12 Seeds For A Successful Christian Life
Pastor/Teacher David Garcia
2 Corinthians 9:10 “Now May He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
Introduction: A seed is something you have been given that will create for you what God has promised.
Let’s look at 12 seeds we are to sow:
1. Access is the seed for opportunity with people and places you have access to
- Identify the environment that you have been given access to.
- Identify the opportunity to reveal your difference; your talents; your gifts; your passion; your significance.
Life Lesson: Your current difficulty may give you access to opportunity.
2. The battle is the seed to gain territory
- Marriage and business are territories
- We must fight for everything God has promised:
- The presence of a giant is proof you have entered new territory
- Never fight for what God didn’t give you (be it a possession/idea/ desire)
3. Thankfulness is the seed for joy!!
(1Thessalonians 5:18)
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Find something to be thankful for.
- We have a tendency to always notice what’s wrong!!
- Your circumstance does not produce joy; your attitude of gratitude does!
- Positive confession (“God has been so good to me”!
- Be thankful and your joy level will rise!!
- The lack of Thankfulness is the seed for depression, and discouragement!!
4. Confrontation is the seed for change
- Anything unconfronted increases in your life!!
- Anything you don’t confront you will never conquer!!
- Anyone you like will occasionally confront you.
- If they stop confronting you its because they don’t see you in their future!!
5. Listening is the seed for knowledge
- Listen for pain, anger, and frustration!
- If you’re spouse says something is wrong; listen!!
- Put excellence to the moment by humility and initiating change.
6. Honor is the seed for access
- Your future will be decided by those you choose to honor!
- Honor is the willingness to reward another.
- Honor with respect, kindness, and blessing them.
- Silence is a way of honor (elders: sometimes it’s best not to confront them.
7. Presentation is the seed for acceptance
1 Samuel16:7 (“for man looks at the outward appearance”)
- Appearance matters.
- Presentation decides persuasion: examples- look your best for a job interview; business meeting.
- Excellent appearance takes time and preparation
8. Words are the seeds for feelings
(Proverbs 18:21) 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
- They paint pictures; they hurt, heal and restore.
- The power of life and death is in the tongue
- Words determine which dreams live or die (Mike Murdock)
- Your personal happiness is influenced by the words that come out of your mouth (Mike Murdock) – Proverbs 15:23 “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is.”
- Your answers are the difference between your present season and your future season- Proverbs 15:28a “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer…
- Think before you speak: your words produce good or bad feelings!!
9. Order is the seed for productivity
The following next six order principles are from Mike Murdock:
- Order is the accurate arrangement of things. It is placing an item where it belongs.
- When you increase order in your life you will increase productivity.
- Anyone who increases order in your life is assisting you in the achieving of your dreams. Celebrate them and protect their role in your life.
- Anyone who increases order in your life will eventually be regarded as a blessing to your life.
- Recognize the long-term chaos and loses that disorder will create.
- Order eliminates stress and agitation.
10. Problems are your chance to reveal who you are
- They reveal your talent; your skill, and your confidence.
- A problem is not something you run from but we are called to be problem solvers!
- Problems are an invitation to significance.
- Your assignment determines the kinds of problems you notice and desire to solve. Your assignment brightens and magnifies the problems you notice and are called to solve. (Mike Murdock).
- Problems are seeds for recognition!!
11. Confession is the seed for mercy
- Jonah preached to Nineveh that God was going to destroy them in forty days and the people repented (Jonah 3: 4-10).
- Repentance is the seed for forgiveness: “I’m truly sorry for this”;
- Repentance says “I did it and I’m sorry; and by God’s grace I won’t do it again” (Jonah 3:9-10).
- Be emotional! (Jonah 3:9-10).
12. Today is the seed for tomorrow
- Nothing’s going to change without my decision today!! (If I want a better marriage/business, I need to make a decision today!! “No decision is a decision by default (Edwin Louis Cole).
- Now is the seed for next; not another day but right now!!
“Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” John L. Mason
“Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow.” John L. Mason