TAKE A SOIL TEST
Read Matthew 13:1-9
“Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop:
some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.”
Matthew 13:8 (HCSB)
Jesus addressed a large crowd of people, telling a parable (an earthly
story with a heavenly meaning) to talk about a person’s heart. As the
farmer scattered seed, it fell along the path, on rocky ground, among
thorns, and on good soil. Jesus desires for His followers to have hearts
(soil) that yield a harvest.
What is the present condition of your heart? In Jesus’ parable, He talks
about four kinds of soil (hearts):
(1) A calloused heart. This person lacks spiritual and ministerial
expectations, goes through the motions, and relates to God with a
selfish agenda.
(2) A shallow heart. This person is often immature in the faith and
busy in ministry. It’s possible to be a mile wide and an inch deep.
(3) A distracted heart. This person battles the worries of life and
the deceitfulness of wealth.
(4) A productive heart. This person lives his or her life to fulfill
God’s mission. In order to plant a garden, the ground (soil), must
first be broken. If you desire to yield a spiritual harvest,
brokenness is often what God uses.
PRAYER:
Are you willing to be broken for God’s glory? What is currently breaking
your heart and spirit? What kind of soil are you?
IF YOU’RE READY FOR A SELF-EXAMINATION…
Christians must see their sinfulness the way God sees it…
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence
and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the
joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.”
Psalm 51:10-12
Preparation:
• Praise God for who He is
• Confess your sinfulness and need for cleansing
• Allow His Spirit to draw you near
Ask God to:
• Search through your life and reveal any sin
• Help you be honest with Him about your sin
• Fill you with a deep desire for holiness
• Help you hate the sin in your life
• Help you surrender sinful thoughts and practices
• Help you live more faithfully
• Restore any lost joy in your walk with Him
Thanksgiving:
• Thank God for hearing you
• Trust that God is at work to accomplish His will
