Shifting focus...

... from the weeds to the wheat. On Sunday Pastor Terry spoke to the congregation regarding the parable of the weeds and the wheat which Jesus told in Matthew 13: 24- 29. Here is the parable, " The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as everyone slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. When the crop began to grow and produce again, the weeds also grew. The farmer's servants came and told him, 'Sir the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds!' 'An enemy has done it!' the farmer exclaimed. 'Shall we pull out the weeds?' they asked. He replied, "No you'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn." This parable is further explained in Matthew 13: 36- 43 if you want to check it out. Pastor Terry explained that if our focus is on the weeds which can be referred to as everything that causes sin and all who do evil, we will be distracted from focusing on Christ. In Hebrews 12: 1-2, it says, " Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." If we are focused on Christ, his character and workmanship in our lives rather than the "sin that so easily entangles us" we will be able to run the race with endurance. Our focus will shift to Christ who has the power to forgive us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Then we will have endurance to run the race marked out before us.