Jesus calls us to drink from the living water that He offers when we do, we need never be thirsty again (John 4:14). As a result, we fall when tempted or fail when tested. When we neglect to consistently drink from God’s Word, we start to wither away like the seed thrown on the rocks (Luke 8:13). What advice or admonishment from community are you dragging your feet on? Is there anything you are intentionally avoiding? Any sin in your life you are justifying? Take an honest look at what truths are being spoken into your life that you are refusing to believe. Your reaction to this truth could be hostile or apathetic you either reject the truth or just ignore it long enough that the “birds” come and take it away. Like the seed thrown on the path (Luke 8:12), there may be some aspect of God’s truth in your life that is being trampled or snatched up before it can take root. By recognizing the current condition of our own hearts, we can each identify where we need to take ground and determine how to improve our “soil.”īased on the four soils, here are four questions you can use to examine your own heart: In a way, I’ve probably lived through all four types myself at different times in my life-sometimes more than one type at once. ![]() Jesus lists four types of soil in Luke 8, listing four different ways in people can respond. And that means Jesus’s parable is relevant to all believers, all of the time. The condition of your heart today will determine how you respond to God’s truth today. While we usually think about this parable as only relating to a person’s initial response to the gospel, it really applies to our whole lives. The parable shows us that different hearts will have different responses to the Word of God. In Luke 8:4-15, Jesus compares the state of a person’s heart to the condition of soil in a field. If your heart is in the right place, your life will be on the right course. If your heart is not well, it will be displayed in your actions. Your heart drives everything you do (Proverbs 4:23). The apostle Paul urged the Philippian believers to follow the example Jesus set, He writes: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).God’s Word has a whole lot to say about our hearts, and for good reason. They must imitate Jesus' righteous life of service. ![]() In other words, Jesus' followers must take the same path through life that Jesus took. He said, "If anyone serves me, he must follow me" (John 12:26). ![]() In the New Testament we read Jesus' command to His disciples to follow Him. Tragically, Solomon himself was tempted into sin by intimate relationships (1 Kings 11:4). The need for careful observation is directly tied to Solomon's warning about sexual sin (Proverbs 23:27), which begins with a term meaning "because" or "since," most often translated as "for." The importance of this advice-to "look" at a godly lifestyle-counters the way sexual temptation often begins with one's eyes (Proverbs 6:25 Matthew 5:28). To do that, the son would need to carefully notice how Solomon lived this is the meaning of the phrase about his eyes. Solomon wanted his son to lead a godly lifestyle like his own. This appeal is a call for Solomon's son to pattern his ethics after those of his father.
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