Four Types of Ground (3 of 4)

Have you ever heard the saying, "If you lay down with dogs, you'll most likely get up with fleas"? How about "It is hard to fly with eagles if you surround yourself with turkeys."? Well, as we turn our attention to the third type of ground in the parable of the "Sower and the Seed" from Matthew 13, the seed is impacted more by the "bad seed" planted in the ground than the ground itself. In other words, regardless of the ground you find yourself planted in, who you choose to align yourself with will have a tremendous impact on the life you live and the choices you make. 

 

"Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants." Matthew 13:7. In this third installation of our study of the four types of ground, it really doesn't matter about the quality of the seed, or the fertility of the soil, the fact that the "good" seed tucked in with the thorns which choked the good out of the young, tender plants. For me, the analogies above give a good description of what Jesus's parable was demonstrating. Basically, when you make the decision to serve God, you also have to decide who you are going to serve on a daily basis. I'm not saying you have to separate yourself from family or friends that you do life with each day, but I am saying you have to be strong in your faith and have a deep relationship with God, or you run the chance of falling into the "turkey's nest" of life.

 

For our third type of ground, the fact that thorns and fruit producing seeds can thrive in the same soil, drives home the point that as those who choose to serve God live their day to day life, it isn't a matter of disassociating oneself from the world, but instead nourishing your life with positive relationships and life building nutrients. Going to church in and of itself won't assure us that we will make it to Heaven one day, but if given the option of spending your days in a bar or in a small group studying the Word of God, the odds are the time spent reading, sharing, and learning more about the God we serve with fellow believers will produce a bountiful harvest one day. Not to say we need to separate ourselves from anyone, yet as we walk closer with God, we then are better equipped to help those that need our support. In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus tells His disciples, "... It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." We are called to be a witness to the world, we just have to be well grounded in our relationship with God so that the world doesn't choke out the "good" that God has planted in our hearts. 

 

The thorns of this life are real. Addictions, deceit, greed, lust, and pride are just a few examples of the seeds that can sprout up in our families, our marriages, or in the workplace and begin to choke out the good that God has planted in our hearts. Without the guidance of God's Word, His Holy Spirit, and faithful men and women serving God in our lives, the ground we live on and in can certainly make a difference and eventually choke out the good. Today, make the choice to distance yourself from the thorns attempting to take up residence in your life. The seeds in the parable had no choice where the sower scattered them, thank God, you have a choice. Choose God!

Coach Carter

 

 

 

Four Types of Ground (2 of 4)

 

"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." Matthew 13:5-6.

 

Last week we started a four-part series on the types of ground, not soil necessarily, and how Jesus used the types of ground in the parable of the sower and the seed. Last week's message centered around the hard path type of ground and how a contrite heart makes it hard to accept God's Word and His plans. This week we will be focusing on the rocky ground found in the verses above. 

 

The seeds that fell on rocky soil were able to take root, but when the temps rose and the skies dried up, the tender new plants shriveled up and withered away. People who fall into this category may have never developed a relationship with God before, but by whatever means they are introduced to God, the One and only true living God and a seed is planted. The euphoria of being introduced to the God who created the world and all things in it is indescribable, yet maintaining that mile-high feeling can be a challenge especially when adversity sprouts and your relationship moves from one based around feelings to one based on trust and faith. Just as seeds that fell among the rocks struggled to survive due to their root system being so shallow, those who do not have a deep-rooted faith may also struggle to stay the course and remain committed to God's plan for the life He gave us to live.  

 

Way too many people new in their faith find it hard to trust in a God they can't see. When things are going as planned it is easy to call yourself a believer because life is good and it doesn't take much effort to follow God. The problem is that life typically doesn't stay easy and when that happens we start wanting to blame someone for life's adversities and afflictions. Even folks that have followed after Christ for several years can find it hard to have faith when the temperatures rise and earthly conditions become hard to handle. Those that have developed a relationship with God know that God is real and that he is there with us. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1. Faith allows us to withstand and even thrive in the adversities of life. 

 

Regardless of where you are today in your relationship with God it is comforting to know that He is always there. It doesn't matter what we have done, or where we have been, God is there with us. You will understand that the deeper your roots go into the Word of God. The time you spend getting to know God and seeking out His will for the life you are living, the deeper your root system will go and the nutrients of faith and trust will nurture your soul and provide you the strength you will need to face whatever lies ahead! Get rooted in Christ!

