Seasons - Part 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

Ecclesiastes 3:2 NKJV

2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

There Is a Time To Plant and A Time To Harvest

There are things in life, God has arranged, which can only be done at certain seasons;

SPRING VEGETABLES MARCH, APRIL AND MAY

This time of year the weather is warming and things are beginning to look like spring.  Many cold-tolerant vegetables can be planted in March, including cabbage, broccoli, endive, cauliflower, head lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions, peas, spinach, turnips and beets, collard, chard, carrots, leaf lettuce, and onion sets.

SUMMER VEGETABLES JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST

 In June, harvest crops like snap beans, cabbage, collards, chard, carrots, broccoli, endives, cauliflower, lettuce (head/leaf, depending on how you staggered them), green onions, peas, late spinach, turnips, and beets all being ready.  

If you have the space, keep sowing more cucumbers, snap beans and sweet corn to lengthen your harvest.

FALL VEGETABLES SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

Harvest lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, sweet corn, squash and tomatoes. Winter squash and pumpkins will come in as well. If you planted a second round of crops for fall harvest, you’ll also be enjoying cabbages, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, radishes, spinach and turnips.

I believe the secret of success is understanding when things must be done and making sure you do them now!

In your second half this is especially true about what God has given you to do and the time you have left to complete that task!

There are things, very important things, which, unless you do them now, the probability is that you will never do at all; or not do them half as well as you should!

So look at what Solomon is saying there is a time to plant!

In your second half - you have several opportunities before you,

Opportunities that will allow you to put your life in the order God has called it to be

Opportunities of changing your character to a character of holiness Opportunities to change your mind to a mind of purity

Opportunities to change your walk into one that is pleasing to God

You literally have a clean sheet on which to write what you like.

In your second half - life is new

Unlike people of the world - anything new they see is like a new piece of furniture coming into a crowded room.

All the other pieces need to be arranged, and it is more of a trouble than anything else.

But in order to achieve your goals you have to plant!

What are you planting?

1. You have to Plant Godly Habits

Habits are like actions harden!

Habits are like the juice from a pine tree ! It comes out like liquid or almost liquid, but when it is exposed to the air it solidifies and becomes tenacious

I heard the amazing description of how we develop habits

“When we flip the switch, we see the light. We don’t see the wires in the walls, the path the electricity has taken, nor how the system was set up. But we notice the moment the light is on or off.”

We need to plant the structure in our life - that light us up to represent God - ready at the flip of the switch

In your second half plant in your hearts seeds that will spring and bear fruit according to their kind.

Planting Time

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

James 5:7 NKJV

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

2. Plant Godly Beliefs

In our first half, most of us, got our opinions or beliefs from the world and the things in the world!

They would come to us in trends and some of us dont’t even know why we believe what we believe!

In our second half our belief system comes from the word of God and the Holy Spirit!

John 14:12–14 NKJV

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 6:35 NKJV

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Psalm 23:4–6 NKJV

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

3. Plant Godly Character

Planting character is not only habit, but something more.

In the second half - you are making yourself look more like Jesus and Less like the World!

Here is what I am saying - based on you actions you lay down the road you will travel! At some point your character is defined by your actions

So you build up a great solid structure -- yourself -- out of all your deeds.

You are making your character, your habits, your opinions. -- And you are making your reputation too.

And you will not be able to get rid of that.

This is the time for you to plant the seeds that create the actions, that lead to a Godly Character, where God says

Matthew 25:23 NKJV

23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Jeremiah 17:8 NCV

8 He will be strong, like a tree planted near water that sends its roots by a stream. It is not afraid when the days are hot; its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year when no rain comes; it always produces fruit.

Galatians 6:7 NKJV

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

You are now living in 'a time to plant.'

now is the time to plant, then will be a time to reap.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 NKJV

2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

I like to say there will be a time when you harvest what has been planted!

What you plant you will reap.

Our life is really about sowing or planting and reaping what we plant

Each action we plant is like a child of all the actions that came before it, but it becomes a parent of all the actions after !

We harvest the result of our habits!

Proverbs 5:21–23 NLT

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. 22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. 23 He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

Think about this - if you don’t plant Good Godly seed - Somebody else will plant something evil in your heart and mind !

If your mind and heart has not been cultivatied with the word of God

If your mind and heart has not been seeded with the word of God

If your mind and heart is dormant

If your mind and heart is neglected

If your mind and heart has not been tended to

If your mind and heart is unmanaged

If your mind and heart is empty

Something will grow there!

It will become a field full of weeds,

A field full of the world

A field full of the flesh

A field full of the devil

A field full of the temptations around you

A field of the evil tendencies in you

Then the only harvest is sin

The only harvest is bitterness

The only harvest is poison

The only harvest is death

Think about what you are planting and think about the harvest!

So Pastor - what is the best thing to plant

We need to plant Jesus in our hearts and minds

The conclusion of this is that right now we need to trust and to serve Jesus Christ. Plant a simple reliance on his death, for forgiveness of sin,

Plant a belief by faith in his power to make you pure and clean

Plant the obedience to submit to his commandments

These are the best things to plant

If you have these in your hearts everything will be allright.

You will reap Godly Habits

You will be saved from a great deal of misery

get habit on your side, and that is much; and you will be saved from a great deal of misery which would be yours if you went wrong first, and then came right. If you will accept Jesus , and plant Him in your hearts, everything will come out of that seed that turns into a tree and produces the following fruit

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Love

Joy

Peace

Long suffering

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control