The Seed and the Soil: The Soil (Week 2)

What if the problem isn’t the seed… but the soil?

In Part 2 of The Seed and the Soil, we turn Jesus’ parable inward. The seed is good. The sower is generous. So why does the same message produce such different results?

In this message, we explore the four soils Jesus describes — the hardened path, the shallow rocky ground, the thorn-filled soil, and the good soil — not as labels for “other people,” but as a diagnostic for our own hearts. This isn’t a challenge to try harder or be better. It’s an invitation to be honest about what’s happening beneath the surface.

We’ll unpack the cultural context of Jesus’ teaching, what ancient farming reveals about spiritual formation, and why growth doesn’t always mean fruit. Along the way, we’ll discover that good soil isn’t perfect soil — it’s tended soil.

If you’ve ever wondered why faith sometimes feels stalled, crowded, or short-lived, this message offers clarity, hope, and a way forward. God is still sowing. The question is: what kind of soil are we becoming?