Good Soil

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4 Types of Soil

– Path Soil- Lacking Understanding
– Rocky Soil- Lacking the depth to persevere
– Thorny Soil- Too distracted to bear good fruit
– Good Soil- Bears good fruit

Important Distinction- Believing in Jesus is NOT the same thing as bearing good fruit.

What does it mean to “bear good fruit?”

Fruit=Impact

Excerpt from Crazy Love by Francis Chan

In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that the seed is the truth (the word of God). When the seed is flung onto the path it is heard but quickly stolen away. When the seed is tossed onto the rocks, no roots take hold; there is an appearance of depth and growth because of the good soil, but it is only surface level. When the seed is spread among the thorns, it is received but soon sufficated by life’s worries, riches and pleasures. But when the seed is sown in good soil, it grows, takes root and produces fruit.

My caution to you is this: Do not assume you are good soil.

I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions or commitments are piled on top of it. Most of us, have too much in our lives. As David Goetz writes, “Too much of the good life ends up being toxic deforming us spiritually.” A lot of things are good by themselves but all of it together keeps us from living healthy, fruitful lives for God.

I will say it again: Do not assume you are good soil.

There’s hope- we can become better soil.

How Do We Become Better Soil?

1. Reinforce our understanding of the truth of the gospel.
2. Continuously pursue depth in our relationship with Jesus.
3. Strive to ACTUALLY put Jesus first.

Critical Mass in Today’s Church

What if we started small and redefined normal in our small lives and in our small church?

What if this was our “normal?”

A church where people

– Truly understand the sacrificial love of the Gospel
– Experience deep, intimate relationship with Jesus
– Refuse to allow the things of this world to distract from the cause of Christ.