Sermon SEED: Scripture, Exploration, Execution, and Dependence
Sermon SEED provides ideas and insights for pastors and Bible teachers. The Holy Spirit will take the seed and cause it to grow, whether used devotionally by individual believers or in a message or bible study within the local church. Every SEED includes four necessary parts: Scripture, Exploration, Execution, and Dependence.
SCRIPTURE – Hear What God Says to Us
God’s Word provides the firm foundation for every message. One key verse or passage is the heart of every sermon SEED. The resurrection power of Christ resides within the scriptures to transform the hearts and lives of believers today through the power of the Holy Spirit.
EXPLORATION – Dig Deep to Understand
The Holy Spirit guides our study of the scriptures. We don’t just take a casual glance at the Bible to enjoy the view. We come as explorers ready to dig deep into God’s Word and uncover what it means for our lives today. Each SEED provides a in a simple outline to help make biblical teaching both memorable and relevant.
EXECUTION – Put God’s Word into Practice
Our goal goes far beyond merely obtaining more head knowledge because the possession of knowledge remains useless until what we hear transforms our hearts and changes us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit ignites what I call the activity of “faithing,” empowering us to live what we believe. Faith goes beyond a noun of belief or doctrine we act upon. Instead, faith originates as a verb actively working to apply the truth of scripture in the way we think, how we speak, and what we do.
Each SEED helps us to hear God’s Word, leading to the execution of personal application to do what it says.
DEPENDENCE – Look to God for Help
As children, maturity develops independence from our parents with the self-will to direct the course of our lives. However, as believers, we grow up with an ever increasing dependence upon God, recognizing personal willpower remains powerless to enable us to live more and more like Jesus. Each SEED encourages us to depend upon God through a call to prayer.
The believer’s helpless maturity moves them to pray in two important ways. The truth of scripture always exposes how we fall short, giving way to temptation. Therefore an appropriate response begins as we come to the LORD with repentance, asking the God to forgive our sin. Next, because we don’t want to continue walking in disobedience, we ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to live differently and obey His word.