Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

[View the Keynote slides]

Jesus spoke a parable describing the conditions of people’s hearts in relation to God’s word, or the seed. How you handle the seed of God’s is the most important thing that you handle.

Matthew 13:1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Look at what Jesus said in regard to The Purpose of Parables:

V. 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

He describe four conditions of soil, or of the heart: Three bad and one good.

1) Wayside is an unreceptive place: In Palestine the fields were in long narrow strips; and the ground between the strips was always a right of way. It was used as a common path; and therefore it was beaten as hard as a pavement by the feet of people walking through

2) Stony was shallow. It is a then layer of soil over limestone rock

3) Thorny was full of weeds and distractions. Luke 8:14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
The thorny ground was deceptive. When the sower was sowing, the ground would look clean enough. It is easy to make a garden look clean by simply turning it over; but in the ground still lay the fibrous roots of the couch grass and the bishop weed and all the perennial pests [like crab grass], ready to spring to life again. Every gardener knows that the weeds grow with a speed and a strength that few good seeds can equal. The result was that the good seed and the dormant weeds grew together; but the weeds were so strong that they choked the life out of the seed.

4) Good ground was tilled and ready to receive seed. Which condition describes your heart?

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Bible Study from Wednesday, April 1:

Why Did Jesus Call the Centurion's Faith "Great?"

An Exhortation for These Times:

Don't Allow the Cares of the World to Choke the Word in You.”

Be prepared to both recover and thrive in the next season!

This is the season for WISDOM! Get the free e-book, "The House of Wisdom."

Download at NewCovenant.org

"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." Prov. 24:3-4

Lamentations 3:22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

One day I looked outdoors and could see that it was cloudy. The weather forecast called for rain and storms. Some drops of rain were beginning to fall when by the time I gathered up my things and headed to the car.

On the way out of my house, I looked at my sunglasses laying on a table and thought, “I won't need my sunglasses since it's going to be rainy and stormy all day.”

By mid-morning, storming warning horns were blowing and fierce storms where passing through the city. While in a meeting, I could hear the rain pelting the building and see the sheets of rain outside the window. I thought, “This is a day to stay indoors and work.” I drove in the rain and wind to get back to my office for another meeting.

By mid-afternoon, the storm had passed and the sky cleared. When I stepped outside following another meeting with a friend, the glare of the bright sun and brilliant blue sky filled my eyes. Among other things, we had been talking about the faithfulness of God during times when it seems like breakthrough is slow to come.

My conclusion to the events of that day was this:
God always comes through for us. He always has and He always will. God has shown His faithfulness over and over again.

Regardless of how any day begins, I will always take my sunglasses.

(Adapted from the contents of a pastoral letter)

Greetings to New Covenant Church family and friends!

Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We’ve entered into a season none of us have seen before. The closures, restrictions, fears, and uncertainty make one thing clear: Jesus Christ is Lord of all!

This morning I awoke with a sense of renewed purpose and optimism. We are not the first generation to face difficulty, inconvenience, and hardship. We are entering uncharted territory, but we are not sailing alone.

It appears that we are not going to be able to hold church March 22, so we’re going to lean into what we do best: Seek the Lord and care for one another. I will be communicating with our elders, deacons and leaders about this “new normal” that has been thrust upon us.

We’re going to leverage technology, conference calls, visits, and small group meetings to continue our covenant of fellowship, instruction in the word of God, and pastoral care. We’re also going to gather resources to share with individuals, families, and children. We’re also going to continue to reach out to our community.

There’s much to pray for, and rejoice in, as we enter the spring season, which is a time of renewal.

Let me offer these insights and recommendations:

1. Only look at as much news as you need to stay current. Fill your mind with the word of God and content from good books and resources.

2. Do not be fearful, which means “full of fear.” Be faithful, which means “full of faith.”

3. As always, pray, read the word of God, and have your devotional time. There are a lot of encouraging lessons and devotionals at my blog, www.bryanhudson.com. There are also links to the podcasts and other resources at the church website, www.newcovenant.org.

4. When the weather gets better, take frequent walks and enjoy fresh air. Drive to a park and walk around. Your emotional and mental health are still important!

5. Do not hesitate to call on others when you have a need. Never be too proud to ask for help.

6. Don’t get stuck on the Internet looking at conspiracy theories and foolish prophecies. Don’t click on links from people and sources you do not know. Evil people will attempt to scam others in these desperate times.

7. Trials have already started on an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Pray that scientists will be successful and that production of the vaccine will be accelerated when it’s ready.

8. Remember that coronavirus is not deadly like Ebola, but it is dangerous to elderly persons and people with other medical conditions. You won’t get it walking outside. You wouldn’t even get it from an infected person standing away from you. Do not let fear dominate your thinking and make you afraid of all people. Use wisdom.

9. Encourage yourself in the Lord your God!

I’ll be in touch...

God is Good…All the Time!

Pastor Bryan Hudson

(Read my statement about novel coronavirus COVID-19 and current updates from federal and state government)