We kicked off a new series called The Power of a Story as part of our journey through the Gospel of Mark at Gateway Church in Austin.
Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower to reveal the various ways people respond to God. The parable not only speaks of the sowing of seed but also highlights the different conditions of the heart and how they influence spiritual growth.
Digging Deeper:
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own or get together with your group, spiritual running partners, or family to talk through what you are learning.
Discounted Copy of My Books:
I also made my books available at cost this past Sunday, and we sold out!
If you would like a copy of Fruitful or Not Like Me or both at $5 each, email me directly at eric@ericbryant.org, and I will have a copy for you after they arrive in a couple of weeks.
Video Message:
Here is a version I shared but at Mosaic in South Pasadena as the video was not working at Gateway South Austin this past Sunday:
From the Fruitful Audiobook – Chapter One:
Today we continue our series through the Gospel of Mark. There are four biographies of Jesus. Two are from eyewitness accounts (Matthew and John), and two are from people who interviewed eyewitnesses. We believe Luke interviewed Mary among many others involved in Jesus’ life and ministry. We believe that Mark interviewed Peter. Mark was also the one who shows up in the book of Acts as one of those helping Paul then he bailed on him and then he helped again near the end of Paul’s life and ministry.
This series we are looking at the power of a story.
Stories captivate us, entertain us, and they can even change our perspective.
Jesus used stories all the time, in fact, they were the primary way He chose to communicate and teach about the Kingdom of God. They were called parables. Even if you are not very familiar with the Bible, you are probably familiar with some of Jesus’ parables, like, the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan. Jesus didn’t invent this method of teaching. Rabbis regularly used parables to teach short, moral lessons to their disciples. We still use parables today to teach children important virtues or principles. Ever heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Why is this effective? Because stories are sticky, they are relatable and easy to remember. They use people and places and things that all would be familiar with and then he makes one point to help us understand.
We regularly use stories in our own lives as a means to connect with others and be known by others.
These stories can transform a life!
Have you ever seen a life transformed?
My daughter Trevi was the high school graduating class of 2020.
High school graduation wasn’t quite the same experience for her and her class as it was for most people due to the Covid lockdowns. Her plans were to graduate high school and spend a year as a gap year missionary in Paris serving as an au pair and as part of the choir at her church. Before she left, we threw her a party, and I surprised her.
Watch This!
By the way, part of this moment was so emotional for her because at that time in her life the word “fruitful” had become an important word between her and God. In fact, it was part of her instagram password!
This moment was emotional for me because my daughter was very resistant to all things associated with God or the Church during her middle school and most of her high school years. My wife Deborah and I loved her and prayed for her the best way we could.
One day during student group, she had an encounter with God that changed her life. You see, even when she was resistant to faith, we made her go each week to student group as we told her you cannot skip student group just like you cannot skip school.
So I want to share with you what I wished I knew before I went out on my own in life. It is rooted in a story Jesus’ shared – The Parable of the Soils.
As we’ve been walking through Mark’s gospel, we’ve observed how Jesus is demonstrating the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God through His unstoppable authority to heal, cast out demons and forgive sins. Yet, despite Jesus’ remarkable authority he has demonstrated, the large crowds that have formed around Him are surprisingly mixed on what they think about Him. Only a small group of disciples are actually following Jesus. The crowds are enamored with Him, but very non-commital. These mixed responses do not line up with what the Jewish people thought the arrival of God’s Kingdom would be like. As bible scholar, N.T. Wright says, “people were expecting a great moment of renewal. They believed Israel would be rescued, lock, stock and barrel; God’s kingdom would explode on the world stage with a blaze of glory.” What’s going on?
Mark interrupts the narrative action of His gospel with a large block of Jesus’ teaching, which is meant to answer this question and explain the true nature of the Kingdom He’s bringing and the true nature of the King. Through a collection of parables, Jesus is not going to give short, clear, moral instructions; His parables, the crowd will find, are quite different than they’re used to. Rather than the typical short, clear, moral stories they are familiar with, Jesus’ parables often leave His hearers puzzled and confused. You see, Jesus wasn’t just interested in telling people what to do, He wanted them to work for understanding. His parables were intentionally puzzling because it would reveal those who were serious about following Him and adopting His way of life, the Kingdom way of life, and those who thought Jesus was crazy and would not stick around.
