Generous Seed

Key Scriptures:

Luke 6:38 (NLT) — Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Proverbs 11:24–25 (NLT) —  Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NLT) — Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 

Galatians 6:7 (NLT) — Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

Big Idea: A seed is incredibly powerful and carries within it great potential but it is only when that seed is sown that its power can be realized. In the first lesson of this series we talked about the power of words as a seed. The word of God is powerful as it enters our spirit and our words are powerful as well when we speak them. We are a seed bearing entity. Last week we discovered that worship is a seed that will produce a harvest in our lives. In this lesson we will look at the power of generosity as a seed. There is a principle in scripture of sowing and reaping. The seed we put into the ground will determine what we harvest. When we believe this principle to be true, then we will act upon it because we do what we believe.  Upward faith produces forward action. If there is faith then there is action.   

Five principles of the generous seed:

1. The Principle of Sacrifice - Seed sown determines harvest grown

There is a direct correlation between the amount sown and the amount of harvest. Sowing seed is not only for wealthy people, it’s for EVERY person. Jesus doesn’t measure our seed by its quantity, but by its sacrifice. We may feel like generosity is just for the wealthy but in the scriptures we see that Jesus took note of a poor widow who sacrificially gave two small coins (Mark 12:43). It was not the amount of the offering that impressed him but the sacrifice that it represented.

Question: Take a few minutes and discuss this question: What does our giving say to God?

2. Principle of Cycle - Interrupt the sowing cycle at your peril

Much like all of God's creation, generosity is a cycle. God is constantly giving to us. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. But if we fail to reciprocate, we shut down the cycle. When we receive, we give and when we give we receive. When we forgive, we are forgiven. God's design is for the cycle to continue. Matthew 6:14–15 (NLT) — “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Question: What circumstances can make it difficult to respond to the generosity of God?

3. Principle of Stewardship - Fruit is for eating, but seed is for sowing

Some of what God gives us is for our provision and some is to be sown. Fruit is to be enjoyed but the intent of seed is that it be planted and not eaten. If we eat the seed, there is no increase.  “You cannot sow what you eat.”  Throughout your life, you will be given fruit, but fruit contains seed. You consume your needs, but you give your surplus. 

1 Corinthians 16:2 (NLT) — "On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”

2 Corinthians 8:11–12 (NLT) — Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.

Question: Is it easier to sow when there is a large harvest or a small harvest? Explain

4. Principle of Soil - Your soil will determine your harvest

If you sow your time into certain outreaches, your harvest will be from that soil. If we sow into people's lives we will see lives of people changed.

There are two layers of soil:

1. Natural Soil - You harvest will come from the soil in which you plant
2. Eternal Soil - You will always reap fruit from what we sow as unto the Lord

Proverbs 19:17 (NLT) — If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD — and he will repay you!

Question: What is your favorite soil to sow into? What makes it your favorite?

5. Principle of Source - God is the source of both seed and harvest

God is responsible to provide seed to the sower and also bread to eat. Not only does he send resources to you to sow but he will bless it as we are faithful and return to us a harvest.

2 Corinthians 9:10 (NLT) — For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Question: How does this scripture affect your attitude when it comes to sowing? Why? Action point: A strong testimony stirs our faith! Share with the group testimonies of God's faithfulness to his word.