GPS for the week of July 12, 2020

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“In The Garden”

 

In worship this past weekend, we listened to Jesus’ parable of the sower.  As we start our week with this story in Matthew, we continue the week by staying in the garden as Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew taught people by talking about gardens, plants, and trees.  Welcome to the garden!

 

Prayer:  Lord, you have planted seeds in all of us.  We, in turn, have planted seeds in those around us.  Help us, guide us this week as we live in life’s garden with you.  Amen.

 

Monday 7.13         “Parable of the Sower”    Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23

Seeds are sown in four different places:  the path, the rocks, the thorns, and the good soil.  Sometimes this describes four different kinds of people, but it can also describe each of us at different times in our lives.  When God’s Word has been sown in your life, when was a time when you were the path?  When you were the rocky soil?  When you were the thorns?  When you were the good soil?

 

Tuesday 7.14                “Good Fruit”                Matthew 12: 33-37

Jesus was talking point-blank to some of the Jewish leaders and had no patience with them.  These are hard words.  They were then; they are now.  Read verse 33.  Name moments in your life when you have produced good fruit…and bad fruit.  Now read verse 37.  How does this fit into your life right now this week?

 

Wednesday 7.15  “Fig Trees and Faith          Matthew 21: 18-22

What an odd story!  Read it again!  What is it that strikes you most about this story?  It is inviting you deeper into faith and prayer.  In order to accept that invitation, you may have to change some things in your daily living.  What can you be doing to live into this story and Jesus’ invitation yourself?

 

 

Thursday 7.16      “More Trees”               Matthew 7: 15-20

Jesus loves this image of both trees and people bearing fruit.  When he uses this comparison, it is almost always in pretty harsh words.  It’s obvious that an apple tree should bear apples, and that a fig tree should bear figs.  So, in effect he is asking, “What don’t you get??? Here’s the fruit God expects you to bear!”  On a piece of paper make two columns.  One is labeled “good fruit”.  The other is labeled “bad fruit”.  In each column write down what you think your fruits actually are.  How can you increase the good and decrease the bad this week in your daily living?

 

Friday 7.17            “Gethsemane”                    Matthew 26: 36-46

In one of the most powerful and poignant scenes of Jesus’ life, he goes to the garden to pray.  It was here in a garden that he felt closest to God.  What is most powerful to you today in this story?

 

Saturday 7.18               “God’s Garden”                     Psalm 23

Read this psalm again, but this time speak a line to yourself and then just sit in silence absorbing the words.  See yourself by the stream.  Picture yourself in the dark valley.  Envision the table set for you.  Spend time today just imagining yourself in the garden with God.