monday. We often call it “Blue Monday,” because it’s the day we spend in recovery mode from the rigors of Sunday and that sermon we spent 15 hours preparing, only to see it fall as flat as the Kansas prairie. It’s the day that church member emails his pastor to complain about the music or the length of the sermon or how the youth group isn’t meeting his family’s needs.

I remember one particularly depressing Monday a couple of years ago when I was down and out over what church members had apparently re­garded (but didn’t notify me) as low attendance Sunday. I’d also learned our giving was way down, and one prominent family had announced to me that they were leaving because they didn’t like the elders’ vision. “Too much Bible,” they told me.

I opened my inbox that day, convinced I would only encounter additional ill news, but the first message to appear was from a relatively new member. His words were as humble as they were sweet. He was grateful for our church’s faithfulness, for the elders’ clear-headed vision, for our church’s friendliness. He loved that we valued the Bible enough to make it central to everything we do. The Monday blues were gone. In two short paragraphs, his words breathed new life into my week. I could look up at the mountain peak that was next Sunday with a smile. He had given me what Solomon describes in Proverbs 25:11: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Words kill and words give life—that’s what Solomon is saying. Remember that with every word you speak today.

Jeff Robinson (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is director of news and information at Southern Seminary. He was a senior editor for six years at The Gospel Coalition. A native of Blairsville, Georgia, he pastors Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and serves as adjunct professor of church history at Southern Seminary. Prior to entering ministry, he spent nearly 20 years as a newspaper journalist in Georgia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. He is coauthor or coeditor of six books, including Taming the Tongue: How the Gospel Transforms Our Talk (TGC, 2021), To the Ends of the Earth: Calvin’s Mission Vision and Legacy, and 15 Things Seminary Couldn’t Teach Me (Crossway, 2018). Jeff and his wife, Lisa, have four children.