WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.240 No one fears a seed. It is too small, too ordinary, 00:00:04.700 --> 00:00:07.259 too insignificant. It doesn't look dangerous. 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.000 It doesn't look destructive. It simply rests 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:14.359 there, quietly, waiting. But every forest was 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:18.140 once a seed. Every garden was once a seed. Every 00:00:18.140 --> 00:00:21.960 harvest was once a seed. And every tragedy was 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:24.519 once one too. Because the greatest dangers in 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:28.239 life rarely begin with catastrophe. They begin 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:32.280 small enough. To ignore. That is how weeds grow. 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:35.399 That is how kingdoms grow. That is how faith 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:39.219 grows. And that is how sin grows. No one suddenly 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:42.600 abandons God. No one suddenly destroys a family. 00:00:43.219 --> 00:00:46.280 No one suddenly loses their integrity. Long before 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:48.700 the visible collapse, there was an invisible 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:52.240 planting. A lie believed. An offense embraced. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:56.479 A fear entertained. A desire nourished. A question 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:00.170 left unanswered. A seed. Because sin is rarely 00:01:00.170 --> 00:01:03.869 born in the moment it grows where a seed has 00:01:03.869 --> 00:01:07.650 been welcomed today I want to invite you into 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:10.569 a conversation a conversation I've been reflecting 00:01:10.569 --> 00:01:13.810 on for some time a conversation. I believe every 00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:16.689 believer needs to have I Have chosen to call 00:01:16.689 --> 00:01:19.689 it the seeds you entertain welcome to promote 00:01:19.689 --> 00:01:23.250 your podcast a ministry of life of Christ International 00:01:23.250 --> 00:01:26.290 Ministries where we build stronger lives deeper 00:01:26.290 --> 00:01:30.090 faith and Christ centered homes one story, one 00:01:30.090 --> 00:01:33.989 message, and one revelation at a time. I'm Barry 00:01:33.989 --> 00:01:36.870 Mwamba. Thank you for joining me today. Let's 00:01:36.870 --> 00:01:40.650 talk. Have you ever noticed something fascinating 00:01:40.650 --> 00:01:43.609 about God? Almost everything He created begins 00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:46.510 the same way, with a seed. Before there was a 00:01:46.510 --> 00:01:49.090 forest, there was a seed. Before there was a 00:01:49.090 --> 00:01:51.569 vineyard, there was a seed. Before there was 00:01:51.569 --> 00:01:54.370 fruit, there was a seed. Even Jesus described 00:01:54.370 --> 00:01:56.909 the kingdom of God this way. He compared it to 00:01:56.909 --> 00:01:59.549 seeds scattered into the ground, a mustard seed 00:01:59.549 --> 00:02:02.230 that became a tree, a sower who scattered seed 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:05.189 into different kinds of soil. Why? Because a 00:02:05.189 --> 00:02:07.769 seed is one of God's greatest principles. Everything 00:02:07.769 --> 00:02:11.129 begins small, hidden, almost invisible. Then 00:02:11.129 --> 00:02:14.689 it grows, quietly, patiently, until one day, 00:02:14.990 --> 00:02:17.810 everyone sees what was growing all along. A harvest 00:02:17.810 --> 00:02:20.129 never surprises the farmer. He already knows 00:02:20.129 --> 00:02:22.590 what he planted. And I believe Satan understands 00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:24.789 this principle better than many believers do. 00:02:24.889 --> 00:02:27.030 He knows He doesn't always have to destroy you 00:02:27.030 --> 00:02:29.590 today. He simply has to plant something today 00:02:29.590 --> 00:02:32.409 that will destroy you tomorrow. That is why scripture 00:02:32.409 --> 00:02:35.129 repeatedly warns us to guard our hearts. Because 00:02:35.129 --> 00:02:37.310 our hearts are not merely the place where emotions 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:40.129 live. They are gardens. Gardens where something 00:02:40.129 --> 00:02:42.750 is always growing. The question is never whether 00:02:42.750 --> 00:02:45.569 something is growing. The question is, what is 00:02:45.569 --> 00:02:48.770 growing? Every day, someone is planting. God 00:02:48.770 --> 00:02:51.870 plants truth. His Word plants faith. The Holy 00:02:51.870 --> 00:02:54.539 Spirit plants conviction. But the enemy also 00:02:54.539 --> 00:02:57.979 plants. He plants lies. He plants offense. He 00:02:57.979 --> 00:03:00.819 plants bitterness. He plants pride. He plants 00:03:00.819 --> 00:03:04.379 comparison. He plants lust. He plants fear. He 00:03:04.379 --> 00:03:07.460 plants discouragement. He plants unbelief. Anything 00:03:07.460 --> 00:03:09.680 that can eventually produce a harvest that pulls 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:12.099 us away from the purpose of God. And here is 00:03:12.099 --> 00:03:14.620 what makes seeds so deceptive. They don't ask 00:03:14.620 --> 00:03:17.219 for permission to grow. They only ask for permission 00:03:17.219 --> 00:03:20.599 to remain. Once a seed finds good soil, it simply 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.560 does what it was created to do. Grow. Which means 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:25.879 the greatest spiritual battles are rarely fought 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:28.120 at the moment of harvest. They are fought at 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:30.599 the moment of planting. Because every temptation 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:35.319 begins as permission given to a seed. Have you 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:37.979 ever noticed something strange? Sometimes the 00:03:37.979 --> 00:03:40.699 opportunity to sin doesn't feel shocking. It 00:03:40.699 --> 00:03:44.120 feels familiar, almost natural, almost comfortable. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:46.740 And the reason is simple. The seed was planted. 