SOILS OF THE SOWER- MARK 4:3-20


  1. Read passage & identify each soil type.
    1. Wayside- Satan immediately snatches the word from the heart of the hearer
    2. Stony- Word received with gladness, but persecution causes a falling away
    3. Thorny- Word received and plant grows, but is choked by the deceitfulness of riches
    4. Good ground- Word received and plant bears much fruit


  2. Biblical examples of each soil type.
    1. Wayside-
      1. The unbelievers present at the resurrection of Lazarus- John 11
      2. Those who did not gladly receive Peter's words- Acts 2:41
      3. Those who stoned Stephen- Acts 7:51-60
    2. Stony-
      1. Simon the Sorcerer- Acts 8:9-25
        1. Believed and was baptized (vs 13). He continued with Philip beholding the signs/wonders being done.
        2. Sprang up b/c of the signs, but the signs became a stumblingblock. (Enamored with magic- vv. 18-19)
    3. Thorny- Judas Iscariot
      1. An apostle of Jesus with all pertaining power & privileges: Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 1:17
      2. Sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver: Matthew 26:14-16
      3. Judas in retrospect: Anointing of Jesus by Mary. "Why wasn't this sold and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the apostles' money purse and stole from it- John 12:1-6
    4. Good ground- Most notable examples:
      1. Acts 2:41 day of Pentecost
      2. Acts 8:5-40: the Samaritans & the Eunuch
      3. Acts 10: Cornelius


  3. Other considerations
    1. Soil can be manipulated to become more receptive to the seed. Manipulate: "to manage or utilize skillfully"- Webster's 9th Collegiate
      1. A farmer manipulates his land by tillage or irrigation practices, crop rotation, and/or through the use of herbicides and fertilizer.
      2. Human hearts can be manipulated by life experiences or the example of others:
        1. Naaman- II Kings 5
        2. Saul- Acts 7:58, 8:1. . . I Corinthians 9:1 from persecutor to apostle
        3. Christians w/ unbelieving spouses: I Corinthians 7:13-14; I Peter 3:1
    2. The Nature of Soil
      1. The very nature of soil is a desire to produce fruit, whether that fruit be good or bad.
      2. Soil void of any seed will (in most cases) produce whatever seed comes in contact 1st.
        1. worldly seed generally arrives before godly seed. . . Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4
        2. we must weed out the bad in order to introduce the good- a continual process
    3. Most Christians believe themselves to be fertile soil. Truth is, there are probably more in the thorny soil category than in the fertile one
      1. In this parable, the plant does not die; it only becomes unfruitful b/c of the deceitfulness of riches: Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14
      2. Are we a people pre-occupied with riches and personal pleasures?
      3. We must tend to our own soil before we can tend to other's. Matthew 7:1-5