The Parable of the Sower

Posted on February 22, 2025 by jesustrek

Jesus often used parables to teach people what the kingdom of God is like. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, such as the stories of the prodigal son and the good Samaritan.

In Mark 4:1-20, we find the parable of the sower. This story is also recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Since this parable occurs multiple times in Scripture, it is obvious that the Lord really wants us to understand this teaching.

In Mark 4:3-8, Jesus says, “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Jesus went on to explain the parable to his disciples. The seed is the word of God, and the different types of soil represent the different conditions of the human heart where that word is sown.

The first type of soil is the hard-beaten path. The seed cannot take root in a hard heart, so the devil quickly snatches it away. We all know people who have access to the Bible and have heard the gospel message, but they have allowed their hearts to become so hard and calloused toward God that they refuse to come to a saving faith in Jesus.

The second type of soil is rocky and shallow. The word takes root in their hearts, but when trouble comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Some will accept Jesus as their Savior, but their faith has no depth. It is so superficial that they will fall away from the faith when the going gets tough.

The third type of soil is filled with thorns. This represents people who accept the gospel message, but their lives are so cluttered with worries and worldly desires that the word in their lives is eventually choked out, and they never produce the kind of fruit that the Lord requires from his true followers.

The final kind of soil is fruitful. This depicts the human heart that accepts the word and allows it to grow and produce results for God’s kingdom. This is the kind of heart that the Lord seeks.

Unlike the soil, we have the ability to choose what kind of heart we have. We must not allow our hearts to become hard, or shallow or cluttered. We must cultivate the kind of heart that allows the word of God to grow and produce the fruit of righteousness that God desires from us all. Therefore, we must heed the words of Prov.4:23— “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

A man once had this brief inscription put on his tombstone—100x. It was a riddle to many who saw the tombstone, but for those of us who understand this parable, it is a reminder that we need to have the desire to produce as much as possible for God’s kingdom.

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Soldiers, Athletes and Farmers

Posted on February 6, 2025 by jesustrek

There is no shortage in the Bible of examples of how we should live. There are all kinds of teachings about how we can model our lives after others in order to live a Christian life. In 2 Tim.2:3-6, Paul gives three occupations that show us the need to patiently endure the sufferings that come our way so that we can enjoy the blessings that will ultimately follow.

First, he says we should be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and he points out that soldiers do not get entangled in civilian affairs. Rather, they try to please their commanding officer. Some go to extremes to avoid any semblance of worldliness. Their enthusiasm for holiness is to be commended, but the main point is to not be tangled up in the things this world has to offer. Lust, greed and selfishness can lure a person away from what is essential in life—to live for Jesus Christ.

Rather than getting tangled up in worldly ways, the good soldier of Jesus tries to please his commanding officer, and our commanding officer, of course, is Jesus. He says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15). Our love for Jesus is not proved by our feelings and emotions. It is shown by doing what he says, like a good soldier is obedient to the authorities above him.

The second example is the athlete, who only receives the victor’s crown by competing according to the rules. Occasionally an athlete will have to forfeit their prize because they were later found to have cheated. In order to win, you have to play by the rules. Now some people will maintain that the Bible is not a rule book. Well, it’s not just a rule book. It is much more than that. However, there are certainly a lot of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” in the Scripture! We must understand that there are rules to be followed if we are to win the prize of eternal life. That does not take away from the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Our obedience does not earn our salvation. Rather, it proves that our faith is indeed genuine.  

Finally, we see that being a Christian is a lot like the hardworking farmer. Only by working the ground, sowing the seed and reaping the harvest can the farmer expect to receive a share of the crops. There is no such thing as a lazy successful farmer! You must put in the work to receive the reward. In the same way, Christians must sow the Word of God in their own lives and in the lives of others and participate in the harvest of souls. Living the Christian life involves hard work, but it also has rewards for those who faithfully labor in the Master’s fields.

The main point of this section is to encourage us to endure suffering for the gospel so that we may enjoy the reward that is to come. Soldiers must engage in the battle before they experience victory. Athletes must compete according to the rules before standing on the medalists’ platform. Farmers must perform the hard work before enjoying the fruits of their labor. So it is with the Christian. We must endure the hardships of this life before we bask in the glory that is yet to come.

The following verses point us to Jesus. If we remember his suffering, it will help us to persevere throughout life no matter what difficulty comes our way. Jesus Christ is our example and our inspiration!

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Self-Discipline

Posted on January 25, 2025 by jesustrek

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” –1 Cor.9:24-27.

The apostle Paul is talking about self-discipline here. Just like athletes go into strict training in order to compete, we Christians endure training so that we can live our best life for Jesus. This requires self-discipline. A coach can guide an athlete through proper training methods, but they can’t force them to do the work. In the same way, a teacher or mentor can tell you how to become a stronger Christian, but you must put those principles into action yourself.

