Sunday, March 15 – Pastor Dereck Frymier

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Same Seed, Different Soil 

(Mark 4:2-9) 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.” 

(2 Timothy 3:16-17) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

(Psalm 119:89) Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 

(Proverbs 4:23) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

What we allow in our hearts will become the fruit of our lives. 

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

1. The hardened heart 

The remedy for a hardened heart: repentance 

(Ezekiel 36:26-27) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 

2. The shallow heart

(Mark 4:5-6) 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 

The remedy for a shallow heart is: discipleship 

3. The crowded heart

(Mark 4:18-19) 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. 

The remedy for a crowded heart: serving 

(Mark 10:45) For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

4. The fertile heart

(Mark 4:20) the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

The quality of your heart determines the quality of your harvest. 

(Psalm 51:10) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

(Jeremiah 17:7-8) “blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 

(Psalm 1:2-3) Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you today?

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