Guest Pastor-Chris Cooper 08-16-26 Sunday morning Follow us on social media-- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matoakabaptistchurch-bartl6249 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064614887031 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatoakaB Sermon Audio: http://tinysa.com/live/matoakachannel If you were blessed by this sermon, please consider donating here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MatoakaBaptist We pray God's Holy Spirit quenches yours to eternal life through His everlasting powerful Word. May you be born-again of the incorruptible seed that always yields the fruits of His Holy Spirit and moreover leads to eternal life with Him, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – The King of King's and the Lord of Lord's – The Alpha and the Omega – The Great "I AM"- The Author and Finisher of our faith – just to name a few. Hallelujah JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

In Mark 4:1–20, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower and explains why people respond so differently to the preaching of the Word. The problem is not with the seed. The seed is the Word of God. The difference is found in the soil of the human heart. Some hear with hardened hearts, and Satan quickly snatches away the Word. Others receive it with initial enthusiasm but have no root and fall away when obedience becomes costly. Still others hear the Word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and other desires choke it until it becomes unfruitful. But there is also good soil. These hear the Word, receive it, and bear fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. Jesus therefore confronts every hearer with a searching question: How are you hearing the Word of God? Yet this passage is not simply an exhortation to try harder to become good soil. Christ is the faithful Sower and the living Word. He is the obedient and fruitful Son, and through His death and resurrection He brings forth a harvest of redeemed sinners. By His Spirit He softens hardened hearts, roots His people in Himself, frees them from the thorns of this age, and makes them fruitful by grace. Take care how you hear. Receive the Word. Trust Christ. Abide in Him. Bear fruit to the glory of God.

God's kingdom, like the mustard seed, begins small but grows into something vast, strong, and life giving. In contrast, our desire to control our lives creates discontentment and worldliness as we resist his design. Jesus' parables reveal and conceal truth, calling for childlike faith. As Christians we often think and live like the world—including in moral decisions because as believers we fail to find our identity in Christ, trust God's sovereignty, and participate faithfully in the growth of his kingdom through the church.

Our regular 9:00 AM worship service

In this message titled, "Jacob I Loved, but Esau I hated," we look at the often misunderstood doctrines here. We do so under these headings 1) The True Seed Sovereignly Selected, 2) The Election of God Sovereignly Established, and 3) The Mercy of God Sovereignly Administered. As always I claim no originality but will quote, cite, refer to various sources including, Calvin, Lenski, Hodge, Sproul, Moo, Murray, Plumer, Shreiner, Smeaton, Fesko, Hendriksen, Wilson, and others.

The sermon explores the biblical mandate for believers to labor together with God, emphasizing that while humans plant and water, only God provides the spiritual increase. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 3 and the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, the message distinguishes between various heart conditions that receive the gospel seed, warning against the wayside, stony ground, and thorny distractions of worldly cares. It urges Christians to remain deeply rooted in Scripture and faithful through persecution, ensuring their lives produce lasting fruit for eternity. The preacher challenges the audience to reject superficial religiosity and instead pursue a passionate, enduring commitment to Christ that withstands life's storms. Ultimately, the text asserts that true spiritual vitality comes from being planted by God and abiding in His word rather than relying on human effort or charisma.

Guest Pastor-Scott Neighbors 08-12-26 Wednesday Night Follow us on social media-- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matoakabaptistchurch-bartl6249 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064614887031 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatoakaB Sermon Audio: http://tinysa.com/live/matoakachannel If you were blessed by this sermon, please consider donating here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MatoakaBaptist We pray God's Holy Spirit quenches yours to eternal life through His everlasting powerful Word. May you be born-again of the incorruptible seed that always yields the fruits of His Holy Spirit and moreover leads to eternal life with Him, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – The King of King's and the Lord of Lord's – The Alpha and the Omega – The Great "I AM"- The Author and Finisher of our faith – just to name a few. Hallelujah JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED!!