Message intro:

The greatest seed you can sow is not your words, your worship, or your gifts—it’s your life!

Passage:

John 12:23–26 (NLT) — 23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

Jesus spoke of his own life like a seed. He was the seed and we are the harvest.

Several principles are super important:

1. The principle of free will - God has given you the right and ability to choose where you plant your life. We all have our start somewhere, but life is like an open ocean, you could literally end up anywhere. 
2. The place, people, philosophy, and purpose you choose to plant your life will determine your fruit
3. It’s possible to leave life with no true fruit
4. Fruit glorifies God - John 15:8 (NLT) — 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father
5. Fruitfulness doesn’t happen by accident, but by intentionality
   1. Your choices, your investment, your sacrifice, all determine your fruitfulness

Four Questions You Must Answer:

1. In what PLACE will you plant your life?
   1. Abraham left his home country
   2. Joseph built a life in Egypt
   3. Danny Ost went to Mexico
   4. You are giving your life to a place..
      1. A city, 
      2. A company, 
      3. A school, 
      4. A church
      5. Don’t end up in soil by accident, but with intentionality! 
2. In what PEOPLE will you plant your life?
   1. Paul gave his life to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews
   2. Ruth gave her life to the people of Naomi
   3. Family
      1. Spouse - Your natural fruit will be children
      2. Kids - To the degree you plant yourself in your kids will be your legacy
      3. Friends - will produce your support, joy, business ideas/investments
   4. Acts 2 and the local church
3. In what PHILOSOPHY will you plant your life?
   1. Trust in God - Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NLT) — 7 “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
   2. Love of God - Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) — 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
   3. Presence of God - Ezekiel 47:12 (NLT) — 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.
   4. Christ - John 15:5–6 (NLT) — 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
   5. Church - Psalm 92:12–14 (NIV) — 12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
4. In what PURPOSE will you plant your life?
   1. Reinhard Bonnke - A Blood Washed Africa
   2. George Muller - 10,000 orphans
   3. Moravian Missionaries - “That I might win for the lamb the reward of His suffering”
   4. Paul - “My life is worth nothing”
5. Two things you must do
   1. You must DECIDE
      1. Buffalo River
      2. By the Spirit
      3. By design
      4. By the passion of your heart
   2. You must INVEST

It’s God that provides the increase

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 (NLT) — 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

One of the greatest ways we can give our lives is through sowing our finances. Why? When we work hours and hours, we exchange our time and talents for treasure. When we sow our finances, we are sowing our lives. 

The greatest seed you can sow is not your words, your worship, or your gifts—it’s your life!