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PARABLES: Soil

Mark 4:1-9

Our soil determines our harvest: Great seed planted in poor soil does not produce great harvest. 

Just like soil and seed, the condition of our hearts will determine our lives. 

This parable gives us 4 kinds of soil - 4 kinds of heart conditions. 

1. “Never Gets It” Soil

Mark 4:4
Mark 4:15
Matt. 13:19

There are some people who just don’t get it. 

Tell them about the love of God, the blessing of God, heaven and hell, the impact of relationships on their life… and they just don’t get it. 

Be a “get it” kind of person!  Write ideas down.  Capture great thoughts, great ideas.  Read great books.  Listen to great messages.

2. “Almost Got It” Soil

Mark 4:5-6
Mark 4:16-17 

Some people get it – but then lose it. 

They receive it with joy!  They get pumped about the goodness of God!  The power of prayer!  The Spirit of faith!  …And then time happens. 

Time is what happens between sowing and reaping.  It can cause someone with “almost get it” soil to fall away because there is no firm root in themselves – only temporary. 

Some people are temporary people.  They bounce from church to church, job to job, relationship to relationship. 
 
Affliction and persecution come because of the word.  An almost-get-it person will hear about joy – but then have their joy attacked.  They will hear about tithing – then have their finances attacked. 

3. “Used To Get It” Soil

Mark 4:7
Mark 4:18
Luke 8:14

This is a scary idea:  Used to be fruitful.  Used to be passionate.  Used to be on fire for God.  Used to be on fire for the House of God.  …But then life got crowded. 

“When a room loses it’s purpose, clutter inevitably happens.”
- Peter Walsh

Homes can get cluttered, churches can get cluttered, lives can get cluttered.  Clutter chokes out the word – it chokes out fruitfulness. 

1 Corinthians 9:27

Worries can clutter our lives.  Deceitfulness of riches – getting blessed then forgetting why – can clutter our lives.  Desires for other things – whatever those other things are for you – can clutter our lives. 

Let’s not ever let ourselves become “used to get it” people.

4.“Really Gets It” Soil

Mark 4:8
Mark 4:20
Luke 8:15

As a teacher, I’ve learned that not everyone is going to “get it.”  I broadcast truth, and focus expectation. 

The Bible says that only 25% are really fruitful.  And of that 25% - there are tiers of fruitfulness:  30, 60, 100 fold fruitfulness.  So I can actually expect only 8% to have 100 fold productivity! 

Who will be that 100 fold person?