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:49.539 long before the temptation arrived. That is one 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:52.080 of the enemy's greatest strategies. He understands 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.599 that if he can make sin feel familiar, he won't 00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:57.219 have to make it look attractive, because familiarity 00:03:57.219 --> 00:04:01.060 lowers our defenses. What once disturbed us eventually 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:04.199 stops bothering us. What once shocked us slowly 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:07.300 becomes normal. And what becomes normal eventually 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:10.120 becomes acceptable. That is why the enemy rarely 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:12.759 begins with an invitation to rebel. He begins 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:15.819 with exposure, little by little, day after day. 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:18.920 One seed at a time. Sometimes without our knowledge. 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:21.579 Sometimes with our permission. There are seeds 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:23.779 planted in our lives without us even realizing 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:26.199 it. Through the conversations we entertain. Through 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:28.480 the voices we keep listening to. Through the 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:30.899 stories we consume. Through the music that shapes 00:04:30.899 --> 00:04:33.360 our emotions. Through the images that remain 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.800 in our imagination. Through the books we read. 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:38.360 Through the jokes we laugh at. Through the bitterness 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.480 we replay in our minds. Through the fear we continually 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:44.040 feed. Through the comparison that steals our 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.899 contentment. And yes, through social media. Not 00:04:46.899 --> 00:04:49.500 because social media is evil in itself. Like 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:52.399 every tool, it can be used for good or for evil. 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:55.019 Today, the gospel reaches millions through a 00:04:55.019 --> 00:04:57.540 single video. Lives are encouraged. Families 00:04:57.540 --> 00:04:59.779 are restored. People encounter Christ through 00:04:59.779 --> 00:05:02.220 platforms that did not exist a generation ago. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:04.819 But the same technology that can carry truth 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:07.579 can also carry deception. The same screen that 00:05:07.579 --> 00:05:09.899 can strengthen your faith can quietly weaken 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:12.639 your convictions. Never before in human history 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.379 have we allowed so many strangers to speak into 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:18.040 our minds every single day. People we have never 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:21.060 met shaping our opinions, shaping our values, 00:05:21.540 --> 00:05:24.420 shaping our emotions, shaping our desires. One 00:05:24.420 --> 00:05:27.819 short video, another short video, one post, another 00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:31.100 post, one image, another image, one opinion. 00:05:31.259 --> 00:05:34.560 another opinion, until we no longer realize that 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:37.339 something inside us has begun to change. The 00:05:37.339 --> 00:05:39.680 enemy understands something frightening. He doesn't 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:42.180 have to convince you all at once. He only needs 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:44.920 repeated exposure. Because repeated exposure 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.199 creates familiarity. Familiarity creates comfort. 00:05:48.459 --> 00:05:51.240 Comfort weakens conviction. And weakened conviction 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:53.980 opens the door to compromise. That is why Paul 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:56.759 writes in Romans 12, Do not be conformed to this 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:59.279 world, but be transformed by the renewing of 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.970 your mind. Notice where the battle begins. Not 00:06:01.970 --> 00:06:04.589 in the hands. Not in the feet. Not even in the 00:06:04.589 --> 00:06:07.589 mouth. In the mind. Because transformation begins 00:06:07.589 --> 00:06:10.209 there. And so does conformity. The battlefield 00:06:10.209 --> 00:06:13.209 has always been the mind. Long before there is 00:06:13.209 --> 00:06:15.550 an outward action, there is an inward agreement. 00:06:15.850 --> 00:06:18.310 Long before there is a visible failure, there 00:06:18.310 --> 00:06:20.810 is an invisible acceptance. This is why scripture 00:06:20.810 --> 00:06:23.910 tells us in Proverbs, Above all else, guard your 00:06:23.910 --> 00:06:26.949 heart, for everything you do flows from it. Everything. 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:30.180 your words, your decisions, your relationships, 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.339 your character, your future. Everything flows 00:06:33.339 --> 00:06:35.379 from what has been allowed to take root within, 00:06:35.660 --> 00:06:37.839 which leads me to something that completely changed 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:40.459 the way I understand temptation. The enemy doesn't 00:06:40.459 --> 00:06:43.180 begin by asking you to commit a great sin. He 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:46.459 begins by asking you to tolerate a small seed, 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:49.759 because every temptation begins as permission 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:53.180 given to a seed. And if that is true, then temptation 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:56.000 doesn't begin with behavior. It begins with desire. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:58.800 Interestingly, That is exactly what James tells 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:02.120 us. He doesn't describe sin as an event. He describes 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:06.160 it as a birth. Let's look at that together. There 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.759 is something remarkable about the way James describes 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:11.920 temptation. He doesn't begin with sin. He begins 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.079 with desire. Listen carefully to what he writes. 