Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Gardening
Opening
- Gardening is sowing seeds and reaping a harvest, let’s see what God says about sowing and reaping.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Devotional
Big picture God’s great creation praises Him and serves our needs.
- Q: What does it mean to sow? (planting something). And what does it mean to reap? (harvesting)
- Q: Who is actually responsible for growing what we plant? (We are part of it but no God = no grow).
- Q: What is better, to feed ourselves or to feed others from our surplus? (Surplus means we do both)
- There are many things we can learn from gardening, one of them is being generous with our surplus.
- However, in the teaching verse, the Apostle Paul is making a bigger point than just gardening.
- Q: Does anyone know what Paul is talking about?
- He is talking about sowing and reaping in all parts of our life, not just gardening.
- Gardening is investing in the earth. We plant a small seed and it grows and grows. The same sowing/investing principle applies to all creation.
- Sowing here means investing our time, our energy, our resources, our spiritual gifts into whatever God directs us to. And, reaping means God will take whatever we sow and multiply it.
- He is talking about being generous with what we have, whatever it is: food, money, gifts, everything.
- Paul is telling us that if we are generous with all God’s creation, then God will provide for our needs and more (multiplies) as it suits God’s purposes.
- But Paul also points out the negative side, if we are stingy, or selfish with what we have, then God will not and cannot bless us.
- This is called God’s “law of sowing and reaping.” It is a law because it is true in all things in life. Same for all God’s laws, they are true in every situation.
- Whatever we sow, we reap. If we are generous, God will be generous to us, and the opposite is true.
- God is not punishing us by His law; He’s telling us how things really are, how things work in His creation. He’s saying there are consequences for our actions.
- Remember: All of God’s creation is great. It praises Him and it serves our needs, too.
Memory Verse #1
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Topical Questions
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We started by talking about gardening plants. How does these lesson from gardening apply to life?
As in gardening as in all of life. Let’s not forget that something simple like gardening can teach us a lot. -
How does our lesson about sowsing and reaping apply to our relationship with God?
If you trust God, obey God, and praise God (3 sowing steps), then He will make straight paths (reaping). -
When is a time that you had to wait for reward (reaping) of something that you did (sowed)?
Closing Prayer
Father God, we thank You for Your patience in sowing Your Gospel across all creation and then waiting for the harvest of saved lives until Your perfect timing. Thank You for Your love not wishing anyone should perish in Hell. Please give us courage to be sowers of the Gospel of Jesus because so many lives hang in the balance. In your name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
