God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens… When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time! Mark 4:26–29 (MSG) Most people think the way to make changes in their lives is to pray for them. For example, they think if you want to have closer relationships, better health or more financial freedom, you should simply ask God. Although prayer is essential, this belief is actually not entirely accurate. Jesus taught that the way to increase is to employ the principle of seed time and harvest. If you want your life to produce great things, you need to understand how God’s …

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19 (NKJV) According to Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, there are four kinds of heart attitudes we can have towards God’s Word. Over the past three days we have discussed the Fence Rider and Low Pain Tolerance hearts. Today we will talk about the third kind that prevents us from receiving God’s best in our lives: The Self-Focused heart. Jesus’ parable compares this kind of heart to one that is filled with weeds. The seed is planted and it grows, but the weeds …

The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. Matthew 13:20–21 (MSG) For the past two days, we have been discussing Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, in which Jesus taught about the four kinds of heart attitudes people can have as they are exposed to God’s Word. The first I call Fence Riders. Instead of pursuing God, people with this attitude want to know which rules they can break and get away with. The second kind of heart attitude I call the Low Pain Tolerance heart. When the seed was planted on this …

When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. Matthew 13:18–19 (MSG) Yesterday we began a discussion about the four types of heart attitudes Jesus described in the Parable of the Sower. As the seed fell on four different types of ground, three types of ground (heart attitudes) could not grow the seed (God’s promises). This serves as a warning to us to keep our hearts right if we want to benefit from all that God has promised us. The first type of attitude to avoid is what I like …