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.600 gives birth to death. James 1, 14 to 15. Do you 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:34.860 see the progression? Desire. Conceives. Conception. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.800 Gives birth. Birth. Produces growth. Growth. 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:41.899 Eventually produces death. James is not describing 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:45.160 a single bad decision. He is describing a process. 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:48.300 Almost like a farmer describing a harvest. Nothing 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:51.540 happens overnight. Everything grows. Slowly. 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:55.839 Silently. Patiently. That is why sin rarely surprises 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.990 God. It only surprises us, because we usually 00:07:58.990 --> 00:08:01.509 notice the fruit. God has been watching the seed. 00:08:01.910 --> 00:08:04.790 The world sees the scandal. Heaven saw the planting. 00:08:05.250 --> 00:08:08.170 The world sees the collapse. Heaven saw the compromise 00:08:08.170 --> 00:08:10.689 that was never confronted. The world sees the 00:08:10.689 --> 00:08:13.370 affair. Heaven remembers the first thought that 00:08:13.370 --> 00:08:16.329 was welcomed. The world sees the addiction. Heaven 00:08:16.329 --> 00:08:19.029 remembers the first moment someone decided, just 00:08:19.029 --> 00:08:21.529 this once. This is why we must be careful not 00:08:21.529 --> 00:08:24.199 to judge only what is visible. Because visible 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:27.139 failures often have invisible histories. Every 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:31.899 harvest has a season. Every tree has roots. Every 00:08:31.899 --> 00:08:35.320 consequence has a beginning. And every sin has 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:38.779 a story. That story almost always begins with 00:08:38.779 --> 00:08:41.059 something that appeared harmless. A thought. 00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:43.919 A wound that was never healed. An offense that 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.840 was never released. A lie that was never challenged. 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:50.059 A fear that was never surrendered. A desire that 00:08:50.059 --> 00:08:53.179 was never brought before God. a seed. This is 00:08:53.179 --> 00:08:55.320 why I believe one of the greatest mistakes Christians 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.500 make is waiting until sin becomes visible before 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:01.460 dealing with it. By then, the roots have already 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:03.639 gone deep. Have you ever tried to pull a weed 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:06.299 out of the ground? When it first appears, it 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:08.779 comes out easily. But leave it there long enough, 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.539 and suddenly its roots spread beneath the surface. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.000 What was once easy to remove now requires great 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:18.179 effort. Sin works the same way. The longer it 00:09:18.179 --> 00:09:21.480 remains, the deeper it grows. The deeper it grows, 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:24.340 the harder it becomes to uproot. That is why 00:09:24.340 --> 00:09:27.179 the Holy Spirit convicts us early, not to condemn 00:09:27.179 --> 00:09:30.539 us, but to protect us. His conviction is God's 00:09:30.539 --> 00:09:33.299 mercy. He speaks while the seed is still small, 00:09:33.740 --> 00:09:36.139 while repentance is still easy, while the heart 00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:38.500 is still tender. Because our Father would rather 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:41.340 remove a seed than later have to cut down a tree. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:44.639 The enemy has the opposite strategy. He whispers, 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:47.679 it's only a thought, it's only a conversation, 00:09:48.259 --> 00:09:51.000 it's only curiosity, it's only entertainment. 00:09:51.289 --> 00:09:54.470 It's only one time. It's only one compromise. 00:09:54.850 --> 00:09:57.350 But he never tells you that every tree begins 00:09:57.350 --> 00:10:01.129 exactly that way, small enough to ignore. And 00:10:01.129 --> 00:10:03.230 that is why I believe one of the greatest spiritual 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:06.669 disciplines is not simply asking, is this a sin? 00:10:07.129 --> 00:10:09.750 But asking something much deeper. What is this 00:10:09.750 --> 00:10:12.289 planting in me? Because not everything that plants 00:10:12.289 --> 00:10:15.009 a seed produces the fruit you want to harvest. 00:10:15.450 --> 00:10:18.090 Some seeds grow into peace. Others grow into 00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:21.379 anxiety. Some grow into faith. Others grow into 00:10:21.379 --> 00:10:24.480 unbelief. Some grow into purity. Others grow 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:27.100 into bondage. The question is never whether the 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:30.159 seed will grow. The question is, what kind of 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:32.539 harvest will it produce? And if James has taught 00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:36.019 us anything, it is this. Sin does not suddenly 00:10:36.019 --> 00:10:40.440 appear. It develops. It matures. It grows. Just 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:42.879 like every other seed. Which brings us to the 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:45.500 very first place where we see this strategy unfold. 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.500 Not in the life of David. Not in the life of 00:10:48.500 --> 00:10:51.549 Samson. Not even in the life of Judas, but in 00:10:51.549 --> 00:10:54.649 a garden, the Garden of Eden. Because before 00:10:54.649 --> 00:10:57.250 there was ever a forbidden fruit, there was a 00:10:57.250 --> 00:11:00.370 question. And that question was the first seed. 00:11:01.730 --> 00:11:04.690 The first temptation recorded in the Bible did 00:11:04.690 --> 00:11:08.950 not begin with fruit. It began with a conversation. 00:11:09.769 --> 00:11:12.710 Think about that for a moment. Satan never walked 00:11:12.710 --> 00:11:14.889 into the Garden of Eden demanding rebellion. 00:11:15.429 --> 00:11:20.720 He never said, Eve, disobey God. No, he was far 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.299 more subtle than that. He planted a question. 