29 Days of Assurance
JESUS TOLD A STORY – AND IT’S ABOUT YOU
Subtitle: The Four Soils
Matthew 13:1-9
Series intro: January always provides a convenient reset for us. It’s the perfect time for a faith tune-up. For the next 5 Sundays we will examine the parable that Jesus said was the key to unlocking many other of His parables. For 29 we will investigate our own hearts to see if Jesus is there. Has the seed of the gospel entered the soil of our hearts and produced the fruit of faith?
Intro: Let me tell you a story Jesus told…If He were standing in DeSoto County today, I think He'd start something like this: A man wanted a better yard. So he went down to Home Depot, got the good stuff—Scotts Turf Builder, $19.97 a bag—and came home ready to work. He wasn't lazy. He wasn't careless. He just had four very different spots on his property to work on.
First, he tossed some seed along the gravel driveway.
And you know what happened? Before he even got back to the garage, the birds showed up like it was Sunday brunch. They snatched every seed off that gravel. Not a root. Not a seedling. Not even a weed. Not a chance. Nothing ever came of it.
That ground was too hard. Too packed down. Nothing was going to grow there.
Second, he threw seed on a patch of thin dirt—just a little bit of soil sitting on top of some Mississippi clay.
And wouldn't you know it—at first, it looked amazing. Little green shoots popped up like, "This will be the summer I finally have a real lawn!"
But the roots never went deep. There was rock underneath the patch of dirt. When that blazing July sun showed up the next afternoon ... scorched. Cooked. Gone. What looked like new growth disappeared in a day.
Third, he tried a patch behind the shed. Now, this area always had a weed problem.
Thorns, crabgrass, dandelions ... it was like a botanical riot back there. But he threw seed there anyway. And something sprouted—but it never had a chance. The weeds grew faster. The weeds grew bigger. And they choked the life out of every single blade of grass.
Finally, he tossed the seed on the part of the yard he had already prepared.
He had cleared it. Tilled it. Watered it. Fenced the dog off. He even asked the Lord to help him grow something green.
And friend—that patch took off. Thick. Lush. Strong. It was a before-and-after photo waiting to happen.
Some spots were ten times better than before. Some were thirty. Some sixty. And some blew his mind—a hundred times the return on what he scattered.
Then Jesus looked at the crowd—and He looks at us today—and says: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
In other words: "You've got the story ... now ask yourself: which soil am I?"
You see, this wasn't just a farming lesson. This was a heart test. Jesus wasn’t targeting soil—He's targeting souls.
And every single person—me, you, your teenager, that grumpy neighbor, your irritating uncle—every one of us is one of those four soils.
So ... which one are you?
Jesus makes it clear: the seed is the same in every case. It's the Word of God. It's good. It's powerful. It's life-giving.
Which means: the difference in outcomes has everything to do with the condition of the heart.
Hebrews 4:2 "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."
Charles Spurgeon – The same sun which melts the wax hardens the clay. And the same gospel which melts some to repentance hardens others in their sin.
OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR SOILS
- The Path - The Hard Heart
Matt 13:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Some hearts are so trampled by sin and cynicism that truth can't even find a crack. It sits on the surface and gets snatched by the enemy before it ever sinks in.
A concrete sidewalk doesn’t need to hate the seed—it just needs to remain intact and hardened. That’s all it takes to stay fruitless.
This is the person who hears the word, but it doesn't even sink in. It bounces off like birdseed on concrete. The enemy snatches it before it ever gets planted.
Zech 7:12 "Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent..."
2 Cor 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers."
This is the spiritually disengaged—apathetic, maybe even cynical. They might say, "I went to church once; it didn't do anything for me."
- The Rocks - The Shallow Heart
Matt 13:5-6 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
This one starts fast. There's excitement. Emotion. A powerful moment. But there's no root. When life gets hard—when faith costs something—they're gone.
