Sowing the seed of God's message and where it lands:

"The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing and being saved.

"The stony ground represents those who enjoy listening to sermons, but somehow the message never really gets through to them and doesn't take root and grow. They know the message is true, and sort of believe for awhile; but when the hot winds of persecution blow they lose interest.

"The seed among the thorns represents those who listen and believe God's words, but whose faith afterwards is choked out by worry and riches and the responsibilities and pleasures of life. And so they are never able to help anyone else believe the Good News.

"But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people. They listen to God's words and cling to them and steadily spread them to others who also soon believe."

~ Luke 8:11 - 15 LAB

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*Bible Commentary:  "Hard-rock people, like the religious leaders, refused to believe God's message. Stony-ground people, like the crowds who followed Jesus, trusted God, but never got around to doing anything about it. Thistle-patch people, overcome by materialism, left no room in their lives for God. Good-soil people, by contrast to all the other groups, followed no matter what the cost. Which type of soil am I/are you?"

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