Spreading the Word

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each fall and at other times during the year, there are sprouts of trees growing everywhere in my yard, flowerbed, and even in the cracks in the driveway and sidewalk. It is truly amazing how far and wide seeds get sown; roots are put down and sprouts start shooting up after a bit of rain.

Some seeds even have little wings and propellers to help them spread near and far. Birds assist in this planting as they eat the seeds and deposit some of them all over. In fact, birds plant asparagus seeds by many of my fence posts.

I harvest as much asparagus from these plantings as from my asparagus bed. Call it mother nature’s way or God’s way for these seeds to be spread.

If we were only one half as good as spreading the word of God as God and the birds are at spreading the seeds, churches would be growing at an amazing rate. Why don’t I make a more intentional effort to tell others about Jesus? Sometimes I feel we don’t want to risk being rejected as being “holier than thou,” or preachy. No one wants to feel rejected. 

We might recall reading in the book of Acts chapter 2 about the way many were filled with the Holy Spirit and shared personal resources. The word was spread far and wide. Paul was the best know of those spreading the word.  We each have a personal testimony we can share if we just reach out to others. God will provide the opportunities for us to witness to others. We just need to be open to those opportunities.

Prayer:

Dear God, empower us to reach out, take the risk of being rejected and help to spread your word. Give us strength, confidence, and a willing heart to help others learn about you. Amen.

This podcast was written and read by Emmit Rawls.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.