People can and do have spiritual experiences that are powerful but ultimately temporary.
God is less interested in how fast you run at the beginning than whether you finish the race.
Luke 9:62 "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
John 8:31 "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."
Believers stay. They remain. They abide.
There’s a word here for parents who are trusting in a “rite of passage” for their young children. Magic prayers don’t last.
- The Thorns - The Crowded Heart
Matt 13:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
This one is so close. They believe. They care. But life is full of other things. Worries. Deadlines. Kids' soccer schedules. Mortgage payments. Promotions. Vacations. Wealth's empty promises.
Jesus is in their life ... but not at the center. And the seed never bears fruit.
Matt 6:24 "You cannot serve God and mammon."
Jesus gives a perfect example of this in Luke 14:18-20, where people were invited to a great banquet.
One said, "I bought a field" (property card). Another, "I bought five yoke of oxen" (work card). Another said, "I just got married" (family card).
Each excuse sounds valid, even reasonable. But every one of them put worldly concerns ahead of the invitation of the King. They didn’t believe. They were too busy. And their busyness was opposition to God. That was enough to miss everything.
“If you want to know what threatens your walk with Jesus most, look not at what you're afraid of—but at what you daydream about.”
- The Good Soil - The Soft, Ready Heart
Matt 13:8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
This is the person who hears, understands, and lets the word sink deep. It changes them. There is fruit—real, visible, lasting transformation.
Matt 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits."
Col 1:6 "...the gospel... is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth."
Craig Keener – “Only the fourth soil produces fruit—because only the fourth heart truly understands."
They are not perfect, but they are growing. And the harvest multiplies.
Fruit is the evidence of life. No fruit means death took over.
Also, fruit doesn’t lie. It’s not emotional. It’s not circumstantial. It’s the quiet testimony of a transformed life.
TO REFLECT ON: Jesus' words were not meant to confuse you. They were meant to invite you.
2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves."
He wants you to have assurance. But not a false one. He wants to give you a faith that takes root, stands strong, and produces fruit.
This story isn't about the seed. It's about the soil.
So which soil are you?
And if you find yourself in the first three, are you willing to let God break up the ground? He can. He wants to. He will—if you ask Him.
If you recognize yourself in the first three soils, don’t despair. Jesus tells this story not to shame you—but to save you.
The seed can still take root. The soil can still change. The Gardener is ready. The shovel is in His hand.
Vance Havner – God is still in the business of plowing up hard hearts, pulling up shallow roots, and clearing out thorny lives.
Over the next four weeks, we're going to zoom in on each soil one at a time.
We're going to get real about false conversion, spiritual drift, and what it means to have assurance that you truly belong to Jesus.
Because this story Jesus told? It really is about you. And if you'll let Him ... He'll turn even the hardest ground into a garden of grace.
---- Transcription -----
Find Matthew 13 in your Bibles, Matthew 13 in your Bibles.
We're going to start a new series today. For the next five weeks, Matthew 13 is where we'll be. Before I start, I want to tell you what my word for the year is. Some leaders and mentors for me challenged me to get a word from the Lord for me to emphasize and think about through the year. My word this year.
Last year it was steadfast.
This year is evangelize. The Lord's burdened me that I'm to share an example to the flock of what it means to be a daily and weekly witness, presenting the gospel to sinners and compelling them to believe. And so Proverbs 11:30 says, he who wins souls is wise. Acts, chapter 2, verse 47. The Bible says, and the Lord added to their number daily those who are being saved.
I want to see some daily salvations. Yes, I want to splash this floor with baptism waters. And I want to be a leader to you in how to evangelize. So if you're going to pray for your pastor, pray that word for, for me that I'll evangelize and think about it every day. So we begin a new year, a new series today.
I love January. I love January and August because you get two resets a year when the new year calendar turns over, when the kids go back to school. It's just the perfect time to reset. And so 29 days of assurance starting today. For the next 29 days, I'm going to urge our church to examine ourselves and to see if we have true saving faith, to see if we have the new birth, if our confession meets and connects with what's really in our hearts.
