Listen Carefully

"4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

     - St. Luke 8:4-15

Dear Friends,

Today one of our associate ministers delivered a powerful sermon.  His text was taken from Genesis 32.  He outlined the account of Jacob wrestling with the angel until the break of day.  He spoke of the persistence of Jacob and of Jacob's determination. He held on.  Jacob endured through the night.

The minister also spoke of the life cycle of the butterfly.  He painted a picture for us of this creature who begins as a caterpillar.  Caterpillars repel many people. He shared with us that sometimes to escape danger they have to roll over and play dead.  We were walked through period where  God envelopes the caterpillar in a cocoon until this creature is ready to emerge as a transformed butterfly.

I was transfixed as I listened to the sermon.  I was encouraged by the word of God.  I was renewed in my spirit by the account of Jacob's wrestling match. I listened carefully.

It is important to listen carefully to each word, each lesson , each reminder the Holy Spirit brings to us. Each stage of life is important.  We live through many caterpillar cycles, many cocoon cycles but always through the joy of the morning and faith in God, there are many butterfly cycles. Beautiful cycles...magnificent blessings.

in Christ,

Sis. Stephanie