00:11:24.940 --> 00:11:29.679 Did God really say, not rebellion, just a question? 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:32.539 Because the enemy understands something profound. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.820 If he can make you question God's truth, he won't 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:38.860 have to force you to reject it. Everything that 00:11:38.860 --> 00:11:41.120 followed in Eden began with that single seed. 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:45.080 A question became curiosity. Curiosity became 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:49.289 imagination. Imagination became desire. Desire 00:11:49.289 --> 00:11:52.970 became justification. Justification became action. 00:11:53.649 --> 00:11:56.830 Action became death. That is exactly how James 00:11:56.830 --> 00:11:59.870 describes temptation. Long before Eve reached 00:11:59.870 --> 00:12:02.370 for the fruit, she had already entertained the 00:12:02.370 --> 00:12:04.889 conversation. She remained where she should have 00:12:04.889 --> 00:12:07.529 walked away. She continued listening when she 00:12:07.529 --> 00:12:09.509 should have trusted what God had already spoken. 00:12:10.070 --> 00:12:13.110 She gave attention to a voice that God had never 00:12:13.110 --> 00:12:15.830 authorized. And isn't that still the strategy 00:12:15.830 --> 00:12:18.980 today? The enemy rarely begins by attacking your 00:12:18.980 --> 00:12:21.720 behavior. He attacks your confidence in God's 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:24.759 word. Did God really say marriage should be honored? 00:12:25.580 --> 00:12:27.779 Did God really say forgiveness is necessary? 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:31.759 Did God really say purity still matters? Did 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.580 God really say you should love your enemies? 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.500 Did God really say you can trust Him? Notice, 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:40.480 He always begins by questioning what God has 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.120 already settled. Because if God's voice becomes 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.000 uncertain, every other voice becomes louder. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:48.740 That is why guarding your mind is not enough. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.220 You must also guard, whose voice you allow to 00:12:52.220 --> 00:12:54.940 shape your thinking. Every voice is planting 00:12:54.940 --> 00:12:58.519 something. Some voices plant faith. Others plant 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:02.500 fear. Some plant hope. Others plant hopelessness. 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.759 Some plant humility. Others plant pride. Some 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.159 draw you closer to Christ. Others slowly normalize 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:13.039 distance from him. Not all seeds look dangerous. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.580 Some arrive disguised as entertainment. Some 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:19.799 arrive disguised as wisdom. Some arrive disguised 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:22.899 as harmless curiosity. Some arrive disguised 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:26.320 as personal freedom. That is why spiritual maturity 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.700 is not merely knowing the difference between 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:31.559 right and wrong. It is learning to recognize 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:34.960 what is trying to plant itself within you because 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:38.399 every voice carries a seed and every seed is 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.840 trying to create a harvest. I often wonder what 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:44.080 would have happened if Eve had ended the conversation 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:47.950 with one sentence. God has already spoken. No 00:13:47.950 --> 00:13:52.409 debate, no negotiation, no second opinion, just 00:13:52.409 --> 00:13:54.889 complete confidence in what God had already said. 00:13:55.649 --> 00:13:59.009 Sometimes, the greatest act of faith is refusing 00:13:59.009 --> 00:14:01.970 to continue a conversation that God has already 00:14:01.970 --> 00:14:04.929 finished. That is exactly what Jesus did in the 00:14:04.929 --> 00:14:07.950 wilderness. Every temptation began with words. 00:14:08.649 --> 00:14:12.210 If you are the Son of God, again, a question, 00:14:12.929 --> 00:14:16.340 again, an attempt to create doubt. But unlike 00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:19.240 Adam and Eve, Jesus never entertained the seed. 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:22.820 He answered every temptation the same way. It 00:14:22.820 --> 00:14:26.500 is written. He never argued. He never negotiated. 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:29.980 He never explored the possibility. He simply 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:31.879 stood on what his father had already spoken. 00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:35.580 What a lesson for us. Victory doesn't always 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:38.559 come because temptation disappears. Sometimes 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:41.500 victory comes because we refuse to let another 00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:44.320 voice become greater than God's. And perhaps 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:46.519 that is the question every one of us must answer 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.580 today. Whose voice has been shaping the garden 00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:52.899 of your heart? Because the voice you trust will 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:56.720 determine the harvest you produce. If Eve teaches 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:00.220 us how a seed is planted, David teaches us what 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:03.419 happens when that seed is entertained. Because 00:15:03.419 --> 00:15:06.360 no one falls in a single moment. Even David, 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:10.059 a man after God's own heart, had a season when 00:15:10.059 --> 00:15:13.649 one look became a lifetime of consequences. If 00:15:13.649 --> 00:15:16.970 Eve teaches us how a seed is planted, David teaches 00:15:16.970 --> 00:15:21.090 us what happens when we entertain it. David was 00:15:21.090 --> 00:15:24.509 not an ordinary man. He was a shepherd, a warrior, 00:15:24.870 --> 00:15:28.330 a king. More importantly, God himself described 00:15:28.330 --> 00:15:31.070 David as a man after his own heart. If anyone 00:15:31.070 --> 00:15:33.450 should have been protected from falling, it was 00:15:33.450 --> 00:15:37.169 David. Yet even David was not stronger than an 00:15:37.169 --> 00:15:39.929 entertained seed. The Bible tells us that one 00:15:39.929 --> 00:15:42.870 evening, David walked onto the roof of his palace. 