Are you truly a believer? Are you God's friend? Do you hear his voice? Do you know him in a real way? Or are you just going through the ritual Religious motions.
And God's going to call you out of that in the next 29 days. And so Matthew 13:1:9, the parable of the four soils, is going to be our examination, our emphasis for the next 29 days. Verses 1 through 9, read this. On the same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea, and great multitudes were gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Now, if we really want to be biblical, I sit down, all of you stand up while I talk.
According to these verses. Then he spoke many things to them in parable, saying, behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away, And the thorns sprang up and choked them.
But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some 60, and some 30. He who has ears to hear, let him hear the word of the Lord.
Jesus told a story, and we just read it, and it's about you. January always provides a convenient reset for us. It's a perfect time for a faith tune up. So for the next five Sundays, we're going to examine the parable that Jesus said elsewhere was the key to unlocking the understanding of many of the other parables he will say about this parable. You don't understand this one.
How will you understand any them? And so for 29 days, we're going to investigate our own hearts to see if Jesus is there, has the seed of the gospel, entered the soil of our hearts and produced the fruit of faith. Now let me tell you a story that Jesus told. If he were standing here in Desoto County, Mississippi, today, I think he'd start something like this. A man wanted a better yard.
He wanted a greener lawn. So he went down to Home Depot and he got the good stuff. Something like Scott's Turf Builder, 1997, a bag. And he came home ready to go to work. He wasn't lazy.
Neither was he careless. He just had four very different spots on his property that he needed to work on first. He tossed some seed along the gravel driveway. And you know what happened? Before he even got back to the garage, the birds showed up like it was some kind of Sunday brunch.
And they snatched every seed off that gravel. Not a root, not a seedling, not even a weed. Not a chance. Nothing ever came of it because the ground was too hard, it was too packed down. Nothing was going to grow there.
Second place, he threw seed on a patch of thin dirt. Just a little bit of soil sitting on top of some Mississippi clay. And wouldn't you know it, at first it looked amazing. Little green shoots popped up like, you know what? This is the summer I'm finally going to have a real lawn.
There was rock like clay underneath that patch of dirt. And when the blazing July sun showed up the next afternoon, scorched, cooked, gone. What looked like new growth disappeared in a distance. Day the third place he tried, a patch behind the shed. Now, this area always has a weed problem.
Thorns and crabgrass and dandelions and all the stuff that Kyle Brigance kills. In my yard, it was like some kind of botanical protest behind the ship shed. But he threw the seed anyway, and something sprouted. But it never had a chance because the weeds grew faster and the weeds grew bigger and they choked the life out of every single blade of grass that sprouted.
Well, finally, the fourth spot spot. He tossed the seed on the part of the yard that he had already spent some time preparing. He had cleared it, he had tilled it, he had watered it, he had fenced the dog off. He even prayed, asking the Lord to make something green grow there. And wouldn't you know it, that patch took off thick and lush and strong.
And it was one of those before and after photos waiting to happen.
Some spots were 10 times better than before. Some were 30, some were 60. And some blew his mind a hundred times. The return on the seed that he scattered.
And then Jesus looked at the crowd and he looks at us today in this room, and he says, the ones who have ears to hear, let them hear. In other words, you now have the story. Ask yourself, which soil am I?
You see, this wasn't just a farming lesson. It wasn't just a lawn work lesson. This was a heart test. Jesus wasn't targeting soil. He was targeting souls.
And every single person. Me and you and your teenager and that grumpy neighbor you have and the irritating uncle that was here at Christmas time. Every one of us. Us is one of those four soils.
So which one are you? The Lord Jesus makes it clear the seed is the same in every case. It changes not. It's the word of God. It's the gospel.
It's good, it's powerful. It's life giving. Which means the difference in outcomes has Everything to do with the condition of the heart.
