Which Type Of Soil Are You?

Luke 8:11-15 (NLT)
"This is the meaning of the story: The seed is God's message. The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then the Devil comes and steals it away and prevents them from believing and being saved. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. They believe for a while, but they wilt when the hot winds of testing blow. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.



“Path” people, like many of the religious leaders, refused to believe God’s message. “Rock” people, like many in the crowds who followed Jesus, believed his message but never got around to doing anything about it. “Thorn patch” people, overcome by worries and the lure of materialism, left no room in their lives for God. “Good soil” people, in contrast to all the other groups, followed Jesus no matter what the cost. Which type of soil are you?



1 Cor. 1:21 (NLT)
Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe.


1 Tim. 6:9-10 (NLT)
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Greed leads to all kinds of evil: marriage problems, robbery, blowups in partnerships. To master greed, you must control it at its root. Get rid of the desire to be rich.


2 Tim. 4:10 (NLT)
Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.


Demas had been one of Paul’s co-workers (Col. 4:14; Philemon 1:24), but he had deserted Paul because he “loved this world.” In other words, Demas loved worldly values and worldly pleasures. There are two ways to love the world. God loves the world as he created it and as it could be if it were rescued from evil. Others, like Demas, love the world as it is, sin and all. Do you love the world as it could be if justice were done, the hungry were fed, and people loved one another? Or do you love what the world has to offer—wealth, power, pleasure—even if gaining it means hurting people and neglecting the work God has given you to do?