Coach Carter

 

  

Four Types of Ground (1 of 4)

From an agricultural standpoint there are six recognized types of soil: sand, clay, silt, chalk, peat, and loam. Certain plants do better in certain soil types, and in many instances, there are seeds that just can't thrive in some soil types. Jesus shared a parable that sometimes get misinterpreted to be referencing types of soil, but actually, the parable of the sower and the seed is more about the type of ground on which the seed fell more than the soil type itself. 

 

 "Then he 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." Matthew 13:3-8. 

 

Over the next four weeks, we will be looking at each of the four types of ground Jesus referenced in the parable of the sower and the seed. Our goal will be to determine which type of ground / environment you are currently planted and how that may be impacting your life's purpose. Today, we will be looking at solid ground. In the parable Jesus describes the first ground as the path. Paths are created by heavy use and over time become compacted and hard. What chance does seed strewn on a solid surface have to grow? Zero. In the parable, the seed that landed on the solid ground ended up being nothing more than bird feed. Later in the same chapter Jesus explained that the seed that fell on the solid ground was like someone that hears the word of God, but turns away from it and doesn't try to apply it to his or her life. 

 

Are you that solid ground person? Do you feel like life has trampled over you time and time again, leaving you hard and bitter? Whether it is due to a broken relationship, a life tragedy, or any form of addiction that is holding you down, once you have developed that hard heart it is a challenge to allow anyone inside. The solid ground persona can't see the potential for growth. Life has dealt you a hand and that is where you are going to have to live. But there is hope. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:11. Hope is not just wishing things will get better, the hope that the Bible teaches about is a belief system. We find hope in our relationship with God. That relationship is built not bought. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Those with a solid ground mentality can't see how things could ever be better, there is no hope present. 

 

If you are living a "solid ground" life today, maybe it is time to allow God to cultivate your soul's soil. Hard times will come and sometimes they may even stay, but when you place your hope in God your perspective will change. Instead of looking at life as what is happening to you, you can look through the lens of what is happening through you for the glory of the God who made you and placed you exactly where you are today. Paul's words of encouragement in the face of hardships are a source of strength for those living within that solid ground mental state:

 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  II Corinthians 12:9-10

 

Till your soul with God's offer of strength in your weakness, and allow His seeds of perseverance, character, and hope flourish in your life. God's hope never fails! 

 

Coach Carter 

 

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Forever)

Something to consider. In Hebrews 13:8 we are given this assurance, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever." God was with you yesterday, He is with you today, and God is with us for every tomorrow that will ever occur, forever. For some, the idea of a God who is infinite and omnipotent is hard to grasp. For those who do not build a personal relationship with Him, it may seem hard to believe that the same God who said "Let there be light", and there was light. Genesis 1:3 could ever be a God that hears our daily prayers, and guides us through His Holy Spirit. Yet, the God who created all things is that God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Pastor Wallace shared a quote today and I tweaked it a tad for today's Flat Tire Thought, "A God that is little enough to be fully explained, is not a God that is big enough to do the unexplainable." God was there in the beginning, God is with you right where you are today, and that same God will be there eternally through every tomorrow your mind can conceive. 

 

It may be hard to fully comprehend the complexity of a God that knows our thoughts before we think them and a God that has a plan mapped out for every person that has ever been and will ever be, but that is our God. Couple that with truth that God still gives us free will to make our own decisions and then allows us to follow the paths that we choose. That is part of the beauty of the God we serve. At times it may seem mind boggling, but back to our quote above, if we can explain everything there is to know about God then placing our faith in Him would be a simple task. Trusting and believing in God is what builds our faith in Him. 

 

If you know God, I encourage you to get to know Him better. Spend time with Him and share your heart with Him. If you know who God is, but you don't have a personal relationship with the God of Adam and Eve, the God of Moses and Abraham, the same God of David and Solomon, and the God of our Savior Jesus Christ then I implore you to meet Him today. And if you do not know the God who was, is and will always be, then today is the day to reach out and meet Him. He is here, He is where you are, and He will be forevermore. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelations 1:8.

 

Coach Carter