1. break up your unplowed ground for it is time to seek the Lord
Hosea 10:12
Nehemiah Matthew 13:3-23

2. Nehemiah 8
Matthew 13:3-23

3. Nehemiah 8:1 All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law… He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law… and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground…

4. 8:8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah… said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks... This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”… Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

5. Matthew 13:3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

6. God’s Word needs to be Planted
Matthew 13:3 A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Luke 8:11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

7. God’s Word needs to be Planted
Matthew 13:3 A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Luke 8:11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
Neh 8:3-5 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion… Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them… He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand.

8. God’s Word needs to be Welcomed
Matthew 13:4-5 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.

9. God’s Word needs to be Welcomed
Matthew 13:4-5 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.
:15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

10. God’s Word needs to be Welcomed
8:1 all the people came together as one.. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. 8:3 And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. 8:5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 8:6 and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord

11. God’s Word needs to be Understood
Matt 13:19,23 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart… But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.

12. God’s Word needs to be Understood
Matt 13:19,23 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart… But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.
Neh 8:8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
: 12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known

13. God’s Word needs to be Understood
Matt 13:19,23 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart… But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.
Neh 8:8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
:17 From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

14. God’s Word needs to be Obeyed
Matt 13:22 someone who hears the word, but…
James 1: Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.   Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

15. God’s Word needs to be Obeyed
Matt 13:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

16. God’s Word needs to be Obeyed
Matt 13:22 someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Neh 8:9,12 For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law… Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

17. God’s Word needs to be Obeyed
Matt 13:22 someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Neh 8:14-17 They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival... 16 So the people went out and brought back branches and… built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

18. Plant Welcome Understand Obey
break up your unplowed ground
for it is time to seek the Lord
Hosea 10:12
We need to
Plant
Welcome
Understand
Obey
the Word of God in our lives