Sermons on Hard Soil:

Parables Of The Kingdom – The First - The Sower Or Rather The Soil – Part 3 Of 5 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 31, 2025

We continue the Sower, considering the seed that fell into rocky ground, the shallow soil, with a warning. Temptation plus affliction and persecution will in time burn and kill off any mere profession. These hearers are only temporary. Then we begin the seed choked in the thorny soil.

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – THE FIRST - THE SOWER OR RATHER THE SOIL – Part 3 of 5 Last time we finished thinking about the good seed that was wasted on the barren pathways and beside the roadway. There was nothing wrong with the seed, but the reception was nil because men closed their hearts to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:5-6, Matthew 13:20-21, Mark 4:17, Luke 8:6, Luke 8:13, Luke 8:14, Matthew 13:7, Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:18-19, Genesis 3:17-18  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ready For Anything, Come What May Series

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Jan 18, 2016

The Apostle Paul was ready for anything, for persecution or for death. How did he get that way? How do we get ready to be able to handle what ever may come our way.

January 17, 2016 - Sermon - Acts 21:1-15 - Here is the live audio version: https://catmsermons.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/ready-for-anything/ Today we’re continuing to follow the very dramatic journey of Paul, and we’re nearing the last bend of our tour through the book of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:1-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Parable Of The Sower

Contributed by Ken Henson on Jul 25, 2012

We may all be dirt, brought out of the dust of the ground, but we have a choice of what kind of dirt we are going to be -- Path dirt? Rocky dirt? Thorny dirt? or Good dirt? We are defined by the way we respond to the Word of God!

A few observations from the passage: 1. All the different kinds of soil received the Word of God. This is a message about people who have received the Word. 2. A complete lack of fruitfulness from all, except one. Among the people in the church, there is no fruit, except in a small group of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: *other

Are You Involved? Series

Contributed by Terry Blankenship on Oct 20, 2008

The Parable of the Sower, the Seed and the Soil. Are you involved in the process?

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Matthew 13:1-23 – Part 6 - Dungeons And Mansions? Series

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011

Whether I live in a DUNGEON or MILLION DOLLAR mansion I can still be stupid about what really matters in life.

Matthew 13:1-23 – Part 6 - DUNGEONS AND MANSIONS? She is not deaf but her heart is a fortress, cold, hard, defensive. The gates are huge, old and impenetrable, bolted with fear and pride that slide across into their iron brackets at the mention of Christ. She sits in a dungeon of her own ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Farming

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jun 29, 2022

Jesus's parable of the four soils is filled with rich principles of how we can become fruitful Christians that we sometimes miss because they take work on our part.

Mark 4:3-9 (William Barclay) "Listen! Look! The sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seed fell along the roadside; and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell upon rocky ground where it did not have much earth; and it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth of earth, but, ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Let's Be Good Ground For Jesus

Contributed by Randall Long on Apr 4, 2020

This message uses Jesus' Parable of the Sower to encourage believers to face the obstacles that hinder us from spiritual growth in our lives.

ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE! PAY ATTENTION! THIS IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO HEAR! Have I aroused your interest? Are you at least curious what I'm about to say that can justify such verbal arm-waving? Will you be upset (or at least disappointed) if I proceed to tell a story about some guy who has a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:3-9, Mark 4:13-20, Galatians 5:22

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Parable Of The Sower

Contributed by Joseph Neil Adams on Jan 18, 2008

Its not all about the soil - its about the sower too.

Matthew 13:1-9 (The Message) Parables are stories Jesus told that tell us something about the Kingdom of God. They are though about concealing and not just revealing the truth. If you want to understand the message you have to be prepared to delve deeper than the simple story. But the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9

Denomination: Methodist

Why Does Belief Sometimes Come The Hard Way?

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

Why do some people only trust God when they experience terrible hardships? In this passage we are given insights into how a governor of Cyprus was brought to Christ the hard way. His path to faith is symbolic of so many people who seem to prefer to learn

1. Why do some people only trust God when they experience terrible hardships? In this passage we are given insights into how a governor of Cyprus was brought to Christ the hard way. His path to faith is symbolic of so many people who seem to prefer to learn the most important lessons in life, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:4-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dealing With Divorce: Hope For The Hard-Hearted And The Heavy-Hearted

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on May 3, 2005

What does the Bible say causes divorce? Why is it such an epidemic in our land? Here’s hope for the hard hearted and the heavy hearted!

Dealing with Divorce: Hope for the Hard Hearted and the Heavy Hearted No one knows the pain of divorce more than one who has been divorced. Divorce is not a topic that I can talk about from personal experience; in twenty-seven years of marriage Ronda and I have never even entertained the idea. ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:10-16

Denomination: Church Of God

Hard Hearts And Unbelief 3:7–4:7 Series

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 10, 2004

The danger of having a hard and unbelieving heart

Hard Hearts and Unbelief Ps 95: 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God’s Amazing Grace When Life Is Hard

Contributed by Gordon Weatherby on May 8, 2013

It is often in the difficult times of life that we grow the most in Christ. Those times when it may even seem as though God has forsaken us, are times we can look back at later, and see his presence and grace abiding with us. It is often in those times

GOD’S GRACE WHEN LIFE IS HARD Rom. 5:1-11 INTRODUCTION: 1.)Several years ago Lanny and Marietta Wolfe wrote a hymn of the faith whose chorus goes: A.)"For whatever it takes to draw closer to you, Lord, That’s what I’ll be willing to do; For whatever it takes to be more like ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mother’s Day: When Mothering Gets Hard

Contributed by Ken Pell on May 12, 2013

A sermon designed to encourage mothers

WHEN MOTHERING GETS HARD Matthew 15:21-28 INTRO An article in Forbes asks, "Think you can put a price on motherhood?" A yearly survey by Salary.com called the annual Mom Salary Survey attempts to put a salary on the work of American mothers. First, they broke down motherly duties into the ten ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Denomination: Nazarene

It's Hard…to Find Good Help?

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Aug 25, 2015

No one wants to do anything anymore… They just want to rely on someone else to do it for them…and still receive the benefits as though they had done it all on their own...

It's hard…To find good help? Matthew 9:36-38 NKJ 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 20:23-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Comfort Me, O Lord; The Journey Is Too Hard Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 14, 2022

In a hurting world with increasing distress and heartache, we all need comfort, but where is that found? This message looks at a comforting God and our responsibility also.

COMFORT ME, O LORD; THE JOURNEY IS TOO HARD PART ONE The comfort of God is not an abstract thing. Our God is always giving to His own children, but not when they are disobedient or rebellious. Those who know their need, will know that need fulfilled. It is not like pouring water into a glass. ...read more

Scripture: John 14:16-18, John 16:13-14, John 14:1, Romans 5:3-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Philippians 4:7, Luke 10:34, Isaiah 1:4-7, Jeremiah 17:9, Isaiah 40:1-2, Isaiah 26:3  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational