Examining Our Hearts

Mark 4:3-203 “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.”  "Thrive 2021"Are we thriving in the Lord bearing much fruit in our lives?  Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control." Examining our hearts: Four Types            1. The Path (v15)            2. The Rocky Places (vv.16-17)             3. The Thorns (v.18-19)           4. Good Soil (v.20)  Our Response:1.     We must throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. a.      Hebrews 12:1 let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 2.     We must humbly receive the word of God.a.     James 1:21  "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." 3.     we must remain in the word through obedience.  a.      John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also 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.