Here's a verse, Hebrews 4:2.
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Did you know that you can waste sermons, you can waste your time in this room, you can hear the word and it be of no profit to you because if it doesn't get mixed with your faith, it won't get into your heart. Charles Spurgeon once said, the same sun which melts the wax hardens the clay. And the same gospel which melts some to repentance, hardens others in their sin.
Well, today's message is just an overview.
So let me give you an overview of these four soils for all you note takers. Here's some stuff to write.
By the way, let me tell you something. When guests come in and they visit our church, they've already seen us on the Internet. That's the way it goes these days. They go to your website and they click on everything and they see most of the time. But when they get in this room and we get to this point of the service and a hundred heads go down writing stuff that they think I need to go back and look at later because I want to know God's word.
Every time you do that, you preach the gospel in a very important way. You say God is worth remembering. And so I want to bless the note takers today and I don't want to guilt trip the non note takers. All right, we're good. You're just not going to be close to the throne in heaven.
Let the other winds will be fine. I'm kidding. All right, number one, the path, the wayside is the hard heart. Matthew 13:4. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them.
Did you know that some hearts are so trampled by sin and so filled with cynicism that the truth can't even find a crack? It sits on the surface and it gets snatched by the enemy before it ever sinks in. A concrete sidewalk doesn't need to hate the seed. It just needs to remain intact and hardened. And that's all it takes to stay fruitfulness, to stay fruitless.
This is the person who hears the word, but it doesn't even sink in. They might even go to church. It bounces off like bird seed on concrete. The enemy snatches it before it can get planted.
I'm opening up January quoting a verse from Zechariah to you. Are you impressed? Zechariah, chapter 7, verse 12. Yes. They made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent.
You get to choose every time you gather with the saints, whether you're going to say to God, God, say to me whatever I need to hear, and let me receive it or not today, God, I'll do it myself.
Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 4, parallels this. The God, little G, the God of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. The God of this age is that serpent of old, the enemy of your soul. Satan. The devil.
Devil. And the harder your heart stays, the more power he has in your life. He blinds you and you serve him whether you want to or not. It's the hard heart. It's the seed on the path.
This is the spiritually disengaged. They're the ones that couldn't care less about God. They're living their own lives, and as far as they're concerned, they make good enough lords themselves. They're probably cynical. They might say this, well, I went to church once.
It didn't do anything for me.
The path. Hard, hard heart number two. The rocks represent the shallow heart.
Verses 5 and 6 of Matthew 13. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. I'm going to go ahead and tell you a secret I'm probably not supposed to say out loud. When we talk to people, interview new prospective members, we go through the the parable of the four soils.
We talk to people about the gospel. We don't care if you went to seminary and a pastor to church for 30 years. We're going to talk to you about the gospel, make sure that you have a good confession of faith. And when we ask people about the parable of the soils and we say, which soil are you? Often people will say, well, I'm a combination of soils 2 and 3.
I'm a combo. I got a both. And they're probably right. And this is why we're calling this 29 days of assurance. If you find yourself in soil two or three, you already know soil number one.
Those are the unbelievers couldn't care less about church, hostile to God. It's 2 and 3 that can be very deceiving. So I want you to pay very close attention. Pastor, are you Trying to get me to doubt my salvation? No, I'm trying to get you to doubt a false conversion if you've had one.
There's a difference. And I just keeps me up at night thinking that some people could actually go to hell and end up in judgment from these gray chairs in here. So I'm starting out the year, going, hey, I'm coming for your soul. Not taking your confession for granted. Not taking mine for granted.
Let's examine ourselves and see if we're in the faith. Let's make sure we pass the test. What could it hurt? Alright, soil two and three. Here's number two, the rocks, the shallow heart.
This one starts fast and there's excitement, there's an emotional response, there's a powerful moment. You can even remember it, but there's no root.