00:15:43.070 --> 00:15:46.830 From there, he saw a woman bathing. At that moment, 00:15:47.370 --> 00:15:49.690 David had a choice. He could have looked away. 00:15:50.049 --> 00:15:52.409 He could have gone back inside. He could have 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:56.710 guarded his heart. Instead, he stayed. And sometimes, 00:15:57.210 --> 00:15:59.649 that is where the battle is lost. Not because 00:15:59.649 --> 00:16:03.129 we looked, but because we kept looking. The first 00:16:03.129 --> 00:16:06.370 look may not always be a choice. Life places 00:16:06.370 --> 00:16:09.450 many things before our eyes, but the second look 00:16:09.450 --> 00:16:13.179 usually is. David looked. Then he kept looking. 00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:16.519 Then he asked who she was. Then he sent for information. 00:16:17.059 --> 00:16:19.440 Then he sent for her. Then he slept with her. 00:16:19.700 --> 00:16:22.159 Then she became pregnant. Then he tried to hide 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.120 it. When hiding failed, he lied. When lying failed, 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:28.559 he arranged for Uriah to be placed on the front 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.940 lines of battle. One decision led to another. 00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:35.879 One compromise produced another. One entertained 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:39.059 seed grew into an entire forest of consequences. 00:16:39.779 --> 00:16:44.179 Adultery, deception. Manipulation, murder, a 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:47.480 broken family, a wounded nation. Notice something 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.200 remarkable. David did not wake up planning to 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.600 commit adultery. He did not wake up planning 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:54.659 to arrange the death of one of his most loyal 00:16:54.659 --> 00:16:57.799 soldiers. He simply entertained what should have 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:01.320 been rejected and the seed kept growing. That 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:04.019 is the deception of sin. It never shows you the 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:06.900 harvest. It only shows you the seed. It never 00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:10.119 tells you where the path ends. It only invites 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:13.500 you. to take one more step, one more conversation, 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:17.200 one more click, one more message, one more secret, 00:17:17.579 --> 00:17:20.660 one more compromise. The enemy never advertises 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:23.259 the destination. He only makes the first step 00:17:23.259 --> 00:17:25.960 seem harmless. That is why we must stop asking, 00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:29.299 how far can I go before it becomes sin? That 00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:32.200 is the wrong question. The better question is, 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.240 what is this planting inside me? Because what 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:37.960 you repeatedly entertain, you eventually become 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:40.559 comfortable with. and what becomes comfortable 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:43.440 eventually becomes a part of you. This is true 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:46.700 not only of lust, it is true of bitterness. You 00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:51.259 replay an offense again and again and again until 00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:54.519 bitterness takes root. It is true of fear. You 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:57.180 rehearse the worst possible outcome day after 00:17:57.180 --> 00:17:59.900 day until fear begins making your decisions. 00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:03.220 It is true of pride. You continually feed your 00:18:03.220 --> 00:18:06.359 ego until humility disappears. It is true of 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:09.130 comparison. You spend your life measuring yourself 00:18:09.130 --> 00:18:11.750 against everyone else, until gratitude slowly 00:18:11.750 --> 00:18:15.250 dies. Every seed, whether planted by the flesh, 00:18:15.529 --> 00:18:18.990 the world, or the enemy, is asking the same question. 00:18:19.410 --> 00:18:22.670 May I stay? And every time we refuse to confront 00:18:22.670 --> 00:18:26.670 it, we silently answer, yes. That is why Proverbs 00:18:26.670 --> 00:18:30.309 says, above all else, guard your heart, for everything 00:18:30.309 --> 00:18:33.890 you do flows from it. Not some things, everything. 00:18:34.289 --> 00:18:37.470 Your words, your choices. your relationships, 00:18:38.009 --> 00:18:41.690 your ministry, your marriage, your future. Everything 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:44.990 flows from the condition of your heart. David 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:48.509 eventually repented. God forgave him. His fellowship 00:18:48.509 --> 00:18:51.390 with God was restored. But forgiveness did not 00:18:51.390 --> 00:18:53.650 erase every earthly consequence of the harvest 00:18:53.650 --> 00:18:56.670 that had already grown. There is hope after failure. 00:18:57.190 --> 00:18:59.769 There is grace after repentance. But how much 00:18:59.769 --> 00:19:02.970 better to uproot the seed before it becomes a 00:19:02.970 --> 00:19:29.539 tree? Let's talk about Joseph. After everything 00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:32.789 we've seen, One question remains. How do we stop 00:19:32.789 --> 00:19:35.650 the seed before it becomes a harvest? I believe 00:19:35.650 --> 00:19:38.869 the answer begins with one man, Joseph. Joseph 00:19:38.869 --> 00:19:41.609 understood something many of us forget. Not every 00:19:41.609 --> 00:19:43.890 battle is meant to be fought by standing still. 