For sports fans this is an exciting time of the year.

The high school, college and professional football seasons are getting underway.

Major league baseball is just a month or so away from the World Series which I hope the New York Yankees win. Of course, that’s my personal preference.

When we think of champions. . .we think of those who win sports titles. . .either as a team or through individual efforts.

It is not easy to become a champion. . .it takes determination. . .practice. . .exercise. . . discipline and, yes. . .commitment to never give up, give in, back up, back down, sit down, quit or walk away until victory is achieved.

God has given each of us the heart of a champion far beyond the field of athletic endeavor. Much like most earthly fathers who want their children to be champions in whatever they undertake. . .our Heavenly Father desires for you and I. . .His children to win in the game of life.

By the way, if you didn’t have an earthly father to root you on for whatever reason … you do have a heavenly Father who is in your corner during every bout. He wants you to come out swinging to put every obstacle in your rear view mirror and excel in life.

The old saying that it’s darkest before the dawn is certainly true in a natural sense. It’s pitch black outside as I was led to Matthew 13:23. . .it’s not a subject that I’d planned to write about. After all, this particular scripture is quoted by every preacher/teacher who ever taught about sowing, reaping and the hundredfold.

But God gave me a different approach to the verse. . .He wanted me to write about the seven keys to a Matthew 13:23 and your hundredfold harvest.

Matthew 13:23 says:

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

1.         Where does the seed you sow come from?

In the parable of the sower there are three verses (Matthew 13:19,22,23) where we’re told that the sower received seed.

The question is where did the sower receive seed from?

2 Corinthians 9:10 in the Amplified Bible gives us this answer:

“And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [ which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].”

God provides seed to the sower.