Seed Planters - not Seed Substitutes

I want to be a "seed planter"! I am not interested in substitutes.

I have been reading Neil Cole's book "Organic Church". Neil Cole talks of how if we sow the Word of God, we will reap the Kingdom of God." He focuses us on the fact that it is God's Word that changes lives. He talks about how we give people messages about the seed - but that it is a seed substitute.

Yesterday I read how if we focus on "preparing the soil" and trying to "help the seed to grow" (something only God can do), we miss the basics and what we harvest will be a field of MUD! LOL!!! I want more than a harvest of mud! I also want to be sure to give people true seed. I believe that people can hear the Word of God - dig in to it and find it is alive and will impacts their lives. God's Word changed lives!

Neil Cole goes on to say that Jesus' parable in Mark 4 talks about sowing seed abundant, indiscriminant of where it lands. "To see the life of the Kingdom germinate, grow and bear fruit, God's Word must be received abundantly and it must penetrate deeply into our souls. If you do not plant the seed, you will not grow the life and see the fruit. It is that simple."

Neil further qualifies this by saying, "understand that it is not religious reading of the Bible that is important, but hearing God's voice. The Scriptures are alive with God's voice, and the Holy Spirit in us is a special anointing that gives each of us direct access to God's heart every time we open the Word." What a challenge - to take the opportunity to access God's heart. It makes me want to jump up and dig in to scripture! I also makes me want to "sow seeds" by sharing how God's Word has impacted my heart and life. It challenges me want to get fresh seed ready to share with others! 

How is your seed sowing? Are you being satisfied with substitute seed? What kind of harvest do you want?