00:19:44.190 --> 00:19:47.890 Some battles are won by running. When Potiphar's 00:19:47.890 --> 00:19:50.430 wife tried to seduce him, Joseph didn't stay 00:19:50.430 --> 00:19:52.849 to prove how spiritual he was. He didn't stay 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:55.190 to test his self -control. He didn't stay to 00:19:55.190 --> 00:19:58.109 see how close he could get without falling. He 00:19:58.109 --> 00:20:01.430 ran. He left his garment behind. but he protected 00:20:01.430 --> 00:20:04.990 something far more valuable, his heart, his integrity, 00:20:05.529 --> 00:20:08.109 his relationship with God. Sometimes we think 00:20:08.109 --> 00:20:10.750 courage means standing our ground, but sometimes 00:20:10.750 --> 00:20:13.589 courage means knowing when to leave, leaving 00:20:13.589 --> 00:20:16.710 a conversation, leaving an environment, leaving 00:20:16.710 --> 00:20:19.990 a relationship, leaving a habit, leaving anything 00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:22.910 that continues to feed the wrong seed. Joseph 00:20:22.910 --> 00:20:25.490 understood that temptation is strongest when 00:20:25.490 --> 00:20:27.569 we remain where we were never meant to stay. 00:20:27.769 --> 00:20:30.460 The seed cannot grow. if it never finds good 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:34.140 soil. Now compare Joseph to Samson. Samson was 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:36.980 also called by God. He was empowered by the Spirit. 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:39.900 He carried extraordinary strength. Yet the strongest 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:43.160 man in Israel could not overcome the seed he 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:45.839 refused to uproot. Read Samson's story carefully. 00:20:59.069 --> 00:21:02.150 I can handle this." Little by little, the line 00:21:02.150 --> 00:21:05.569 became easier to cross. Until one day, he woke 00:21:05.569 --> 00:21:07.589 up thinking he was still as strong as before. 00:21:07.809 --> 00:21:10.210 The Bible says something heartbreaking. He did 00:21:10.210 --> 00:21:12.529 not know that the Lord had left him. Think about 00:21:12.529 --> 00:21:15.509 those words. He didn't know. Strength had become 00:21:15.509 --> 00:21:18.490 weakness without him realizing it. That is what 00:21:18.490 --> 00:21:20.710 entertained seeds do. They don't announce when 00:21:20.710 --> 00:21:23.410 they have taken root. They quietly change us 00:21:23.410 --> 00:21:26.349 until what once convicted us no longer bothers 00:21:26.349 --> 00:21:30.470 us. Joseph fled. Samson stayed. Joseph lost his 00:21:30.470 --> 00:21:33.710 coat, but kept his calling. Samson kept the relationship, 00:21:33.990 --> 00:21:36.690 but lost his strength. One protected the garden. 00:21:37.069 --> 00:21:39.210 The other entertained the seed. The difference 00:21:39.210 --> 00:21:42.190 was not God's love. God loved them both. The 00:21:42.190 --> 00:21:44.910 difference was not God's calling. Both were chosen. 00:21:45.170 --> 00:21:47.630 The difference was what each man chose to cultivate. 00:21:47.930 --> 00:21:50.069 There is a lesson here that I never want to forget. 00:21:50.369 --> 00:21:53.369 We often pray, Lord, deliver me from temptation. 00:21:53.650 --> 00:21:56.230 But sometimes God answers, I already showed you 00:21:56.230 --> 00:21:58.970 the exit. Sometimes the miracle isn't supernatural 00:21:58.970 --> 00:22:01.730 deliverance. Sometimes the miracle is the wisdom 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:04.809 to walk away before the seed takes root. Because 00:22:04.809 --> 00:22:07.170 every environment is growing something. Every 00:22:07.170 --> 00:22:09.809 relationship is growing something. Every conversation 00:22:09.809 --> 00:22:12.130 is growing something. Every habit is growing 00:22:12.130 --> 00:22:14.329 something. Every voice is growing something. 00:22:14.589 --> 00:22:17.130 The question is no longer, can I handle this? 00:22:17.369 --> 00:22:19.769 The question becomes, what is this producing 00:22:19.769 --> 00:22:22.849 in me? If it is producing greater faith, stay. 00:22:23.089 --> 00:22:26.049 If it is producing greater holiness, stay. If 00:22:26.049 --> 00:22:28.829 it is producing greater love for Christ, stay. 00:22:29.089 --> 00:22:32.130 But if it is feeding bitterness, leave. If it 00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:35.470 is feeding lust, leave. If it is feeding pride, 00:22:36.069 --> 00:22:39.549 leave. If it is feeding unbelief, leave. If it 00:22:39.549 --> 00:22:42.750 is feeding compromise, leave. Protect the garden 00:22:42.750 --> 00:22:45.369 God has entrusted to you, because not every door 00:22:45.369 --> 00:22:48.210 God opens is meant for you to remain in forever. 00:22:48.509 --> 00:22:50.950 And not every door you can walk through was opened 00:22:50.950 --> 00:22:53.750 by God. Discernment is not merely recognizing 00:22:53.750 --> 00:22:56.779 good and evil. Discernment is recognizing what 00:22:56.779 --> 00:22:59.180 is feeding your spirit and what is feeding your 00:22:59.180 --> 00:23:02.019 flesh. Because what you continually feed will 00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:04.660 eventually become the strongest voice within 00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:06.920 you. But even after we remove ourselves from 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:09.500 the wrong environment, the battle is not over. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.160 Because the greatest battlefield isn't around 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:15.319 us. It's within us. The flesh still has desires. 00:23:15.660 --> 00:23:18.299 The spirit calls us higher. And that is why victory 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:20.880 is not found merely in willpower. It is found 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.519 in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's talk about 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:27.680 that. By now, you may be asking yourself, if 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.319 the battle is this deep, how can anyone truly 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:32.900 overcome? That is an honest question. Because 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:35.480 if all we have is our own determination, our 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:38.299 own discipline, our own willpower, then eventually 00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:41.220 we will reach our limit. The truth is, the flesh 00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:43.779 cannot defeat the flesh. You cannot overcome 00:23:43.779 --> 00:23:46.480 sinful desires simply by wanting to overcome 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.180 them. If that were enough, none of us would struggle. 