Get In Tune

NPPBC's Media Ministry

Initial Thoughts and Observations

• Gratitude for the opportunity to preach.
• Acknowledges the challenges of preaching, but emphasizes that “the good times carries us through the hard times and the bad times.”
• Humorous observation about Duke being “short in training” to become a song leader.
  • Compares Duke to his father.
  • Jokes about Duke finding a lady in a few years.
• Encourages joy and laughter in faith, contrasting it with the somber demeanor sometimes seen in Christians.
  • “So many times, the Christians look like they’re going to a funeral all the time. They ain’t got a smile on their face. They ain’t happy in their heart.”

• Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-30 (Parable of the Tares)

  • The parable describes a field where an enemy sows tares (weeds) among the wheat.
  • Servants ask if they should remove the tares, but the master says no, to avoid uprooting the wheat as well.
  • The tares and wheat are allowed to grow together until the harvest, when the tares are gathered and burned, and the wheat is gathered into the barn.

• Prayer

  • Asks for guidance and direction in preaching.
  • Prays for those with sin in their hearts or who have backslidden to return to God.

• Additional Thoughts and Encouragement

  • Excitement about sharing thoughts received from God.
  • Emphasis on focusing on God and tuning into Him.
    • “Hey, I’m pretty excited. There’s a Lord of you out there listening to me out of tune. I’m what you need, brother. We need to focus on me.”
  • Stresses the importance of loving one’s neighbor and brother.
  • Acknowledges personal experience with backsliding and growing cold with God.

• Explanation of Tares (Darnel Grass)

  • Darnel grass imitates wheat but produces no seed and has no value.
  • The message is that God wants you.

• God’s Purpose in Difficult Situations

  • Even in jobs we dislike, God has us there as a witness.
  • The remedy is not to pull them up.

• Understanding the Difference Between Wheat and Tares

  • Farmers who sow seeds regularly can distinguish between wheat and tares.
  • The Bible will preach to the world.
  • During harvest, tares will be gathered.

• God’s Knowledge and Judgment

  • God sees your heart, knows your sin, guilt, and shame.
  • “You got everybody fooled but you ain’t never gonna fool God who sees your heart he knows your sin he knows your guilt and he knows your shame.”

• Explanation of Matthew 13:36-43

  • Jesus explains the parable of the tares to His disciples.
  • The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
  • The field is the world.

• Pranks and Iniquity

  • Recalls playing pranks in the past, such as egging car windows and toilet papering houses.
    • Stopped when they realized it could lead to jail time.
  • In Jesus’ time, enemies would sow tares in a person’s field as a prank.
  • Those who do iniquity will be cast into a furnace of fire.
  • The righteous will shine forth as the sun.

• Living a Life That Reflects God

  • How you live your life shows every day.
  • If you cuss around the boys, God knows your heart.
  • God knows everything good and bad and is searching your heart.
  • “He’s got you under magnifying glass and He’s searching your heart.”

• The Parable of the Tares in the Wind

  • God has us in this world for His glory.
  • It’s all about Him and the tares.

• Transformation Through God

  • Wheat and tares will remain what they are when they grow up.
  • God can change a tare into wheat at any point, even near death.
  • “God, but God, but God, He can change a tare anywhere from His birth until it’s almost dead, into a wheat. Only God, only God can do that.”