Weeds
2-15-2023
J. Fields
This past November my family and I purchased a new house here in Huntington, the house itself
isn’t brand new however, it’s new to us. If you know me very well you would know that one of my
favorite things to do is work outside, especially in the flower beds. I’m picky, I like to make sure the
mulch looks fresh, the flowers and plants are nice and hardy, and I cannot stand having weeds growing.
This time of the year, it’s hard to tell what plant may belong, which is weeds, especially when you aren’t
familiar with the flower beds yet. Now that the snow is melting and I’m starting to get a little itchy to get
out in my flower beds I’m starting to examine them a little deeper, there are a few things that look like
weeds but I can’t tell, I want to pull them but my must smarter and beautiful wife, Heather keeps telling
me to wait and be patient, she told me the last thing I want to do is pull something that just may be a
plant. Well, I’ll stay patient and wait to see what starts growing.
This situation got me thinking about a famous parable found in Matthew 13, The Parable of the
Weeds. Just a quick recap; The man in the story who plants good seed represents God, the field aligns
with heaven while the enemy (satan) represents the weeds that have “snuck” into the fields. Let’s look at
the Scripture; 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,
and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The
owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go
and pull them up? ’ 2 9 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the
wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First
collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
The point of the story is that the enemy is a sneaky snake, he wants false believers to be in the
church so they can lead the true believers astray.
As the church, we must be cautious that we don’t allow
the “weeds” to entangle and overtake the goodness of what God is trying to do. It’s not our job to judge
or try and “uproot the weeds”, we are to stay vigilant, allow ourselves to grow strong by being fed with
the Word, and then trust that God will do the proper judging. Let’s now look at how the Scripture
explains the rest of the parable; 36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to
him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed
the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the
kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The
harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in
the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed
out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Life sometimes isn’t fair, but don’t grow weary, while times get tough at the end of the day light
always overtakes darkness. One day, the enemy and all his evil will be destroyed. The wrath of God will
one day be felt by all those who rebel against Him. Don’t lose heart here on earth, weeds are growing all
around us, especially in today’s culture but don’t pick up the weed killer, remember our job is to be the
light, to bloom with God’s goodness, and God will be the one whom will one day choose who it is that
belongs in His garden of eternity.
Blessings,
Pastor Jason
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Pray Like This: Matthew 6:9-13
2/1/2023
C. Hayden
As we see the renovation continue here at Central Christian, we are reminded that God is doing new things in us
and through us as we prepare for the ministry the Lord has ahead for us. The most important change we see,
however, is what Jesus does inside of each of us as we follow Him and push into His
purposes. With this in mind, we are going to be launching a new pray group in the
upcoming days and you are invited! We want to gather 50 or more Central Christian
believers to commit to praying for this Church and Church families, our leadership
at CCC, our Pastors and their families, and our Elders. Below is the example Christ gave
us and some thoughts on prayer. Will you join us in this endeavor? Stay tuned & pray
like this:
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven , ((Prayer is to be personal & relational, prayer is not to
only be transactional ))
Hallowed be Your name. ((Gazing on God brings praise )) Psalm 100:4 – I will enter His gates with thanksgiving and
His courts with praise.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ((Blackaby (“Experiencing God”) said “find
out what God is doing and get there )) Align your will with His will.
11 Give us this day our daily bread. ((Ask God for needs. Recognize that God is your Source )) Psalm 23 The Lord is
my Shepherd, I shall not want…
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (( Forgive & be Forgiven )) “If you do not forgive…” Matt
6:14-15. Recognizing your need for God’s grace makes one humble toward others.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ((God is our deliverer & Satan seeks to
destroy us thru influence ))
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. ((Father, You alone are God & Jesus you
alone are Lord of All…So we must be vessels of Worship )) John 4:23 – true worshippers worship in Spirit and in
truth…the Father seeks these kind of worshippers.
May God bless you even more!!
Pastor Chris
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Let Go and Let God!
1-15-2023
J. Fields
With a New Year comes new goals, it’s always interesting when I go workout and for the first couple months of the year it’s full of people I’ve never seen before or that I haven’t seen for a long time. Not only do people make weight loss resolutions but some people try and kick bad habits, be more positive, save more money, and the list goes on and on. Goals are a good thing, they can be tough to achieve at times but that’s all part of it, once you do succeed the feeling is oh-so-good.
Not only is the New Year a good time to set lifestyle goals, but it’s also a great time to put the past behind you and keep your focus on the now. There are many things that I have done in my life that I wish I’d never done, and there are many times that I wish I could take back something I said or even the way I treated someone, you can’t change what has happened however, you do have a choice if you will dwell on the past or if you will give it over to God and move forward.
If you feel stuck in the past and have done something that is eating you up inside, and if you are being weighed down by regrets, now is the perfect time to hand it over to God and allow Him to set you free. Holding onto sin, or even the “what ifs” of life is similar to walking around with a ball and chain strapped around your leg, it will bog down your joy and peace. The enemy wants nothing better than for you to live with regrets, he wants you to miserable, after all, he’s here to take you out.
Over two thousand years ago the only human who has lived a sinless life humbly hung on a cross so that all of our sins could be washed away.
Jesus Christ wants us to let go of our regrets, He wants us to place the “but this and but that” at the foot of the cross, if you will just take the weighted vest off, your life will be so much lighter, you will feel like the reset button has been pushed. Give everything over to God and if you are looking for the best New Year’s goal, I encourage you to make the resolution to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ daily.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Blessings!
Pastor Jason
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