1. THE JOY OF SOWING:

2. Eccl 11.6: In the morning sow your seed…
Steve Willey
Discipled by: Larry McCoskey and others
Calling: Vocational Disciple/DM
Vocation: Teacher/Mechanical Engineer/Product Manager
Currently: Retired/Sower/New Product Business Development/GP!
Eccl 11.6: In the morning sow your seed…

3. And at evening
do not withhold your hand…

4. For you do not know which will prosper; this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
Ecclesiastes 11.6

5. Did Jesus “Sow”? How? Why?

6. Jesus Stated Three Reasons Why He Came
To Fulfill the Prophecy in Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream:
Daniel 2
To Manifest the Father:
John 14.8
To Provide a Path for us to be adopted as a Son or Daughter. Ephesians 1.3-6
(Where does the Cross and Resurrection Fit?)

7. What is the Difference between Sowing, Evangelism, and Reaping?

8. Question: From these stated reasons, why did God create you?
To worship Him?
To obey Him?
To serve Him?
All of the above?
None of the above?
How is the idea of “sowing” impacted by your answer?

9. The Joy of Sowing: An Expectancy or an Expectation
Definitions:
Expectancy: The state of thinking or hoping that something especially pleasant will happen or be the case.
Expectation: A belief that someone will or should achieve something
Questions:
What is the key difference between the words expectancy and expectation?
Why might this difference affect your joy of sowing?

10. Sowing: Start With: Praying, Winning the Right to Be Heard, and….
1. What does that mean, “right to be heard”?
Why might that be important?
Some guiding principles:
1 Peter 3.15…be prepared
Luke 14.10…manner of speech and presence
Proverbs 20.5…to be effective is using a rope, should one pull on it or push on it?

11. How Does One Win the Right to Be Heard? And….
Applying the principle of Proverbs 20.5
Developing the art of observation and initiating a conversation; of being intentional (Exercise)
Developing the art of conversation: James 1.19
“Let’s talk about me”???
Developing the skill of listening
Developing the skill of asking questions
In response to your observations
Additional questions to follow up from what you heard
To clarify/discern their answers.
Respond; not react
Asking permission
Look for assumptions
Acknowledging the truth
and/or genuineness in their answers

12. …and The Privilege of Knowing:
Why did Jesus speak in parables?
Matthew
The Principle:
Any relationship is extremely valuable. One is careful about entering into a relationship. One needs to know the heart of the person one is relating too and not only what to share, but what not to share.

13. Making Observations:
Looking something interesting about a person, or what they are doing that would be good to:
Ask for the joy of knowing.
Express appreciation for who they are or what they are doing
To inquire about something important to them.
To response to an obvious concern.
11 Cor. 2.17: For we are not “peddlers” of God’s Word for profit, but as men of sincerity, as those sent by God

14. Telling a Story; a Parable
“The kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field, that when discovered the person, he buries it and goes and sells all that he has and buys the field” Matt The “Quarter Box” at an auction. What would you have done?

15. Ask A Question Question:
If I buy you a cup of coffee, would be you willing to entertain an old guy with some conversation for a few minutes?
Observation and a Question:
I have observed that men my age made decisions at your age that determined the type of man they are at my age. Many made poor decisions, fewer made wise ones. I am curious: “Who do you want to be when your my age and what decisions are you making now that will impact that desire?
May I share with you some key choices I made are your age?

16. Helping People Rethink Who God Is
These things you have done and I have kept silent. You thought that I was one like yourself…. Psalm If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink…. John 4.10

17. Question: Why does God seem to hide. Quote: Luke 8. 10; Matt 11
Question: Why does God seem to hide? Quote: Luke 8.10; Matt The mystery of God could be solved by God very quickly, right? Why the mystery? Question: Have you ever wrestled with the idea of whether a Creator exists, and if so, whether He would be worth knowing?

18. Question: If I were to ask you to describe God, what would you tell me
Question: If I were to ask you to describe God, what would you tell me? Would you want to know and follow the God you just described? If God was different than what you have come to conclude, would you want to know? Could I share what I have learned about who He is?

19. Question:
Can you think of one word that would best describe to me the essence of who you are? What would that be?
What word to you think God chose to describe to us the essence of who He is? Answer: Father
The Father gave His incarnate Word, who became flesh and lived among us, a name about all names.
Do you know that name? Hint: the answer is not the name “Jesus”. Answer from Matt 3. 16,17
What does that tells us about what He is looking for in us?
What He is NOT looking for in us?

20. Questions to Help People Rethink Their Assumptions:
Statement and Question:
I have observed that there are basically two kinds of people:
Those who HOPE there is NO God.
Those who HOPE there IS a God.
Which camp would you fall in?
Why?
Follow-Up Question:
What is the challenge of each position?

21. If I were to ask you, “Who are you?”, how would you answer me?
Question:
If I were to ask you, “Who are you?”, how would you answer me?
Follow-up Questions:
Is a person’s identity, “who am I”,
derived (by oneself) or
assigned (by another)?
If derived, what are the pitfall of having to define your own identity?
If identity is assigned, who would you want to that person to be?

22. Question asked of me: What do you think about LGBT people
Question asked of me: What do you think about LGBT people? What is the assumption being made? What is the real question: John How would one respond? Note: Relationships we come to value tend to create a desire to make Different choices.

23. On Debating… Apologetic Resources:
The Science Questions:
The Truth Project
The Philosophical Questions:
YouTube:
Ravi Zachurius
Books
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Sonship Vs Slavery
The Misunderstood God
Kingdom Questions:

24. In the morning sow your seed…