Heart Check: Parable of the Soil

Series: Heart Check
Parable of the Soil by John Burke, May 4, 2008
1. In this message John talked about Jesus’ “parable of the soils” (see Bible passages below). He called it a “Heart check”. We’ll come back to that idea, but let’s start where John started. At the beginning of the message, John showed a video of someone trying to give away money at a street corner. Almost no one would take it. But we all like free stuff, right? So what’s up with that? You probably have some ideas about why people might not have taken the money. What do you think? (10 minutes)

2. There are different types of “check ups” we can get: Health, Heart, Car, Financial, etc.… and this one, Spiritual. Are you a “check-up” type of person… someone who makes a point of taking a look at “How things are going” in their life…. or not? What kinds of regular check-ups do you do? Most people are more likely to do the non-Spiritual sort. Why is that? Talk about that for a few minutes and then see whether anyone in the group has done some sort of “spiritual check-up”. What did that person (you?) do? If relevant, spend some time to describe different ways to check your spiritual location/progress. (10 minutes)

3. Jesus described four types of spiritual heart-soil: hard, shallow, weedy, and good. John gave some examples what each one of these “look like” in terms of real life. Use the group to extend each one: What sorts of life conditions make for each type of soil? What types spiritual lives do people with each type of soil have? Have you know anyone (no names) that seem to have that type of “soil”? Why do you think so? Take a few minutes to discuss each spiritual soil condition. (10 – 15 minutes)

4. At the end of the parable, Jesus said that people who plant His message in “good” soil, bear a LOT of fruit: thirty, sixty, a hundred times what was planted. As John said in the message, good soil produces a rich life with great ROI. So how to get good soil? Try to get an idea by looking a real soil. Any real gardeners (or ex-gardeners) in the group? What does it take to get a really good garden? Next, discuss any parallels between this and to gardening spiritual “fruit”? (10 minutes)

5. So what are some practical ways to get good spiritual soil? Let each person talk about things that have been most useful for them in building up their spiritual soil and garden. (10 minutes)

6. End up the discussion with time for a personal soil-check. What type of soil do you have? Are you building soil the way you want? Was there any point in the discussion that you heard God’s “voice”? Jesus said He is “Living Water”… that should help build a garden. Take some time to reflect on what you are “hearing”. Then point to some time in the next few days when you will continue the soil check, by starting something that will give you the soil you want – and ask Jesus’ help. (As He said in the passage below, if someone “turns” to Him, He will heal them. Are you willing to take that free gift from a really good gardener?) (5 minutes)

Bible passages from the Message:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

[Jesus] told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear." Matthew 13:3-9

Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When people hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 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. The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to people who hear the word and understand it. They produce a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:18-23

This is why I speak to them in parables…In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' Matthew 13:13-15

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