I'm working on my sermon for this Sunday (at St. Luke's, Blue Ridge), and it's on the parable of the Sower in Luke 8. At the end, Jesus says, that the good ground brings for fruit "with patience." Here's my comment right now: And lastly, we need the grace of patience. We need it for lots of reasons, but here it's connected with the bearing of the fruit. Why? Well, farmers must be patient, must they not? It can take months before the work you've put into a crop starts to bear the fruit you desire. Bearing fruit takes time. And the changes that God wants to work in our hearts through his word can certainly take time - even a lot of time. That is why our watching and praying against the devil, the flesh, and the world has to be maintained. That's why our seeking God's grace for the right heart and the grace of obedience has to be maintained. It's because the fruit of the Word in our souls takes time. There are times we wish God wo
