In Luke 8:1-15 Jesus teaches a parable about the ways in which people receive God’s Word. Some hear the Gospel and they never believe because Satan has a grip on their heart. Some hear the Gospel and for a while there is joy in receiving it. However, they never really dive into the Word and their faith is surface level. Whenever anything troublesome comes their way and they have a choice to make, God or the world, they choose the world. Others hear and have the desire to bring the Gospel into their heart but the worries of the world prevent them from ever growing. Lastly, there are those who take the Gospel and it finds a way into their heart and they grow into faithful Christians. The question is what group are we in? How do we prepare ourselves to stand firm amid great trials? Are we ready to fight Satan’s attempts at our hearts? How do we do that? How can we be more perceptive to God and His message for us? I encourage all those who read this to think about and answer these questions. I encourage families to study this passage together and work out how you, as a family, can be the good soil that Jesus talks about.
This week I want to challenge everyone to find a way to be open to what God is trying to say to you. That may be through spending more time in prayer or diving further into the study of Scripture. Work on finding out a way that is going to best fit who you are!