Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi, everybody. Pastor Chuck Allen. And we're going to jump in this weekday podcast with a verse from 1 Corinthians 3. Eight from the New Living. Now, the text is a beautiful metaphorical picture of our spiritual life. Here's what it says.
The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose, and both will be rewarded for their own hard work. Now, this verse is part of a much larger passage where Paul is addressing division in the Corinthian Church. Some were claiming to follow Paul, others to follow Apollos. But Paul uses the metaphor of gardening to explain how different roles in the church work together for God's purpose. I mean, let's jump in. Let's take a look at this. It's kind of simple, but it's fascinating to me because Paul presents two key roles in spiritual gardening. He says, one, there's a planter. This person initiates growth by planting seeds of faith.
Now, in a spiritual context, this might be someone who introduces others to the gospel or maybe starts new ministries. Then he says, there's a waterer. This person nurtures existing growth. Those might be teachers or mentors or encouragers who help others deepen their faith. Now, it doesn't take much imagination to see that one might be considered an evangelist, the other might be considered a discipler. Paul emphasizes that both roles are equally important and work towards the same purpose, the growth of God's garden, which is the church and. And individual believers. So in this we see the principle, the biblical principle of cooperation. One of the beautiful aspects of this verse is the emphasis about cooperation. You know, in gardening, just like in spiritual growth, different tasks are necessary at different times. Sometimes we plant, sometimes we water, sometimes we weed, sometimes we harvest, but always we work together.
This principle should challenge me and you to recognize the value of diversity and the diverse roles in spiritual growth. It also should cause us to appreciate everyone else's contributions to our spiritual journey. And it should encourage us to find our own unique role in God's grand garden. Because he says that there's a promise of reward.
I mean, inside the text, it concludes with a promise, both will be rewarded for their own hard work. God sees your effort, friend. No act of service, no matter how small, goes unnoticed by our Heavenly Father, Me and you also we should notice we're responsible for our own work, not the results.
Our job is to faithfully plant or water.
God gives the growth, and there's great intrinsic value in spiritual labor. Friends, the work itself is rewarding as we partake partner with God, and this promise should encourage us to persevere in our spiritual gardening, knowing that our efforts truly matter to the Lord.
So as we wrap up today's weekday podcast of spiritual gardening, I want to encourage you to reflect on your own role in God's garden. Are you a planter sowing seeds? Are you sowing seeds of faith? Are you sowing them in new ground? Or are you a waterer nurturing growth in those around you? Remember, whether you're planting or watering, your work is vital and it's valued. As you go about your week, look for opportunities to tend to God's garden. Maybe it's sharing your faith with someone new, or encouraging a fellow believer. Maybe even just encourage someone who doesn't know anything about faith. But whatever your task, do it with the knowledge that you're part of a greater purpose, working alongside others to cultivate a beautiful, thriving garden of faith.
Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast and our quick journey through 1 Corinthians 3. 8. We'll be back soon with another weekday podcast. Thanks so much. God bless you. Bye now.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11. And we're always streaming live at live show. Sugarhill Church, thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome day.
