“The Grass Withereth, and the Flower Falleth”
Introduction
I. 	Well, it’s Fall and the leaves are falling, the grass is withering and the flowers are falling.
A. 	Perhaps you, like I, greatly enjoy the fall of the year.
1. 	In this part of the country the leaves are often very pretty, and there are many flowers which are still blooming.
2. 	Fall portends winter, however, and I face it with mixed emotions.
II. 	It is good to be reminded of some things that relate to the fall of the year.
III. 	 In our lesson today, we will make some applications to our lives based upon
    the events of the season.
Body	

I. 	Fall reminds us of the brevity and termination of life on this earth.
A. 	Peter quotes from Isaiah 40 and makes application of his words to the temporary nature of man’s life in comparison with the word of God.              I Peter 1:22-25.
1. 	We have been saved or had our souls purified upon our obedience to the truth.  Vss. 22-23.
2. 	Our lives are brief as is the life of the grass.  Vs. 24.
3. 	God’s word abides for ever.  Vs. 25.
B. 	Job recognized the insignificance of man.  Job 14:1-2
C. 	In the prayer of the afflicted, the Psalmist  considers the ending of life, but recognizes that God abides forever.  Psalm 102:8-17.
D. 	David wrote similar thoughts.  Psalm 103:6-18.
E. 	James compares life to a vapor.  James 4:13-16.

II. 	This time of year reminds us that there are things we intended to do but which we never got done.
A. 	In our houses yards and gardens there were likely things that were left undone.
B. 	As Christians, we should examine ourselves to discover things which we should have been doing in service to others that we failed to do.          James 4:17; Matt. 25:31-46.

III. 	 The presence of unwanted weeds and grasses reminds us of those sins which 		 still plague our lives.
A. 	Some of the weeds in our gardens are there because we didn’t take the time to pull them and others are there because they have blown in during the summer.
B. 	We must constantly guard against the sins which we are prone to commit and keep trying to improve our lives.  Col. 3:1-17; Heb. 12:1-2.

  
The Grass Withereth, and the Flower Falleth, page 2.

IV.  Fall reminds us that we can recycle some of the materials that have grown 	 	 through the year.
A. 	The soil is improved when the previous year’s leaves and stems are put back into the soil.
B. 	We can recycle our lives through our having taught others and through the examples which we have set for others.
1. 	Teach others what we know.  II Tim. 2:2.
2. 	Conduct ourselves in such a way that our influence for good will continue.  Heb. 11:4.  

Conclusion
I. 	Fall and winter seem to come faster each year.
II. 	Realizing this helps us to value the time that we have to serve God and others.
III. 	Fall impresses us with the brevity of life, that we have failed to do some things which we should, that some sins are still troubling us and that we can leave a legacy for others.
IV. 	Since we do not know whether we have another day, let me encourage you to obey the gospel today.
A.  As a believer in Christ, repent of your sins, and be baptized into Christ.   Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; II Cor 5:17.  
B.  Christians needing forgiveness must repent of sin, confess the sin and pray unto God for forgiveness.  Acts 8:22; James 5:16; I John 1:8-9. 

Prepared by:
   David Arnold
   October 12, 1997