We are faced with the same decision when it comes to Jesus’ teaching. We must consider whether we fall into the category of those who “have ears to hear.”
Today we are looking at one of the most famous parables Jesus told – The Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Soils.
Jesus described four types of soils representing four types of people. Some are like a path, some are like a shallow and rocky soil, some are like soil growing thorns, and some are like a soil that produces much fruit.
Which soil are you in this season?
The Parable of the Sower calls each of us to examine the condition of our hearts.
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. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 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 12 so that,“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 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. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 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. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” – Mark 4:1-20
Of all the messages Jesus could share in front of one of the biggest crowds ever gathered around Him, you might be surprised He chose this specific message. He didn’t start this message from the boat talking about life after death. He didn’t talk about wealth or poverty. Instead, Jesus described a journey toward becoming fruitful.
Applying the principles Jesus shared in describing the four types of soils, we can become fruitful (a.k.a., creative, generative, and productive) for the kingdom of God.
Wherever you are, Jesus pointed us toward becoming fruitful – transformed by God and helping others transform. We can become fruitful as we stay connected to Him, which is who we were created to be! You see, a true follower of Jesus becomes more like Jesus. When we choose to turn from our sins toward following Jesus as our leader, we should become different people. We are no longer the same.
“The old has gone the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
People should notice that we are not as impatient, irritable, insecure, proud, immoral, and so on. The change takes place instantly as well as over time. God’s Spirit within us convicts us and guides us.
When our lives bear the fruit of righteousness and reflect the fruit of the Spirit, we are transformed, and here is what is amazing: many times, those around us become interested in what has happened to us. In fact, they may even want to know how their lives can be transformed as well. A change in our lives cannot help but influence those around us.
On the flip side, when we do not change, we can be a stumbling block to others in our lives who know of our faith in Jesus.
Let’s make this personal – Are we resistant to God, shallow in our commitment, distracted by the worries of life, or open and receptive to His truth?
Jesus’ parable points out that we struggle to become fruitful when we have a hardened heart, a shallow faith, or are easily distracted.
If we can avoid these pitfalls, we will be fruitful.
Which soil do you think best describes where you are in your spiritual journey? Which soil are you most like?
1. The Rocky Path: A hardened heart
2. The Shallow Soil: A shallow heart
3. The Path with Thorns: A distracted heart
4. The Rich and Fertile Soil: A receptive heart
Some of us have a hardened heart. We have been walked on. We haven’t heard from God in a long time. We don’t want to hear from God.
Some of us have a shallow faith. Our faith is based entirely on our circumstances and how we feel at the time.
Some of us have been distracted by temptations we keep falling into over and over.
Some of us are in a good place. We are seeing change in our lives and change in the ones we care about, and it’s happening through us!
Some of us see a glimpse of more than one. We are seeing God do good things or even great things, and we are on the edge of falling backwards.
Let’s just walk you through the four types of soils
So first, we need to heal from a hardened heart.
1. Hardened Heart (The Path)
“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.”(Mark 4:15)
The Word refers to the Word of God. God speaks to us through the Scriptures.
The Bible is not the only way God speaks. He also speaks with a still, small voice” and check this out the Scriptures say after we say “yes” to following Jesus then “we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor. 2:16
The more familiar we are with the Word of God, the more we know God’s character, and the kinds of things God would whisper to us. Typically, God’s voice calls us towards those things which are selfless, require courage, and are consistent with His character as found in the Scriptures.
We need to guard against a hardened heart by staying open to God’s Word, avoiding apathy, and being sensitive to His Spirit. It’s important to actively seek understanding and not allow pride or cynicism to close our hearts.
Second, we need to heal from a shallow heart. It’s about overcoming trials in our life.
2. The Shallow Heart (The Rocky Ground)
“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.” (Mark 4:16-17)
When things get tough, you may not know what to do, but you can know the One who does. You can trust Him. You can trust that somehow what was intended for evil, He can work so powerfully and mysteriously that good can come out of the darkest moments.
We do not know why, but we know the One who does. We can trust Him. We can choose hope even when we don’t feel like it.
Faithfulness is doing the right thing no matter how small it is and perseverance is doing the right thing no matter how small it is and no matter what challenges you may face!