There are different areas in life in which we must discipline ourselves. To eat properly we must educate ourselves about nutrition, make proper dietary choices and—perhaps most importantly—know when to push back from the table! Prov.23:2 says, “And put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.”

To function well in life, we need to get proper exercise. The Bible says that “…physical training is of some value…” (1 Tim.4:8). If we neglect our muscles, even routine daily activities can become difficult. But if we set aside time for intentional, focused exercise, we can readily handle life’s daily chores.

We must discipline ourselves regarding sexual morality. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife, his solution was to run away (Gen.39:11-12). Sometimes it’s just as simple as that! We must avoid sexual temptation or pay a dear cost (Prov.7).

Our speech must be disciplined. Prov.15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” A lot of teaching in the Bible has to do with the proper use of the tongue. If you don’t watch your mouth, no one else is going to do it for you!

Our sobriety requires self-discipline. Prov.20:1 informs us that, “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. Alcohol has destroyed countless careers, relationships and lives. Discipline in this area is critical!

We need to discipline ourselves to work. “The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.” (Prov.21:25).

We need discipline in our finances. “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Prov.13:11).

Finally, we need self-discipline when in the area of Bible study. We should vow along with the Psalmist, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” (Ps.119:15-16).

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Re-Writing Your Story

Posted on January 17, 2025 by jesustrek

Alfred Nobel became interested in explosives at an early age. In 1867, he patented dynamite and began a rather lucrative career manufacturing explosive devices. While dynamite can have various uses, it soon became used as a devastating weapon of war.

Legend has it that Nobel opened a newspaper one day and saw his own obituary! Actually, it was his brother Ludwig who had died, but the newspaper made a mistake and printed Alfred’s obituary. Nobel was horrified at the extremely unflattering biography of his life. It said that Nobel had made a fortune manufacturing a product that was used to kill many people.

Alfred Nobel did not want that to be his life story, so he spent the rest of his life trying to establish a positive legacy. When he died in 1896, he left half of his wealth—which would have been over a half a billion dollars in today’s money—to establish the now famous Nobel Prizes. Alfred Nobel effectively re-wrote his story.

If you got off to a bad start or have a past that you regret for some reason, there is still time to re-write your story.

Many people in the Bible re-wrote their stories. As a young adult Moses killed a man, but he is better known as the one who lead God’s people out of captivity to the promised land. Rahab the prostitute joined forces with God’s people and became a part of the lineage of Christ. King David committed adultery but repented and is known as a man after God’s own heart. After meeting Jesus, Zaccheus turned from a life of greed and gave half of his wealth to the poor. Before his conversion Paul persecuted the church. After his conversion he became a great church planter and preacher of the gospel. Peter famously denied Christ but was later restored by the resurrected Jesus and given the important task of feeding Jesus’ sheep.

There are many other examples of people in the Bible who were given a chance to re-write their story. Sadly, not all of them took the opportunity that was given them.

However, the Scriptures make it plain that God is a God of second chances, which is wonderful news to anyone who needs a second chance.

Do you need to re-write your story? Don’t waste another day! Start right now to build the kind of legacy you would like to leave for your family, your community and the kingdom of God!

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After Christmas

Posted on December 27, 2024 by jesustrek

Some people have a difficult time dealing with the aftermath of Christmas. Many experience a letdown of sorts, or even a certain measure of depression, after the holiday season has passed. How should we deal with this? What do we do after Christmas? Let’s look at the Scripture to see what the participants in the first Christmas did.

The Magi went back to their normal lives. The Bible says that “…they returned to their country.” (Matt.2:12). They had the experience of a lifetime when they found the Christ child. They were overjoyed to be able to worship him (Matt.2:10-11). But you can’t stay frozen forever in those magical moments. You have to get back to everyday life. Hopefully you had some great moments this Christmas season. But now it’s over and time to get back to work, back to school, back to your daily life.

Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod and protect their precious son. This reminds us that there is still evil in the world, and we must do whatever we can to avoid it and to protect the ones we love from the devil, a roaring lion who is prowling around seeking whom he may destroy (1 Pet.5:8). The devil opposes Jesus and all who believe in him. We must be aware of his schemes and trust in God to keep us safe from his clutches. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

We should also take note that Joseph and Mary’s journey to Egypt was made possible by the generous gifts of the Magi. In the aftermath of Christmas, let us be certain that God will use our monetary contributions to further the work of his kingdom.

Joseph and Mary could have become bitter towards Herod for threatening their son and turning their lives upside down. But instead, they chose to be inspired by their son and continued to live righteous lives. Sometimes people disappoint us greatly, but our focus should not be on how we have been mistreated, but on how God has treated us so mercifully by sending his son Jesus to save us!

