Sermons on Fertile Soil:

The Art Of Listening: Last Sunday Of Epiphany

Contributed by Fr. Rian Adams on Mar 5, 2019

The Rev. Rian Adams. This sermon on the transfiguration encourages people to actively listen to God.

The Art of Listening The Rev. Rian Adams Peter is my favorite disciple. Not because he was perfect; God knows he was far from it. He spoke first and listened to others last. In the Gospels, he is as an overconfident loud-mouth, and he cannot contain himself, his ego needs an audience for his ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Denomination: Episcopal

The Two Paths: Eli's Sons And Samuel

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 15, 2024

we embark on a journey through the pages of 1 Samuel, where we'll see how different lives can teach us important lessons.

"Good morning, beloved family in faith. Today, we embark on a journey through the pages of 1 Samuel, where we'll see how different lives can teach us important lessons. We'll delve into the perils of ignoring God's guidance, the blessings that come with faithful service, and what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:12-25

Denomination: Baptist

The Eternal Power Of God's Word Matthew 24:35 Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jul 6, 2024

Matthew 24:35 is a powerful declaration by Jesus reminds us of the eternal, unchanging nature of God's Word. In a world that is constantly changing, God's Word stands as a beacon of stability, truth, and hope.

The Eternal Power of God's Word Matthew 24:35 Introduction: Today, we will explore the profound truth encapsulated in Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear." This powerful declaration by Jesus reminds us of the eternal, unchanging nature ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 40:8, Psalm 119:89, Hebrews 13:8, John 6:63, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:15-16  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Twelve Truths That Jesus Taught About Farming

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 19, 2004

Good sowing is done with confident hope that God will give the harvest! Let us ask the Lord for wisdom, faith and guidance in knowing how to be the best spiritual farmers He wants us to be.

Twelve Truths That Jesus Taught About Farming (Mark 4:1-4:22) Illustration: Other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased, and produced. --Mark 4:8 John Chrysostom was one of the most captivating preachers of the early Christian church. However, he recognized that ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-22

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

On To Maturity

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Mar 29, 2004

Some believers seem stuck in spiritual infancy; the author of Hebrews urges them to advance to the "meat" of Christian faith & doctrine and start discipling others.

“On To Maturity” Hebrews 5:12-6:12 Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts For a young couple, there’s nothing more wonderful than the birth of a baby. But as much as the parents and grandparents love to hold that bundle of joy, it’s their desire that this ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:28

Denomination: Congregational

The Storyteller: The Parables Of Jesus #1: Guard Your Heart

Contributed by C Jordan on Jul 11, 2015

Jesus is the World’s Greatest Storyteller. In His parables, we find wisdom for living our daily lives. In the parable of the farmer planting seeds, we learn the importance of guarding our hearts.

THE STORYTELLER: THE PARABLES OF JESUS #1: GUARD YOUR HEART INTRO TO TOPIC: QUOTE: “Who was Jesus? He was a storyteller. He told stories. He was the world's greatest storyteller. Ask him a question; he'd answer with a story. Give him a crowd of people listening intently; he told them ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

Denomination: *other

Betrayal & Burlap Series

Contributed by Josh Foster on Mar 12, 2014

In the wrinkles of this tragedy, God is present and working. He’s working to bring about His good and see His plans realized. It may not be a pretty picture at this point. But that just goes to show how broken our world is - and how persistent God is.

God in the Ebb & Flow of Life: Betrayal and Burlap Scripture Text: Genesis 37.18-35 INTRODUCTION Last-week, I tried to lay the ground-work so that we would have a realistic picture of Joseph’s family-life. It isn’t pretty!... ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:18-35

Denomination: Nazarene

The Parables Of Sowing And Reaping

Contributed by Michael Mays on Aug 27, 2021

We treasure, or take care of, and make use of, only the things we value. In Jesus' discussion in this chapter, He talks about the value of sowing.

I. Introduction A. Illustration 1. Going into the Christmas-buying season of 2013, it was estimated that over $1 billion would go unredeemed, and there are always excuses: there’s a 5-year redemption limit (some businesses issuing these cards won’t even be solvent that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:18-30, Matthew 13:36-43

The Art Of Sowing

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jul 11, 2008

The various soil types mentioned in the parable of Jesus relate to a person’s receptivity to the Word of God.

Matthew 3: 1 – 12 / It’s Just Beginning Intro: In Directions, James Hamilton writes: Before refrigerators, people used icehouses that had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door to preserve their food. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Parable Of The Sower Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Aug 11, 2008

Not everyone you share the gospel with will have hardened hearts. You should have hope. There are those who will receive the gospel for what it is, the words of eternal life.

Why is it that one person responds to the gospel and is deeply moved and all they can think and talk about is sharing Christ with others while at the same time another person seems unmoved that Jesus died for them? You find one person moved to tears by the gospel and another cold and distant. Not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Don't Worry About The Weeds Series

Contributed by Tellison A Glover on Jul 21, 2014

An exegesis of Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

Do not worry about the weeds Pentecost 6 Matthew 13:28b The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest. In today’s gospel Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:23-30

Denomination: Anglican

Dangerous Grounds

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Oct 30, 2013

The soil, of course, represents the human heart, so the word of God falls on four different types of hearts. This parable is about salvation and three out of four of the soils represent people who are not genuinely saved.

Opening illustration: Growing up as a teenager, my dad would take me to watch the plowing of the field and planting of wheat and sunflower. The tractor would plow deep into the hard soil of central India usually slicing the big snakes hibernating below the earth. Their mangled bodies were brought ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Take Heed How You Hear

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Oct 2, 2015

It is important how we come to church and hear! We often forget that listening to preaching is an act of worship but few really prepare their mind to hear the Word in a focused way.

TAKE HEED HOW YOU HEAR TEXT: Hebrews 2:1-4 Hebrews 2:1-4 KJV Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. [2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

Birds Came

Contributed by Bala Samson on Aug 28, 2022

The demon would ‘quickly’ be in action, before the word takes root in you and grow. The birds (vultures) would come and devour it !

DEVOURED THE SEED Birds came ….. Matthew 13:4” .. as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.” I remember a dream I had during the initial days of my salvation, through which God demonstrated the above scripture very vividly and beautifully to me. After a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:4

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Purpose Of The Parables Series

Contributed by Allan Quak on Sep 11, 2020

Jesus uses parables to either reveal callous hearts where the word is being taken away, or reveal receptive hearts which have an increasing harvest.

Message Matthew 13:10-17 “The Purpose of the Parables” Today we are starting a series of sermons which will look at the Parables of Jesus. “Parable” is the English translation of a Greek word which literally means “to place alongside”. From this literal meaning we get the idea that a parable is a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:10-17

Denomination: Baptist