You know, it usually only takes about 90 days after this soil happens, about 90 days after that kind of baptism. It's enough time for the enemy to lay the traps for you and have the world pull on you. Magnetized. And if you've had this kind of soil, you'll want to go back to Egypt like the Israelites did. It just takes a little time, it doesn't take much.
And you look up, 90 days later, you're living the same life that you lived before. You're back to, that's this soil. It might be you. When life gets hard and when faith costs something, they're gone.
Listen to me. People can and people do have spiritual experiences that are powerful, but they're ultimately temporary.
You see, God is less interested in how fast you run at the beginning than whether or not you finish the race. The Apostle Paul said, I've finished the race, I've kept the faith, I've finished the course. You know, the deal. He didn't say, look at how awesome I was at the beginning. He said, look at where Jesus got me to the end.
Matthew 24:13. Those who persevere to the end, those who endure to the end, those are the ones who will be saved.
And the shallow heart speaks to this. You know, Jesus said in Luke 9:62, no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Look, if you said yes to Jesus and you looked up and you're like, but man, I really love my old life. Can I have them both? Not in the kingdom.
You see, look, I want to tell you what I don't believe. I don't believe. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Is for after salvation. I think it's what you're supposed to think about before you say you want Jesus.
You count the cost first.
Otherwise you'll put your hand in the plow and look back and you'll be so deceived and so confused, you'll have no assurance. You'll be afraid every time something happens in your life or somebody dies. And if that's you, the Spirit of God, the Master Evangelist is taking the word of God today, shining a mirror in front of you, and he's saying, you need to get your heart right and get this nailed down once and for all. You need to be born from above and you need to have the real thing.
The Holy Spirit doesn't have to twist the arms of true believers to follow Jesus. It's not like, well, most of you aren't going to do it. He's got to come get you and reconvince you. I heard David Wilkerson say, I thought I was the only one who didn't believe in follow up.
Know what that means? It means that you shouldn't have any assurance of your salvation if all it got you was sitting in church a few times a year. A baptism and some guilt every now and then.
When Jesus saves a man or a woman, he's really good at it.
My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. John 10:27 Another thing the Lord says in John 8:31, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. What you may not know is that's the thing Jesus said right before he said something that the whole world can quote and you will know the truth and the truth will will set you free. Truth doesn't set anybody free who's not his disciple.
Indeed, there were no chapter and verse divisions when John wrote his Gospel. That's the same thought. Am I right? Abide means to remain believers stay. They remain.
They. They abide. And let me just give a. Since I'm doing it, let me give a warning word for parents here. There's a word here for parents who are trusting in some kind of rite of passage.
Typically got to get my kid baptized for their young children so that the parents can be relieved, not the children be saved. It's for the parents conscience. Look, I want you to know that when we baptized a child, it wasn't because your pastor said we should have. It's because that child's parents said, I see evidence of grace in my child's life. I don't believe in infant baptism.
Say amen. I don't believe in Toddler Baptism. Say amen. I don't believe in baptisms of children who have no idea what life's about. I believe in believers.
Baptism, you have to be old enough, and it's different for people to know right from wrong and to have sorrow over your own sin. I started out in ministry as a children's pastor, and I learned real quick, everyone of them want to go to heaven. All you gotta do, hey, raise your hand if you want to go to heaven. Raise. Raise their hand.
Ask the kids. Raise your hand if you want to go to heaven. Now just repeat this prayer after me. They'll repeat anything I say say, and then it is ministry malpractice. So then tell that child, well, now you're a child of God.
You're going to heaven. The Holy Spirit doesn't need my help. He says we compel men to come in, but all that the Father draws to me will come to me. Yes. John 6:44.
So be careful here. Be careful that you don't take rocky soil and just push it on your child's heart. It matters. Magic prayers don't last. Number three.
The third soil is the thorns. It represents the crowd at heart.
Matthew 13:7. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. I'm just kind of getting this idea right now as I read that verse.
