THE HARD HEARTED
“This is what the story means: The seed is God's message, and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so they will not believe and be saved.”
Luke 8:11-12
In the parable of the sower, Jesus likened the condition of the human heart to four different types of soil. Each type of soil determined whether a scattered seed was able to be deeply rooted and produce fruit for a farmer. One of the things that we learn from this parable is that not all hearts are the same. Not every heart is receptive to the good news. In fact, this may surprise you, but the parable demonstrates that most people do not have faith in God. Think about it, four types of soil were mentioned in the story, and only one produced fruit. Wow!
Jesus said that some of the seeds the farmer scattered fell along the road. These seeds that fell on the hard path were snatched by the devil, causing them not to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The road represents types of people who boldy reject Jesus, the church, and God. They embrace evil, have a spirit against God, and are antichrist. They are hard hearted!
Jesus is using this parable so that his followers will not be surprised in the last days. That is why Christians should not be shocked when people reject God’s message. Faith is always a matter of the heart. So, when you share the gospel with someone and they reject it, just know that you're not the problem. It's a heart issue and it is Satan snatching the Word from them. Jesus was speaking to us then, telling us how things will be until He returns. So be encouraged and keep spreading the message, even if people don’t listen!
Questions: Have you ever tried to share the gospel with someone, and they flat out rejected it? Does this parable help you understand why? Does the parable encourage you, now that Jesus has given you a heads up? What is really going on when you hear a message on Sunday or you read the Bible, and suddenly you forget what you read and heard?
Prayer: Lord, we don't want to have a heart that is hard like a road or a beaten path. We want a good heart that is full of faith and fertile for your seed. In Jesus’ name we pray for help, Amen.
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THE HARD HEARTED
“This is what the story means: The seed is God's message, and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so they will not believe and be saved.”
Luke 8:11-12
In the parable of the sower, Jesus likened the condition of the human heart to four different types of soil. Each type of soil determined whether a scattered seed was able to be deeply rooted and produce fruit for a farmer. One of the things that we learn from this parable is that not all hearts are the same. Not every heart is receptive to the good news. In fact, this may surprise you, but the parable demonstrates that most people do not have faith in God. Think about it, four types of soil were mentioned in the story, and only one produced fruit. Wow!
Jesus said that some of the seeds the farmer scattered fell along the road. These seeds that fell on the hard path were snatched by the devil, causing them not to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The road represents types of people who boldy reject Jesus, the church, and God. They embrace evil, have a spirit against God, and are antichrist. They are hard hearted!
Jesus is using this parable so that his followers will not be surprised in the last days. That is why Christians should not be shocked when people reject God’s message. Faith is always a matter of the heart. So, when you share the gospel with someone and they reject it, just know that you're not the problem. It's a heart issue and it is Satan snatching the Word from them. Jesus was speaking to us then, telling us how things will be until He returns. So be encouraged and keep spreading the message, even if people don’t listen!
Questions: Have you ever tried to share the gospel with someone, and they flat out rejected it? Does this parable help you understand why? Does the parable encourage you, now that Jesus has given you a heads up? What is really going on when you hear a message on Sunday or you read the Bible, and suddenly you forget what you read and heard?
Prayer: Lord, we don't want to have a heart that is hard like a road or a beaten path. We want a good heart that is full of faith and fertile for your seed. In Jesus’ name we pray for help, Amen.