Proverbs 20:4

"The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing."  Pr 20:4 

What a great check for me and all of us as we meet as a core group and look ahead to launching a new church.  There is a good bit of temptation to leave things at trusting the Lord for the increase, yet throughout Scripture, prayers coincide with hard, diligent, and precise labor.  This verse is very applicable to our situation as a core group (except that it is winter right now!). 

In order to have a great harvest in the fall (i.e. to bear fruit for the Lord), that means we must be plowing now.  Plowing is hard work!  Yet we can't just head out into the field and start digging up rows of dirt.  This is a planned and organized task which maximizes the land so the land can bear the most fruit.  Plowing comes before sowing and watering.  The work of plowing causes back aches and neck aches, but also a satisfaction when our heads hit our pillows because we have worked diligently unto the Lord. 

As a part of Harvest Bible Fellowship, we might have a tendency to think that something magical will happen and the "harvest" will be plentiful.  After all, HBF has planted nearly 40 churches and will plant nearly 20 more this year.  However, each of the planted churches worked diligently in the field long before the harvest. 

Our plowing is the work of prayer and the work of recruiting.  We must be diligent.  There are many prayer needs: the readiness of our lives as we perpetually respond to God in humility, our affection and seriousness about God's Word as our authority which squashes our pride, a growing and committed people to join our core group, that lost souls in Raleigh would be saved as each of us proclaims the gospel, that those saved souls who are distant from the church would return and become disciples of Christ, wisdom concerning the location of our worship gathering in North Raleigh, ease with facility owners who would delight to have us worship in their building and charge us fairly, finding affordable or free office space, and having office furniture donated to us.  Might we WORK in prayer.  Might we WORK in recruiting.  Our task is eternal.  There is nothing more important you will ever do.

For your joy and progress in the gospel (Phil 1:25),

mike