Steve Cordle
One of the most helpful scriptures to me and to our other cell leaders is Jesus’ parable of the sower.
As we read how the seed fell on various kinds of soil and produced different kinds of results, we think about the people to whom we minister.
We leaders want everyone to respond to Jesus and to the call to disciplesihp. It’s so exciting when people follow and grow in Christ. It can be disheartening and frustrating to see some not respond to the invitation, or to start and then fall away. As we discuss and pray through this, we realize that beyond planting the seed, we have limited power to influence spiritual results.
However, we also want to try to till the “soil” of people’s hearts in any way we can. Prayer and love are two ways to help break up hard heart-soil and prepare it to receive the seed of God’s word. When we repeatedly pray (privately and in the cell) for people by name, we can help clear the enemy’s interference in their lives so the person can perceive the Spirit’s call more clearly. And when we express love and serve people, they more fully open their hearts not only to us but to the Lord we represent.
So, here is Pittsburgh it’s garden planting time! It’s finally time to turn over the soil to plant some seeds. But in the kingdom it’s always the season to pray and love in order to get ready to reap the harvest!