If you have this heart, the crowded heart, the thorns do more work than you do. They spring up.
They're the ones that are active. This one is so close.
If you have this heart, you're not far from the kingdom. They believe, they care, but their life is full of other things. Worries and deadlines and tournaments and kids. Soccer schedules and mortgage payments and promotions and dream vacations and wealth. Empty promises.
Jesus is in their life, but not at the center.
And that seed never bears fruit.
Jesus said it pretty simply in the sermon on the mount. Matthew 6:24. You cannot serve God and mammon.
God's not your co pilot. God's not anybody's co captain. He sits alone in the driver's seat.
Jesus gives us a perfect example of this in Luke 14:18 20. We're not going to read it. I preached on it a bunch where people were invited to a great banquet. Let me take the important part, the pertinent part from that parable, and put it in this one for us right now. They were invited to the king's banquet, and three of them had excuses.
You remember this? The first one said, look, I bought a field.
I got to go look at it, so I can't Come.
Who buys real estate sight unseen and waits for the invitation to the most important party in town and says, probably a good time for me to go look at the land I bought. No one does that. That's ridiculous. And was part of Jesus story. But I want you to know that's the property card.
I can't come to the king's banquet. I bought something. It's very expensive, it's substantial. I've got to go tend to it. Play the property card on the invitation.
The second person said, I bought five yoke of oxen and I need to go exercise and try them out. By the way, this was near the end of the day. At night, it's the work card. I can't come to the king's banquet. It's my career.
It's my job. You wouldn't ask me to put my job at risk for the king's banquet, would you? I gotta go deal with my livestock at night at a time when no one ever deals with their livestock stock. It's the work card. Property card.
Work card. You think those are good reasons? The third one is the trump card. Another said, I just got married and literally the text says, and I can't come. She won't let me.
He plays the one that I hear all the time. My staff hears all the time. It's the family card. You wouldn't ask me to alter my schedule and deprive my family of me sitting in my living room scrolling my phone to come to this banquet, would you? Family card.
Each excuse sounds valid, doesn't it? We've all used them. They all sound reasonable. But every one of them put worldly concerns ahead of the invitation of the King. These are weeds that are choking out your spiritual life.
They didn't believe this heart. They were too busy. And their busyness was infected fact, opposition to God.
And that was enough to miss everything someone has said. If you want to know what threatens your walk with Jesus most, look not at what you're afraid of, but at what you daydream about.
Some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
Number four is the good soil. The Lord Jesus saves the best for last. It's the soft, ready heart. Matthew 13:8.
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30. Friends, this is the person who hears and understands and lets the word sink deeply. And it changes them.
And there's fruit. Real, tangible, visible, lasting change.
And Jesus made it easy for us. Matthew 7, 6, 16. You'll know them by their Fruits, not their confessions by the evidence. Colossians 1:6. The gospel is bringing forth fruit as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
One of my favorite Bible scholars is Craig Keener. And on this he comments. Hence, only the fourth soil produces fruit, because only the fourth heart truly understands.
Are they perfect, the ones with this heart? Of course not. But they're growing and they're different and they're not what they were.
And the harvest multiplies. Listen to me. Is the evidence of eternal life? No. Fruit means that death took over.
Also, fruit doesn't lie. It's not emotional. Neither is it circumstantial.
It's the quiet testimony of a transformed life. Life. Do you have one of those?
I want you to reflect on this. Jesus. Words in this parable were not meant to confuse us. They're meant to invite us.
I've quoted this twice already, just out of habit. 2nd Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. 29 days of this, friends.
Well, I'm already tired of it. Well, 29 days from now, we'll start something different. But there are people around you that aren't.
There's going to be some that come into the kingdom because of the teaching of the Word of God. I hope you'll pray with me about that. Because God wants you to have assurance of his salvation in you. We should stop saying my salvation because you don't have a supply of it. And God generates it and he gives it.
