Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
Mark 4:1-20
What kind of soil would God find in your heart today as he sows the seed of his Word in you? One thing that I know for sure and that I can honestly tell you through my experience is that the Christian life is certainly not easy. The enemy will try to steal the Word that God has given you; you will be persecuted as a result of your Faith in Christ as you are a stranger in this fallen world if indeed you try to live your life for Jesus; you will be tempted to let money or your job or the desire for more stuff or more power or you name it take the place of God in your life in such a way that his love that lives inside will be ineffective for the Kingdom – all of this is for sure to happen but I would tell you this morning to not lose heart! God has given you the power to persevere and if you consistently keep your eyes on Jesus and focus on his Word and focus on how the Spirit is guiding and directing you each and every day and if you never give up but continue to ask God for his power and his love and to be #1 in your life then indeed he will and you will persevere in this life as a result of his unconditional love and Grace and he will produce through your heart fruit for the Kingdom that is eternal and this fruit is what your heart has been longing for all along. Seek God today with all of your heart and live your life in obedience to Him!
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