Main Thought
Jesus told The Parable of the Sower to describe the condition of our hearts and four potential responses to God’s Word. Three of those responses are problematic. The Enemy might blind us to God’s Word, we can forget the Word when life gets hard, or we might get distracted from God’s Word by life’s problems and pursuits. Sometimes, our hearts prove to be “good soil” and the Word bears fruit in our lives. But is there anything we can do to be “good soil?” How do we prevent the problems described by this parable?
Our hearts become “good soil” when we hear and understand God’s Word. These things don’t happen naturally - they take effort. We truly hear God’s Word when we consciously choose to listen and turn down distractions. We work to understand the Word by reviewing it, digging deeper into the text, and processing it with others. These two habits transform our hearts into good soil! They even prevent the three bad responses described by this parable. We choose to become good soil when we make an effort to hear and understand the Word.
Main Passages
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
- Matthew 13:18-23
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
- Romans 10:17
Discussion Questions
Have you experienced any of the three negative outcomes described by this parable? Do you think you might be experiencing any of them in this season of your life?
Describe a time in which God;s Word bore fruit - or made a genuine change - in your life.
What’s one thing you can do to hear or understand God’s Word a little better?
Family Questions
What’s one thing you learned about God over the last month? How did you learn that about Him?