{"id":1308,"date":"2023-01-15T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mgc.ca\/YM\/?p=1308"},"modified":"2023-01-20T06:08:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T06:08:40","slug":"sermon20230115","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mgc.ca\/YM\/sermon20230115\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Spiritual Ground – Getting Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2023 Church Theme: Advancing God\u2019s Kingdom in the New Normalcy
\nScripture: Matthew 13:1-23 (ESV)
\nSpeaker: Pastor Aaron Garcia<\/p>\n

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Matthew 13:1-23 (ESV)<\/span>
\n1<\/sup><\/span><\/span>That same day Jesus went out of the house\u00a0and sat by the lake.<\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat\u00a0and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>Then he told them many things in parables, saying:\u00a0\u201cA farmer went out to sow his seed.<\/span><\/span>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup>As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.<\/span><\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.<\/span><\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.<\/span><\/span>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.<\/span><\/span>\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop\u2014a hundred,\u00a0sixty or thirty times what was sown.<\/span><\/span>\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup>Whoever has ears, let them hear.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10\u00a0<\/sup>The disciples came to him and asked, \u201cWhy do you speak to the people in parables?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

11\u00a0<\/sup>He replied,\u00a0\u201cBecause the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven\u00a0has been given to you,\u00a0but not to them.<\/span><\/span>\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup>Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.<\/span><\/span>\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup>This is why I speak to them in parables:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThough seeing, they do not see; <\/span><\/span>though hearing, they do not hear or understand. <\/span><\/span><\/span>14\u00a0<\/sup>In them is fulfilled\u00a0the prophecy of Isaiah:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201c\u2018You will be ever hearing but never understanding; <\/span><\/span>you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>15\u00a0<\/sup>For this people\u2019s heart has become calloused; <\/span><\/span>they hardly hear with their ears, <\/span><\/span><\/span>and they have closed their eyes.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Otherwise they might see with their eyes, <\/span><\/span>hear with their ears, <\/span><\/span><\/span>understand with their hearts <\/span><\/span><\/span>and turn, and I would heal them.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

16\u00a0<\/sup>But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.<\/span><\/span>\u00a017\u00a0<\/sup>For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see\u00a0but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

18\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cListen then to what the parable of the sower means:<\/span><\/span>\u00a019\u00a0<\/sup>When anyone hears the message about the kingdom\u00a0and does not understand it, the evil one\u00a0comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.<\/span><\/span>\u00a020\u00a0<\/sup>The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.<\/span><\/span>\u00a021\u00a0<\/sup>But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.<\/span><\/span>\u00a022\u00a0<\/sup>The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth\u00a0choke the word, making it unfruitful.<\/span><\/span>\u00a023\u00a0<\/sup>But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2023 Church Theme: Advancing God\u2019s Kingdom in the New Normalcy Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23 (ESV) Speaker: Pastor Aaron Garcia Matthew 13:1-23 (ESV) 1That same day Jesus went out of the house\u00a0and sat by the lake.\u00a02\u00a0Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat\u00a0and sat in it, while all the people stood on the … <\/p>\n

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