²⁶ He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹ As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” – Mark 4

When I was a junior in college I was a young and bold and passionate about the gospel and others knowing it. I was a Resident Assistant on a floor of 30+ guys and I saw it as my calling to evangelize the whole floor.

I got to school early and fasted multiple days for them and prayed over their rooms and for them by name. I was very serious about all of them knowing Jesus.

The first week when I did my floor meeting I told all the guys that we do Bible study on this floor. Period. Show up on Mondays at 9. They were freshmen and didn’t know any better. 🙂 21 guys came! Two guys who had never read the Bible before became Christian that first meeting.

But I was too serious. I was too intense, and for the rest of the semester I saw that group shrink down every week until there was only 1 guy still coming.

I always look back at that semester as a learning semester for me. A semester where God really showed me you have to befriend people, tone it down sometimes, and just let life happen. I don’t kick my self for my intensity that semester, but I do teach on the fact that I definitely needed to tone it down a bit. It was in one sense a failure because I scared countless guys off.

But one thing I always remember about that semester positively was that I sowed liberally. I made sure every guy knew I was Christian, and I made it clear to them how to live the faith out and that I was there for them under any circumstance.

I did not sow with any partiality. They all got the word!

And 9 years later I get this message…A message that found its way into my FaceBook inbox just last Friday night.

My first response was to praise God and then text a handful of my friends the message so we could celebrate. My next response was one of confusion that took me to some reflection. Until this message hit my inbox I looked at that year as a failure.

I was too intense right?? I will even admit that!

But this message changed my opinion. It brought me back to Mark 4.

We are called to sow seeds, and sow liberally. Scatter them! Then watch and wait to see which ones pop up! I can definitely say that I scattered the seed generously on my floor that year, and God reminded me this weekend how important that was.

Sure, I could have done it in better ways, but I did it. And God grew something up in this guy over time. This guy obviously doesn’t look back on that year and hate me for it. He thanks me! Mark 4 says we are to be people that scatter the seed and let it fall where it falls.

This message in my inbox has to remind us to not be partial in sharing the gospel.

I praise God that I sowed liberally my junior year, and I pray that you will do so as well. Yeah, some of your friends might see you as a bit intense.

But please, what ever you do…sow the seed liberally to all people because you just don’t know who is going to spring up 9 years later!

What is one area that you want to sow the word more liberally? Where have you sowed liberally? Share with us and lets pray for a conversion like this guy!