And David said. David prayed. Take not your Holy Spirit from me. Remember this and restore to me the joy of have thy your salvation, not mine. This is a God thing.
Salvation's of the Lord. Yes.
In First John 5:13, a verse I learned early on in my Christian walk. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Do you know that's different from I think I do.
I want you to know because God wanted you to know first. He wants you to have assurance, but not a false assurance. He wants to give you a faith that takes root, a faith that stands strong, a faith that produces fruit.
See, the story is not about the seed. It's about the soil. So which soil are you?
And if you find yourself in the first three soils, are you willing to let God break up the fallow ground in your life and in your heart? Because he can. And he wants to. He can make you desire him. And the things of him.
Even right now, it's the last thing on your heart. He can flip that switch in you. You have to take one step of faith toward him to do it.
He can. He wants to. He will. If you ask him if you recognize yourself in the first three soils, don't despair.
Jesus tells this story not to shame you. He tells it to save you. The seed can still take root. It's not too late. The soil can still change.
The gardener is ready. Yes. And the shovel's in his hand.
I don't know a more quotable preacher from the Southern Baptist world, maybe Adrian Rogers, but Vance Havner was quoted by Adrian all the time. God is still in the business of plowing up hard hearts, pulling up shallow roots, and clearing out thorny lives.
So over the next four weeks, listen, we're going to zoom in on each soil one at a time. We're going to get real about false conversion, and we're going to get honest about spiritual drift and what it means to have assurance that you truly belong to Jesus. You're not too young and you're not too old, because this story that Jesus told, it really is about you. And if you'll let him, he'll even turn the hardest ground into a garden of grace. I can't wait to watch him do it.
Let's bow for prayer together. Today, our prayer ministry team will come to the front.
Father, my prayer for this series is that every member of Great Commission Church will, at the end, have assurance and confidence in their conversion.
And that you'll give new life to those who find themselves in soils numbers 1, 2, and 3. And that you won't let the enemy steal this seed anymore. Father, save souls. Amen. Now, before you leave today, there is a ministry card in your seat.
And some of you been asking how you can get connected to our church. Easiest way is when you fill out this card where it says in the middle of the front page, what's next for me? Help me find a small group. Best time in the world to sign up for one of our adult small groups is right now. Put your name, phone number, email address on there.
And Mark, help me find a small group. Me and my wife will get on that today and tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going to be here Wednesday opening up small groups together in this room. I'm ready to trust Jesus or rediscover my faith. That's going to be a big one this month.
As we talk about assurance. Mark, that box. I want to be baptized. Some of you have believed your life's different. And now, you know, I've got to go public with that, put on the team jersey and identify with Jesus.
Maybe you're curious about membership. You are between churches or you don't have one. And in case there's a long line of pastors lined up at your front door banging it down, saying, come be a part of my church. If there is, will you let me go to the front of the line? Because we want you.
If you want us curious about membership, then you can talk about wanting to join a team, too. Mark those boxes and we'll get you ministry together with us. Let's stand together today after we adjourn, our prayer lines are going to be open, open. Pastor, I don't know exactly what I should get somebody to pray for me for today. Perfect.
Come down, pick a team and say, look, pray for me. Whatever the Lord speaks to your heart about me being prayed for today. Watch the power of God in your life or you've got some kind of physical need healing or salvation or whatever. Come let our trained prayer ministry partners pray with you. They are dying to pray with you.
I guarantee you that. Love you guys. See you Wednesday. Walk with God this week. We're dismissed.
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Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience. Great Commission Church is a family-friendly church in Olive Branch, MS. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.
We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.
At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.
Great Commission Church is a non-denominational, family-friendly Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia. Great Commission Church is conveniently located, making it easy to find and attend. Many people have even called it their go-to “church near me” or the "Church nearby" because of how accessible it is and how quickly it feels like home.
See you Sunday at Great Commission Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi!