And what about the shepherds? What did they do after Christmas? “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:20). After the sounds of the Christmas music have died down, we must continue to worship God, glorifying and praising him for all that we have experienced in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

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Countdown to Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2024 by jesustrek

It is December 20 as I write this–only five days until Christmas! Anticipation is growing, with Christmas music in the air, decorations and lights sparkling and festivities all around! The countdown to Christmas has begun, so let’s talk about a 3-2-1 scenario—three wise men, two parents and one baby.

We usually think of three wise men, even though the Bible doesn’t say how many there were. People must have assumed that since they brought three gifts that there must have been three wise men, but that is not necessarily so. But let’s stick with tradition and say that there were three wise men.

These wise men went to a lot of trouble and expense to find Jesus and worship him. The Bible says that they were “overjoyed” when their efforts came to a successful conclusion (Matt.2:10-11).

As the old saying goes, “Wise people still worship him.” Let’s keep this in mind as we approach the holiday where we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. No one can experience the true joy of Christmas without making a sincere effort to worship Jesus.

The two parents, of course, were Joseph and Mary. Some translations of the Bible describe Joseph as a “righteous man” (Matt.1:19), while Mary is said to be a young lady who had “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). How did Joseph and Mary reach the point of being such godly people? It probably had something to do with their own parents. They were no doubt raised in the ways of the Lord, and for that reason God chose them to be the earthly parents of Jesus.

The Bible has a lot to say about family life and how to raise our children. As we continue to live out our own role in God’s plan to save the world through Jesus, let us always be aware of the importance of family, especially regarding godly parenting.

And, obviously, the one baby was Jesus. The child that was born in Bethlehem and placed in a manger was Immanuel, God with us. The creator of the world became flesh and lived among us, and we beheld his glory. Jesus is the reason for the season! We celebrate the arrival of our Savior, the Messiah who would lay down his life for the salvation of mankind.

Christmastime can be a busy season. It’s possible to get distracted by all the things that demand our attention. Let’s make a special effort to focus on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! O, come let us adore him—Christ the Lord!

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Your Gift to the Church

Posted on December 7, 2024 by jesustrek

This is the time of year when most people engage in the Christmas tradition of exchanging presents. There are gifts to be given, and gifts to be received.

God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian, and these gifts are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Sadly, many professed Christians have adopted our culture’s selfish mentality of entitlement. They are much more concerned about what the church can do for them than what they can do for the church. We need to actively guard against that sinful mindset.

Romans 12:3-8 teaches us about several gifts that we might give to the church. It talks about the responsibility we have to each other— “…each member belongs to all the others.” (v.5). Then we learn that we have different gifts that are to be shared with the church (v.6). God does not give us all the same gift, but whatever gift he gives us is to be shared with other believers to make their lives better and to build up the church.

The list that follows is only a partial sample of the spiritual gifts that the Bible talks about, but it is a pretty good starting place to consider what gift we might have been given to share with the church.

First is the gift of prophecy, which is simply speaking the word of God. While we all have the duty to speak the word, some Christians are particularly gifted in this area. In a time when the Bible is being neglected by so many people, it is critical that those who have the gift of prophecy speak the word of God to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Next is the gift of serving. We all have the responsibility to serve, but some are gifted to be especially efficient at serving in the church. They notice what other Christians need, and they work diligently to make sure those jobs are done, whether it is running an errand for someone who could use help or performing an act of service on the church property. The opportunities to serve are practically limitless.

Then we see the gift of teaching. Some believers have the God-given ability to share the word to help other believers grow in their understanding of the faith. Where would the church be without faithful Bible teachers?

The next gift listed is encouragement. In this world where there is so much discouragement, we all need to encourage each other all the time. And some are especially gifted at lifting the spirits of those who need a boost. Thank God for all the encouragers who brighten our path each day!

Then we see the gift of giving. Once again, we all have the responsibility to give to the Lord. However, some have been gifted to give far beyond the biblical minimum of the tithe. These people are happy to contribute more than the average believer to enhance the ministries of the church.

Next comes the gift of leadership. The church is not a democracy, where everyone has an equal vote. God’s way of moving his people from where they are to where they need to be is to have them follow their leaders. Every congregation needs leaders to guide them along the way.

The final gift on this list is to show mercy. While we all need to be merciful, some are particularly gifted in this area. They notice people who are hurting and in need, and they come alongside those who need to be shown mercy.

This is an excellent list of gifts, and each Christian probably has at least one of these gifts that is meant to be shared with the church. Let’s all prayerfully consider how we will share our gift with the church, not just during the Christmas season, but all year round.

And, of course, our giving should be inspired by the greatest gift we have received—the gift of salvation that God has given us through Jesus! “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Cor.9:15).