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:51.559 The apostle Paul understood this better than 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:54.319 anyone. Listen to his honesty. For I do not do 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:56.799 the good I want to do, but the evil I do not 00:23:56.799 --> 00:23:59.579 want to do. This I keep on doing." Can you hear 00:23:59.579 --> 00:24:02.500 his frustration? Paul wasn't describing an unbeliever. 00:24:02.660 --> 00:24:05.059 He was describing the conflict every sincere 00:24:05.059 --> 00:24:07.980 believer eventually experiences. The desire to 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:11.099 honor God and the pull of the flesh. Two realities 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:13.740 fighting within the same person. Have you ever 00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:15.940 promised yourself, I'll never do that again, 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.380 only to find yourself fighting the same battle? 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:20.500 Have you ever walked away from a temptation? 00:24:20.670 --> 00:24:23.049 only to discover it waiting for you again another 00:24:23.049 --> 00:24:25.309 day. That struggle doesn't mean you don't love 00:24:25.309 --> 00:24:28.069 God. It means there is a war taking place within 00:24:28.069 --> 00:24:31.190 you. The flesh is pulling one way. The spirit 00:24:31.190 --> 00:24:33.809 is leading another. That is why Paul tells us 00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:36.349 in Galatians, Walk by the spirit, and you will 00:24:36.349 --> 00:24:39.029 not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the 00:24:39.029 --> 00:24:41.410 flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, 00:24:41.589 --> 00:24:43.730 and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. 00:24:43.930 --> 00:24:46.529 Notice something important. Paul does not say, 00:24:46.670 --> 00:24:49.829 focus on defeating the flesh. He says, walk by 00:24:49.829 --> 00:24:51.869 the Spirit. Because victory in the Christian 00:24:51.869 --> 00:24:54.089 life is not merely about resisting the wrong 00:24:54.089 --> 00:24:56.809 desire. It is about cultivating a greater one. 00:24:57.069 --> 00:24:59.630 The Holy Spirit doesn't simply tell us, don't. 00:24:59.730 --> 00:25:02.569 He creates within us a deeper love for what is 00:25:02.569 --> 00:25:05.390 right. He changes what we hunger for. He changes 00:25:05.390 --> 00:25:08.109 what satisfies us. He changes what we pursue. 00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:12.079 He plants new seeds, seeds of love, joy, peace, 00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:16.059 patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:19.319 self -control. Notice that Paul calls these the 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:22.160 fruit of the Spirit. Fruit, not instant results. 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:25.579 Fruit, which means even spiritual maturity, grows. 00:25:25.900 --> 00:25:28.640 Just as sin grows when we feed the flesh, holiness 00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:30.950 grows when we feed the Spirit. Every time you 00:25:30.950 --> 00:25:33.509 open God's word, you are planting. Every time 00:25:33.509 --> 00:25:36.190 you pray, you are planting. Every time you worship, 00:25:36.289 --> 00:25:39.069 you are planting. Every act of obedience plants 00:25:39.069 --> 00:25:41.769 another seed. Every time you forgive, another 00:25:41.769 --> 00:25:44.329 seed is planted. Every time you choose humility 00:25:44.329 --> 00:25:47.170 over pride, another seed is planted. Every time 00:25:47.170 --> 00:25:49.950 you trust God instead of fear, another seed is 00:25:49.950 --> 00:25:52.829 planted. Never underestimate those moments, because 00:25:52.829 --> 00:25:54.970 heaven doesn't measure faithfulness the way the 00:25:54.970 --> 00:25:57.410 world measures success. The world celebrates 00:25:57.410 --> 00:26:00.170 the harvest. God delights in the planting. There 00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:02.730 will be days when you don't feel yourself growing, 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:05.609 days when prayer feels ordinary, days when reading 00:26:05.609 --> 00:26:08.430 scripture feels quiet, days when obedience seems 00:26:08.430 --> 00:26:11.069 unnoticed. Keep planting, because seeds don't 00:26:11.069 --> 00:26:13.609 stop growing simply because you cannot see them. 00:26:13.730 --> 00:26:16.230 One day, the peace you've been praying for will 00:26:16.230 --> 00:26:18.450 become part of who you are. The patience you've 00:26:18.450 --> 00:26:20.829 been asking God to give you will become visible. 00:26:21.049 --> 00:26:23.230 The self -control you've struggled to develop 00:26:23.230 --> 00:26:25.829 will begin to bear fruit, not because you became 00:26:25.829 --> 00:26:28.289 stronger than temptation, but because the Spirit 00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:31.000 became stronger. within you. That is the hope 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:33.720 of the Gospel. God never asks us to fight this 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:36.700 battle alone. He gives us His presence, His power, 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:39.579 His Spirit. And wherever the Spirit is continually 00:26:39.579 --> 00:26:42.339 planting, the flesh slowly loses its ground, 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:45.079 because darkness cannot remain where light is 00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:47.759 continually welcomed. So now, we've come full 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.000 circle. We've talked about the seeds the enemy 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:52.720 plants, the seeds we choose to entertain, and 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:55.039 the seeds the Holy Spirit longs to cultivate. 