KINGDOM LIVING: A Survey of the Soils

September 14, 2025

A SURVEY OF THE SOILS

Mark 4:1-20

 

 

Mark 4

INTRODUCTION:

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

 

 

 

Romans 7:4 (NIV) So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to… him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

 

 

 

John 15:16 (NIV)You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

 

Matthew 12:33 (NIV) “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit…”

 

John 15:4-5(NIV)Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…

 

John 15:1-2 (NIV)“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

 

 

 

 

John 10:27 (NIV)My sheep listen to my voice…

 

 

 

 

God wants to have a with you.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 4:9 (NIV)“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEXT:

Mark 4:1-20 (NIV) 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 parables¹² 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.

 

Highlight:

 

PRIMARY TERMS IN THIS PARABLE

 

·        GOOD

 

·        THE

 

James 1:21 (NIV)…humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you!

 

1 Peter 1:23 (NIV)For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

 

 

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 

 

·        THE

 

 

Mark 4:9 (NIV)Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

 

 

What does the Holy Spirit do?

– people of sin(John 16:8)

– people to truth(John 16:13)

– people to Christ(John 16:14)

– from the law of sin and death(Romans 8:2)

– people eternal life(Galatians 6:8)

– people into children of God(John 3:5-8)

 

 

 

 

FOUR AREA’S OF DEVELOPING MY HEART TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE:

 

1. DEVELOP AN HEART 

 

 

Mark 4:4 (NIV) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

 

 

 

Mark 4:13-15 (NIV)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.

 

 

 

 

What makes a heart hard?

 

·       

 

 

·        Sin

 

Mark 4:15 (NIV)Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

 

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 

 

·        Pride 

 

·         

 

·        Bitterness 

 

Hosea 10:12 (NIV)Break up your unplowed ground;for it is time to seek the Lord…

 

 

I must an open heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. DEVOTE TO LISTEN

 

 

Mark 4:5-6 (NIV)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.

 

 

 

 

Mark 4:16-17 (NIV) 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.

 

 

 

 

Luke 8:13 (ESV)They hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

 

 

 

 

3. REMOVE THE

 

 

Mark 4:7 (NIV)Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. (NET) Other seed fell among the weeds and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.

 

 

 

Mark 4:18-19 (NIV)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. 

 

 

 

Three Weeds are described here.

 

·        The Weed

 

Mark 4:19a (NIV)the worries of this life… come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 

 

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)Do not worry about to. morrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

John 14:1 (NIV)Do not let your hearts be troubled.

 

Proverbs 3:4-5 (NIV)Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight.

 

 

 

·        The Weed

 

Mark 4:19b (NIV)the deceitfulness of wealth… come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 

         

1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 

 

·        The Weed

 

 

Mark 4:19c (NIV)the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 

 

 

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Fatheris not in them.¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

 

 

 

 

2 Timothy 4:10(NIV)For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.

 

 

 

 

A is anything that distracts me from making time to be with God to hear His voice. 

 

 

are a sign of neglect. 

 

 

will choke the life out of you. 

 

 

come just by neglecting time with God. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. FOLLOW ON WHAT GOD SAYS

 

 

Mark 4:8 (NIV) “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

 

 

 

God to people who are going to do what He tells them to do once He tells them. 

 

 

 

Luke 8:15 (TEV)“The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.“ 

 

 

James 1:22 (NIV) tells us,“Don’t merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourself.  Do what it says.“

 

Mark 4:20 (NIV)“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.”

 

 

 

Matthew 7:17-20 (NIV)Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

 

 

 

 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control.

 

HOW CAN YOU HAVE A RECEPTIVE HEART?

 

·        it

 

 

Jeremiah 4:3 (ESV)For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: ”Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

 

 

·        Obey

 

James 1:22 (ESV)But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

 

 

·        Delight

 

Psalm 119:14-15 (ESV)In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

James 1:22 (KJV)“Be doers of the word, not hearers only.”  

 

 

 

 

PRAYER:

 

ALTAR:

 

WORSHIP:

 

 

 

 

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