Nothing Wasted

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Can You Hear Me Now?

One Barrier to Hearing God Speak is Resistance By Rick Warren — Feb 27, 2015 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed some fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.” (Luke 8:5 NLT) If you want to hear God speak, you must first cultivate an open mind. What does that mean? It means you’ve got to be receptive. You’ve got to be willing. You’ve got to be open. You’ve got to be eager. You’ve got to be ready. The number one barrier to hearing God speak is resistance. So many people are closed to the possibility that God might speak to them. If you don’t think God can or will speak to you, guess what? He won’t. Jesus talked about this kind of soil — the footpath soil — in Luke 8:5: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed some fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it” (NLT). As workers walk down the path between each row of a field, it becomes trampled down. The soil becomes compact and gets really hard. If seed happens to land on the footpath, there’s no way it’s going to sprout. It’s not going to take root. It just lays on the surface until a bird comes along and eats it. Jesus goes on to explain in verse 12 that “the seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.” There are two characteristics of a footpath: It’s hardened, and it’s narrow. Do you know any minds like that? I know a lot of people who have a closed mind, a hard heart, and a narrow view of life. They don’t even give God a chance. Their minds are made up; they’re unwilling to listen. The tragedy of a closed mind and a hard heart is that it’s barren. Nothing can grow there. Nothing can live there. Even if a little seed does happen to fall on a closed mind or a hardened heart, it can’t take root. People who have a closed mind are not really living; they just exist. But a bitter life is a wasted life. It just perpetuates the pain! So how should you respond instead? The Bible says, “Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls” (James1:21 NLT). The opposite of a closed mind is an open mind. You need to say to God, “I can’t do it on my own. The ways I’ve tried haven’t worked. So I’m going to listen to you and open my heart and mind to your possibilities. God, I believe in you and want to hear from you!” PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does it mean to cultivate something? How does that apply to having an open mind? How have you rejected the word God has already planted in your heart? What are your expectations when you are waiting to hear from God? Nothing Wasted TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, ‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.’ ” (John 6:12, NLT) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria The Bible tells of a time when Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand with only five loaves. That day, everyone had more than enough to eat and there were still twelve baskets full of bread. That’s because we serve a God of abundance! I love that Jesus told the disciples to collect all the leftovers “so that nothing is wasted.” With God, nothing is ever wasted. He’ll never waste an experience; He’ll never waste a hurt; He’ll never waste a dream; He’ll never waste even a single piece of bread. God is still in the miracle-working business. He is still our Creator and He is a Restorer. If you’ve felt like you’ve wasted years of your life in the wrong job, hanging around the wrong people, doing the wrong things, God will gather those years and restore them back to you. He’ll take those experiences that the enemy meant for your harm, and He’ll turn them around for your good. He’ll make you stronger, wiser, and better off than you were before. He can launch you further into your destiny than before. Be encouraged today because with God all things are possible and nothing is ever wasted! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Heavenly Father, I give You every bit of my life, my past, my present, and my future. Thank you for taking every experience in my life and turning it around for my good. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. PS... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6Qtxzd6vk#t=158