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So Blessed!

Posted on November 27, 2024 by jesustrek

We had only been seeing each other for a few weeks when Karen invited me to her parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner. As the food was being passed around the table, I took a healthy portion of mashed potatoes and scooped out a crater for the gravy. The only problem was, no gravy was being served! There I was, obviously expecting gravy, but there wasn’t any!

While the incident didn’t bother me at all, I later learned that my future mother-in-law was quite embarrassed that her Thanksgiving dinner fell short of my expectations. We would later joke about the incident. Every Thanksgiving, someone would announce that we could make a crater in our mashed potatoes because gravy was on hand!

We don’t need to have gravy for a meal to be special. Every day we are blessed beyond measure. We can say along with the psalm writer, “my cup overflows”. (Psalm 23:5).

Our greatest blessing, of course, is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Cor.9:15).

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Saving Others

Posted on November 16, 2024 by jesustrek

All throughout the Bible there are warnings of God’s wrath. Those who are outside of God’s good grace are implored to turn to him before it is everlastingly too late. Those who have accepted the salvation that God so freely offers through his crucified and resurrected son Jesus are urged to save those who are lost.

Jude 22-23 is one of the many Scriptures that deal with the importance of evangelism. There we read, “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Perhaps we do not pay enough attention to the urgency of the situation regarding the lost condition of people around us. Maybe we get so caught up in our daily activities that we don’t give evangelism the top priority that it receives in the Scriptures. After all, Jesus says that he came to seek and to save the lost. He went to the cross to pay for the sins of all mankind. Jesus plainly tells us—and shows us—the priority he places on saving lost souls. How could we claim to follow him and not share his passion for the lost? He says that if we follow him, he will make us fishers of men. Our concern for the lost should be on our minds every day and should be regularly displayed in our words and actions.

With that in mind, I would like to share a poem by an unknown author, entitled “Are All the Children In?”

I think of times as the night draws nigh

Of an old house on the hill,

Of a yard all wide and blossom-starred

Where the children played at will.

And when deep night at last came down,

Hushing the merry din,

Mother would look all around and ask,

“Are all the children in?”

‘Tis many and many a year since then,

And the old house on the hill

No longer echoes childish feet

And the yard is still, so still.

But I see it all as the shadows creep,

And tho’ many the years have been

Since then, I can hear my mother ask,

“Are all the children in?”

I wonder if, when those shadows fall

On the last short earthly day,

When we say good-bye to the world outside,

All tired of our childish play,

When we meet the Lover of boys and girls

Who died to save them from sin,

Will we hear Him ask as Mother did,

“Are all the children in?”

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God’s Plan

Posted on November 1, 2024 by jesustrek

Someone once pointed out that the whole Bible can be summed up with one sentence–“God’s plan is to prepare a place where his people can enjoy his presence.” Those who like alliteration will appreciate the fact that there are several key words in this sentence that begin with the letter “p”.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then he created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden of Eden, the place he had prepared for them to enjoy his presence. Everything went well until Adam and Eve gave in to temptation and disobeyed God. Because of their sin God banished them from the garden.

However, God’s plan cannot be foiled, neither by the craftiness of the devil nor by the sinfulness of mankind.

God proceeded to set apart Abram and promised to make him into a great nation through whom all the peoples on earth would be blessed (Gen.12:1-3). This nation was called Israel, and God prepared a place for them to live and enjoy his presence.

This worked only as long as the Israelites were faithful to God. The Bible continually points out that there are blessings for obedience, but curses for disobedience. Alas, the Israelites fell into disobedience and their nation was taken from them.

Not to be deterred, God continued with his plan to prepare a place for his people to live and enjoy his presence. This time the place will be the church. Jesus promised that he would build his church (Matt.16:18) and he bought the church with his precious blood (Acts 20:28). Those who believed and obeyed the gospel were added to the church (Acts 2:41), and they devoted themselves to this new fellowship (Acts 2:42). Many people feel that they can enjoy the presence of God without any affiliation with his church, but they are tragically wrong. Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is the body of Christ (Eph.4:15). To separate yourself from this equation means sure spiritual death.

Unlike Eden and Israel, the church will continue to be the place that God has prepared where his people can enjoy his presence. The gates of Hades will not overcome the church (Matt.16:18)! The church will continue to exist until Jesus comes to take her home to be with him forever!

All this brings us to the final part of God’s plan—our eternal dwelling place! In John 14:1-6, Jesus promises his followers that he has gone to prepare a place for us to live, enjoying the presence of God forever!

I hope that you have accepted God’s plan, and that you will continue to be a part of his church, enjoying his presence with other believers and anticipating the wonderful day when we reach our eternal dwelling!

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