In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes a sower who sows some seed—which, he says, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. Luke 8:15 spells it out: “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain … Continue reading Make me receptive soil
parable of the sower
When God is steering the ship
In the previous devotional I shared some words about the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8. A sower sows some seed—which, Jesus indicates, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. But there are a few situations which don’t work out. One is where the seed “fell … Continue reading When God is steering the ship
Roots, testing and falling away
The Parable of the Sower is one of Jesus’ most famous parables. A sower sows some seed—which, Jesus indicates, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. That’s what you and I should want for everyone. But there are a few situations which don’t work out. One is … Continue reading Roots, testing and falling away
The seed that grew after thousands of years
I recently came across something that was rather encouraging. If it was encouraging to me, I’m sure it will be encouraging to you as well. A seed was discovered in the ruins of King Herod’s palace at Masada in Israel. In 2008, researchers decided to plant the seed in some soil. Low and behold, it … Continue reading The seed that grew after thousands of years
Don’t give up
We’ve been talking about the parable of the sower in Luke 8. A farmer sows some seed which Jesus has explained represents the word of God. The seed doesn’t always land on receptive soil. But it does in verse 15: “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who … Continue reading Don’t give up
The primacy it requires
In the previous devotional we talked about the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus describes a farmer sowing seed. Some of it is snatched away, some lands on rocky soil, and some is choked out by thorns. But then in verse 8 we learn how “other seed fell on good soil. It came up … Continue reading The primacy it requires
Inseparable
In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about a farmer sowing seed. Some of the seed is snatched away, some lands on rocky soil and doesn’t take deep root, and some starts to grow but is choked out by thorns. In verse 15 he says: “But the seed on good soil stands for those … Continue reading Inseparable
Why your love outlasts you
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four responses to God’s word—three lead to nothing, and the fourth to everything. People in this last category “hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20). Wow! That’s definitely something to shoot for! But … Continue reading Why your love outlasts you
When things that seem fine are fatal
In Mark 4:18-19 Jesus says that some people “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.” He’s describing people who don’t respond well to God’s word and message because of three things. Today we focus … Continue reading When things that seem fine are fatal
Confused about the true value of things
In Mark 4:18-19 Jesus says that some people “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.” He’s describing people who don’t respond to God’s word and message because of three things. The one we’ll focus … Continue reading Confused about the true value of things
