40 Days in the Word Week 7

40 Days in the Word - How do we integrate God’s Word into our lives?

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

1. BUILD ON IT!

   
   Matthew 7:24
   “Everyone who hears these words of mine, and puts them into practice, is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
   
   

4 Unreliable Foundations for your life:

POPULAR CULTURE “Everyone is doing it!”
Exodus 23:2
“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,

TRADITION “We’ve always done it that way!”
Mark 7:8
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

REASON “It sounds logical!
Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

EMOTION “Feels right, so must be right”
Judges 21:25 (Message)
At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.

2. FEED ON IT.

   
   Colossians 3:16
   Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

3. GROW THROUGH IT

   
   Luke 8:4-15
   While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “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 ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 9His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

The hardened soil = a closed mind

Luke 8:5, 12
“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 ate it up….12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Action: I must cultivate an open mind

The The shallow soil = a superficial mind

Luke 8:6, 13
Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture... 13Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Action: I must make time for God’s Word!

The The soil with weeds = a preoccupied mind

Luke 8:7, 14
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants... 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Action: I must eliminate the distractions.

The The good soil = a willing mind

Luke 8:15
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Action: Cooperate with what it says!

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

40 Days in the Word Devotions