Mark 4:3-9
Listen! A farmer when out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant sprang up quickly, but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. Other seed fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain. Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. Then he said, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!”
Last week you spent some time doing a spiritual health check. To put a finger on the pulse of your relationship with Jesus and see whether you are cold, lukewarm or on fire.
So if you’re not in the “on fire” category what’s stopping you from being there?
In the above passage, Jesus talks about 4 different kinds of soil…
Soil #1:
If you’re reading this God has already started something in your life so you’re not soil #1 that rejects the Word when they hear it. Yeah!! 🙂
Soil #2:
Are people that hear the word and accept it but when the hot sun comes out it dies. The sun is persecution. From the outside, the plant looks to be doing well but the sun reveals that something is wrong – the roots do not go deep enough and because of this, it falls away.
Persecution reveals to us how deep our faith is. When you get push back do you compromise? Do you stick up for God or stay silent because you are afraid to offend or hate conflict?
Jesus tells us we must pick up our cross to follow him.
As Mark Batterson in his book, All In, says: “The Gospel costs nothing. But it demands everything. It’s all or nothing.”
Soil #3:
Are people that are deceived by riches. They grow but are choked by this world’s demands and expectations and because of this, they produce no fruit.
Because of their jobs and houses, these people don’t have time to obey God. Because they are so entrenched in what this world considers valuable and necessary they don’t have the time to bear God’s fruit.
How much time and money goes into your house? If God told you to sell your house and move…would you?
Are you willing to get rid of your TV to have more time with God so you can hear God speak to you and produce fruit?
Are you more concerned that your children go to University than living a radical life with Jesus?
I’m not saying having a house is bad or watching TV or going to school but if it’s stopping you from having the life God meant you to have are you willing to give them up?
Are you being choked and deceived and lured by the cares of this world, wealth and nice things?
Soil #4:
Is the good soil that receives the Word, flourishes in the Word and produces fruit that is 30, 60 and even a 100 times more than what was planted. This is the soil we want to be. This is where we’ll find a passion filled faith that changes your life completely as well as fills you completely. This should be our goal.
Action Plan: Spend this week going over today's Scripture as well as the extra Scriptures and evaluate which soil category you fall into.
Where are you and where do you need to be?
Spend time praying to God about where you are and where He wants you to be. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you step by step.
One day you are going to stand in front of God and look back on your life; are you going to regret not going all out for God? I guarantee right before you die you’re not going to regret not buying that boat or car while you had the chance. But are you going to regret that you didn’t go all in and all out for God? Are you going to regret not stepping out and taking chances for Jesus?
Extra Scripture to read:
Mark 4:10-20
John 15:1-8
Luke 13:6-9
Matthew 16:24-27
Your Sister in Christ,
Angela
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Week #1: Your Spiritual Health Check
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