With the arrival of Spring, the League has once again turned their attention to our annual Tree Planting Day, which was held on Saturday, March 25th. This stewardship project is now in its tenth year and has been a great blessing to our community, but also has become a valuable object lesson for our local disciples of Jesus Christ. We aren’t just planting trees that will one day provide beauty, protection, and delicious fruit, but we are symbolically emulating our Lord’s command to go forth and spread His Gospel.

Before the Fellows dispersed to plant our saplings this year, Brother Stiles B. Avery brought forth a short devotional message that reminded us of the Parable of the Sower and how the seed which was planted was the Gospel message (Matthew 13). Furthermore, he reminded us of how Paul describes the significance of this planting, and yet is quick to acknowledge that it is God alone who produces the increase. “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). All who heard Brother Avery’s message were filled with the overwhelming desire to praise our God for His Grace and Power in preparing our hearts to receive his Word, just as good soil receives the seed.

It is this biblical truth which drives the League of Tyndale to proclaim sola Scriptura and the Gospel therein as the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Sadly, far too many churches have adopted the Chuckles the Clown School of Evangelism in order to entertain worldly seekers with “a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down the pants.” Will this produce true fruit or only an audience of vegetables with little root? Now more than ever, we need to be reminded that our duty is to plant the simple message of God’s grace and trust in His sovereign power to produce the results in order to glorify Him... instead of glorifying our methods.

With Easter soon upon it, it is well that we dwell upon these words by the Apostle Paul: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

May the Gospel seeds we plant this Spring produce lovely fruit-bearing trees in the Kingdom of God!