Sowing Well

What would it look like if the way we use our efforts and resources was shaped by the gospel? Not just our beliefs and relationships, but our entire being?

In Galatians 6:6-10, Paul begins with a simple principle: whatever you sow, you will reap. I’d wager that this is something we all know instinctively. For example, you don’t plant carrots and expect corn to grow. Rather than providing a farming lesson, however, Paul is trying to teach the churches of Galatia (and us today) what it looks like to have our entire being transformed by the gospel. Is what we’re sowing with our lives, efforts, and resources matching up with who we say we are?

Paul tells us that there are two options. Either we can sow to the flesh and direct our energy and resources toward self-preservation, comfort, and approval. Or we an sow to the Spirit and invest in the things that produce lasting, eternal life. To further illustrate this, Paul gets specific. He points to the community caring for those who teach, doing good to all people, and refusing to grow weary even when the harvest feels far off.

I’m willing to argue that the last part might be the most important and honest thing Pauls says. Faithful sowing is tiring. The results aren’t always visible. But Paul insists the harvest is coming. It will be worth it. This Sunday, we’ll explore what it looks like to be a church that sows well. Not because our hand is forced, but out of gratitude for what God has already given us in Jesus Christ.

-Caleb McCaughan

Dinner Table Conversations: 

Adult & Teen Table Talk: 

• ​When you hear the phrase “sowing and reaping,” what comes to mind first? How does Paul’s use of it in Galatians 6 expand or challenge that initial instinct?
• Paul tells us to “do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.” What does it look like in practice for this church to do good to both groups — and are there ways we tend to neglect one or the other?

Little Learners’ Table Talk: 

• Did you know that when we are generous and kind to others, it’s one way of saying thank you to Jesus for being generous to us first? What is something Jesus has given you that you are really grateful for?

Sermon Title: Sowing Well

Sermon Series: Set Free

Sermon Passage: Galatians 6:6-10

Closing Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21