DON'T BE FOOLED BY APPEARANCES (1 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Haggai 2:1-9
This content is part of a series.
Don't Be Fooled by Appearances (1 of 4)
Series: The Treasure Principle
Jeff Strite
Haggai 2:1-9
OPEN: An old farmer was about to die and he called his 2 sons to his bedside. He said, ''Boys, my farm and the fields are yours. You each have equal shares. I leave you a little ready money, but the bulk of my wealth is hidden somewhere in the ground of the farm. I'm not sure anymore quite where it is, but it's not more than 18 inches from the surface.
In time, of course, the old man died, the sons inherited the farm. Not long afterwards they set to work digging up every inch of ground. But they failed to find any treasure. But since they'd gone to all the trouble of turning the soil, they thought they might as well sow a crop - which they did, reaping a good harvest.
The following autumn as soon as they had an opportunity, they dug for the treasure again, but with no better results. As their fields were turned over more thoroughly than any others in the neighborhood, they reaped better harvests than anyone else.
Year after year, their search continued… and year after year they gained a good crop.
It was only when they had grown older that they realized what their father had done.
APPLY: You reap what you sow - says God.
The Bible talks a lot about that kind of concept because that's what a farmer does
- The farmer sows seed in a way exercises faith - a faith that that which he has sown will yield a crop.
- But the farmer will only get a crop if he works the ground and plants the seed.
- It's the farmer's faithfulness to this concept that gains him success as a farmer.
You Reap What You Sow. That's what faith is all about.
Now, that's all well and good in theory. But as I often say ''I never studied theory.''
Life is often about cold hard facts… and faith can be a hard thing to hang onto when life gets tough.
Our text this morning comes from the book written by a prophet named Haggai.
And Haggai is talking to a very discouraged nation.
Seve ...
Series: The Treasure Principle
Jeff Strite
Haggai 2:1-9
OPEN: An old farmer was about to die and he called his 2 sons to his bedside. He said, ''Boys, my farm and the fields are yours. You each have equal shares. I leave you a little ready money, but the bulk of my wealth is hidden somewhere in the ground of the farm. I'm not sure anymore quite where it is, but it's not more than 18 inches from the surface.
In time, of course, the old man died, the sons inherited the farm. Not long afterwards they set to work digging up every inch of ground. But they failed to find any treasure. But since they'd gone to all the trouble of turning the soil, they thought they might as well sow a crop - which they did, reaping a good harvest.
The following autumn as soon as they had an opportunity, they dug for the treasure again, but with no better results. As their fields were turned over more thoroughly than any others in the neighborhood, they reaped better harvests than anyone else.
Year after year, their search continued… and year after year they gained a good crop.
It was only when they had grown older that they realized what their father had done.
APPLY: You reap what you sow - says God.
The Bible talks a lot about that kind of concept because that's what a farmer does
- The farmer sows seed in a way exercises faith - a faith that that which he has sown will yield a crop.
- But the farmer will only get a crop if he works the ground and plants the seed.
- It's the farmer's faithfulness to this concept that gains him success as a farmer.
You Reap What You Sow. That's what faith is all about.
Now, that's all well and good in theory. But as I often say ''I never studied theory.''
Life is often about cold hard facts… and faith can be a hard thing to hang onto when life gets tough.
Our text this morning comes from the book written by a prophet named Haggai.
And Haggai is talking to a very discouraged nation.
Seve ...
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