00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:57.420 The question is no longer whether seeds are being 00:26:57.420 --> 00:27:00.150 planted. They are. The only question that remains 00:27:00.150 --> 00:27:02.710 is this. What kind of harvest are you preparing 00:27:02.710 --> 00:27:06.549 for tomorrow? Let's close it out. As we come 00:27:06.549 --> 00:27:09.430 to the end of our conversation, I don't want 00:27:09.430 --> 00:27:13.490 you to leave thinking about David or Eve or Samson 00:27:13.490 --> 00:27:18.789 or Joseph. I want you to think about you. Because 00:27:18.789 --> 00:27:21.190 the purpose of God's Word is never simply to 00:27:21.190 --> 00:27:25.890 inform us, it is to transform us. Perhaps today, 00:27:26.190 --> 00:27:29.309 God is not pointing at your actions. Perhaps 00:27:29.309 --> 00:27:33.309 he is pointing at your garden. Because long before 00:27:33.309 --> 00:27:36.670 the world sees the harvest, God sees the seed. 00:27:37.390 --> 00:27:41.390 He sees every thought, every desire, every fear, 00:27:42.029 --> 00:27:45.970 every offense, every compromise, every act of 00:27:45.970 --> 00:27:49.150 obedience, every quiet decision that no one else 00:27:49.150 --> 00:27:52.930 knows about. Nothing escapes his eyes, and that 00:27:52.930 --> 00:27:55.690 should not frighten us. It should encourage us. 00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:58.539 Because our father never waits for the harvest 00:27:58.539 --> 00:28:02.480 before he comes looking for us. He meets us while 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.579 the seed is still in the ground. He convicts 00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:09.519 us before the roots grow deep. He calls us back 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:12.299 before the tree becomes difficult to remove. 00:28:13.019 --> 00:28:17.140 That is not condemnation. That is grace. Grace 00:28:17.140 --> 00:28:20.420 does not merely forgive the harvest. Grace warns 00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:22.779 us while there is still time to deal with the 00:28:22.779 --> 00:28:26.680 seed. So today, What seed have you allowed to 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:31.519 remain? Is it fear, bitterness, pride, lust, 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:36.079 unforgiveness, comparison, discouragement, a 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:40.039 secret compromise? Or perhaps it is a lie about 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.700 yourself that you have believed for years. Maybe 00:28:43.700 --> 00:28:45.839 you've convinced yourself that you'll never change, 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:48.980 that you'll always struggle, that you'll never 00:28:48.980 --> 00:28:52.019 be free. But let me remind you of something. 00:28:52.819 --> 00:28:55.789 The same God who created a garden also knows 00:28:55.789 --> 00:28:58.869 how to restore one. He is able to uproot what 00:28:58.869 --> 00:29:02.170 the enemy planted. He is able to heal what bitterness 00:29:02.170 --> 00:29:05.730 poisoned. He is able to restore what sin damaged. 00:29:06.309 --> 00:29:09.230 He is able to make life grow where everything 00:29:09.230 --> 00:29:12.329 seemed dead. That is the beauty of the gospel. 00:29:13.069 --> 00:29:16.410 Jesus didn't simply come to forgive sinful actions. 00:29:16.849 --> 00:29:20.430 He came to transform sinful hearts. He came to 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:23.789 give us a new nature, a new beginning, a new 00:29:23.789 --> 00:29:27.559 garden. Because where sin planted death, Christ 00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:31.299 plants life. Where the enemy plants lies, Christ 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:34.380 plants truth. Where the enemy plants despair, 00:29:34.900 --> 00:29:38.680 Christ plants hope. Where the enemy plants condemnation, 00:29:39.059 --> 00:29:42.380 Christ plants grace. Where the enemy plants death, 00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:46.359 Christ plants eternal life. So guard your heart. 00:29:46.660 --> 00:29:49.640 Protect your mind. Stay close to God's word. 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:53.309 Walk daily with the Holy Spirit. Surround yourself 00:29:53.309 --> 00:29:56.170 with people who strengthen your faith, and never 00:29:56.170 --> 00:30:00.190 underestimate the power of small decisions. Because 00:30:00.190 --> 00:30:04.230 every prayer is a seed. Every act of obedience 00:30:04.230 --> 00:30:07.630 is a seed. Every time you choose forgiveness, 00:30:08.210 --> 00:30:11.109 it is a seed. Every time you worship instead 00:30:11.109 --> 00:30:14.609 of worry, it is a seed. Every time you trust 00:30:14.609 --> 00:30:17.789 God when circumstances tell you not to, it is 00:30:17.789 --> 00:30:21.250 a seed. Plant enough seeds of the Spirit, and 00:30:21.250 --> 00:30:24.019 one day, you'll stand in a harvest you once prayed 00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:28.400 for. Remember how we began. No one fears a seed, 00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:32.700 because it looks too small, too ordinary, too 00:30:32.700 --> 00:30:36.519 insignificant. But now you know better. Every 00:30:36.519 --> 00:30:40.900 giant oak was once a seed. Every thriving ministry 00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:44.640 was once a seed. Every Christ -centered marriage 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:49.079 was once a seed. Every revival was once a seed. 00:30:49.660 --> 00:30:53.319 Every addiction was once a seed. Every affair 00:30:53.319 --> 00:30:57.960 was once a seed. Every betrayal was once a seed. 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:02.119 Every divorce was once a seed. Every faithful 00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:04.960 servant who finished well protected the seeds. 00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:08.400 Every servant who drifted away ignored them. 00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:11.079 The difference was never the size of the harvest. 00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:14.720 The difference was the seed they chose to cultivate. 00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:18.400 So tonight, don't just examine your actions. 00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:22.710 Examine your garden. Ask yourself, what am I 00:31:22.710 --> 00:31:25.730 watering? Because whatever you continually water, 00:31:26.210 --> 00:31:29.109 you should expect to harvest. And whatever you 00:31:29.109 --> 00:31:33.309 starve will eventually die. Choose wisely what 00:31:33.309 --> 00:31:36.269 you allow to grow, because tomorrow's harvest 00:31:36.269 --> 00:31:40.309 is already hidden in today's seed. Thank you 00:31:40.309 --> 00:31:42.609 for spending this time with me. This has been 00:31:42.609 --> 00:31:45.930 Pomoja Podcast, a ministry of Life of Christ 00:31:45.930 --> 00:31:48.549 International Ministries, where we build stronger 00:31:48.549 --> 00:31:51.920 lives, deeper faith, and Christ -centered homes, 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:55.880 one story, one message, and one revelation at 00:31:55.880 --> 00:31:59.900 a time. Until next time, may God help you recognize 00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:02.839 every seed that draws you closer to Him and give 00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:05.359 you the courage to uproot every seed that does 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:07.460 not belong in the garden He has entrusted to 00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:11.000 your care. In Jesus' name, God bless you.