Notes
The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!
Matthew 13:23
If you have a seed, you want it planted in good soil to produce good fruit. Our hearts are like soil, and the seed of God’s word can produce great fruit if planted in prepared soil. Are our hearts ready for what God wants to do in our lives?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
At this time, the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon, and the condition of their hearts was not ideal. God’s message through Jeremiah was to remind them of His plans and the good future He had for them.
In order to produce good fruit from our lives, the first thing that has to be cultivated in our hearts is:
1) God’s Vision
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!”
Jeremiah 29:4-6
God had blessed Israel, but they had forgotten His vision, so He recalibrated them by placing them in captivity. From the beginning, God's plan has been for His people to be fruitful and multiply, spreading His presence and glory across the earth (Genesis 1). This vision hasn’t changed, and it’s the same for the Church today. The good seed God plants in our hearts can produce a great harvest if we stay focused on His vision.
The second thing that has to be cultivated in our hearts is:
2) Stewardship
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.
Jeremiah 29:7
We are all called to steward God’s vision. Our hearts must be good soil for Him to work through, producing a great harvest in our lives. God has entrusted us with resources where He has placed us, and we are to use them well to impact the world. When we steward well, we lift up the place where God has put us. Everything we have is a resource from God to steward—down to the breath in our lungs and the heartbeats in our chest.
The third thing that has to be cultivated in our hearts is:
3) Commitment
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.
This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:8-11
We serve a covenant God—He will never break His promises. What God is doing in the world extends beyond individual lives; He works through the local church, of which Jesus is the head. Stay committed to His work, plant yourself in His house, and trust that He will fulfill His promises.
Group Questions
- How do we stay aligned with God’s vision for the Church today? What distractions do we face that might cause us to forget His vision?
- What are some practical ways we can steward the resources God has given us (time, talents, finances, etc.) in the places He’s called us to?
- How do we maintain commitment to God's plan during challenging seasons? What helps us keep our faith strong in times of waiting or hardship?
- In what ways can we better support the local church and God’s mission on a personal level?
Prayer
Thank you for the good plans you have for us and for bringing us into your Church to make a difference in our world. Help us to prepare our hearts to be good soil for your Word to take root and grow.