You become tenacious and refuse to give up no matter what you may be facing! You lean into your faith and your community when things are hard when so many others give up on God or their church right when they need Him and them the most!
A shallow heart lacks the depth needed for sustained growth. To avoid this, we must cultivate a deep relationship with God through prayer, Scripture, and community, especially in times of trouble. It’s essential to build spiritual roots so that our faith can endure in difficult circumstances.
Third, healing from a distracted heart is about overcoming temptations.
3. The Distracted Heart (The Thorny Ground)
“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.” (Mark 4:18-19)
I grew up in church hearing all about what we needed to stop doing. I saw Christianity as a giant “Don’t Do List.” The problem is that I never understood why we should avoid these behaviors. What I didn’t hear was that this was a list of things that hurt us and brought pain into our lives and the lives of others. For the longest time, I never realized God was offering a better alternative. God’s message to us is, “Come as You Are, and You Don’t Have to Stay That Way!”
Or as author and pastor Max Lucado says:
“God loves you just the way you are. In fact, He loves you so much that He refuses to leave you that way.”
-Max Lucado
There is so much hope and beauty in that!
Often, we make progress only to fall again. During this relapse, we give up trying.
Remember: Messing up does not have to mean giving up!
Get right back up and start over.
The more we succeed, the more confident we will become.
Furthermore, it is not a sin to be tempted. Just because a thought comes crashing into your mind does not mean you have to act on it. Just having the thought can derail us or discourage us unless we put these principles into practice. Therefore, it is so important to take every thought captive and renew your mind.
We need to rely on God’s help and the encouragement of others, but we can do this. We don’t have to stay this way! When I share about next steps to take, I will share ways to get connected to community to help you in this! We need help from others to grow!
Still struggling to get started? If so, choose to move forward for others and with help from others. I think of my uncle who quit smoking the day his first child was born. He couldn’t quit on his own, but he could quit for his son.
If you aren’t willing to take care of yourself now, then you won’t be able to take care of others later.
Let your motivation come from a deeply spiritual place—out of gratitude to God.
A distracted heart is one that is pulled in many directions, where worldly pursuits overshadow spiritual priorities. To avoid this, we need to simplify our lives and focus on what truly matters—God’s kingdom. We must guard against letting the pressures of life and the pursuit of wealth or status choke our spiritual growth.
Finally, a receptive heart means being proactive about living out what we hear God sharing with us.
4. The Receptive Heart (The Good Soil)
“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the Word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:20)
A proactive person doesn’t remain a victim, no matter what they may face. A proactive person doesn’t complain about something they are unwilling to do anything about! A Christ-follower follows Christ. We strive to become who He has created us to be by surrendering our past, present, future, regrets, mistakes, wicked choices, dreams, and hopes to Him.
When we live the way of Christ, we obey Christ.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see a connection between listening to God and doing what He says.
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21, NIV)
Only those who trust God obey Him. Obedience has negative connotations in our society but think of obeying God as being invited by someone to your surprise party. You don’t know why they are asking you to do what they are asking, but you know you can trust them. The result of obeying them (even though you don’t want to) is a fantastic party (even if it wasn’t totally a surprise).
God’s Love Language is trust, obedience.
Growth always requires change. When we take advantage of the discomforts and tests we face, we can make significant progress in our lives. As we take personal responsibility for our spiritual growth, we will be more engaged with God personally and more connected with others relationally.
When spiritual growth is only about you, you miss what God has for you. When you understand the need to be proactive in serving others with others, everything changes.
A receptive heart is one that is open, humble, and ready to act on God’s Word. To cultivate such a heart, we must approach Scripture with humility, seek to apply God’s truth daily, and remain responsive to His guidance. A fruitful life comes from being rooted in God’s Word and allowing it to shape every part of our lives. We become more like Jesus and help others find faith and become more like Jesus. We become those who help bring more of heaven to earth!
We can be a part of pursuing others with God’s love. We have the privilege of serving God as His messengers. We can share the life-changing message of Jesus with others so that their lives would be just as transformed as ours.
Jesus shares a remarkable spiritual principle:
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39, NIV)
When you and I seek the good of others, we are blessed.
You were created by God to be fruitful!
To be transformed and to help others be transformed!
Take personal responsibility and connect to community.
Our broken world needs you to become who God has created you to be!
