Sermons on Hardened Soil:

Matthew 13:18-23 – A Jackhammer And A Concrete Heart! – Part 4 Series

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011

He allowed the cancer to be a like a PNEUMATIC JACKHAMMER. Yes, it shook him up but it also broke up the hard places of his heart and enabled God to get through to him. Everyone of us has that choice.

Matthew 13:18-23 – A JACKHAMMER AND A CONCRETE HEART! – Part 4 Two of the men have impacted my life. Both of them died of cancer. For many years one of these men allowed his CIRCUMSTANCES to harden him towards those in his family and towards God. I thought my dad was about as far away ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:18-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Break Up Your Fallow Ground PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Nov 3, 2023

This sermon encourages self-examination of our hearts and commitment to God, using Hosea 10 as a mirror to reflect our spiritual state and need for reformation. Key

Good morning, beloved. It is indeed a joy to stand before you today. Together, we stand on the precipice of a new week, a new dawn, filled with promise and potential. This is a day that the Lord has made, and we are here to rejoice and be glad in it, to bask in the warm glow of His love, and to ...read more

Topics: Hard Heart

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

God's Word, The Good Seed

Contributed by Rich O' Toole on Jan 6, 2023

Four different hearers and responses to God's Word

God’s Word, the Good Seed Mark 4:1-20 Good morning. How many of you have a garden? Those of you, who garden, know weeds grow faster and stronger than seeds you may plant. Some farmers say it takes 60 pounds of wheat seed to sow an acre of wheat; but, there’s 3,000 pounds of weed seed in an acre, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Jesus Said About Responding To The Gospel Series

Contributed by Tim Huie on May 6, 2009

Some will respond to the gospel with 1) Callused Indifference. 2)Empty Emotionalism. 3)Worldly preoccupation 4. Life changing Faith

WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT RESPONDING TO THE GOSPEL MARK 4: 1-20 1. Illus. of dynamiting for fish (1001 Humorous Illustrations, # 151) • Punch-line: “are you going to talk, or are you going to fish?” 2. Life is filled with important decisions. “Whom will I marry?” “What do I want to do for a living?” ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Gift Of A New Heart Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 18, 2016

God has promised to give us a "new heart".But why not fix the old heart.... and what would a baby born in a manger have to do with this gift?

OPEN: A 4 year old girl was brought to the ER with a severe cough. But as little girls sometimes do… she talked and talked and talked which made it difficult for the nurse to listen to the sounds in her lung. Finally, the nurse said, "Shhh, I have to see if Barney is in there." The ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Parable Of The Sower Part 2 Series

Contributed by Donald Rapp on Jul 24, 2010

This parable addresses the first necessary element of being part of the Kingdom of God. It gives us the requirement and result of becoming a part of God’s family.

The Parable of the Sower part 2 The Book of Mark Mark 4:1-20 I. Introduction. A. As we discussed last week a parable is a true to life story used to illustrate a biblical truth. B. The parables in Mark 4 illustrate different aspects of the Kingdom of God. 1. The Kingdom of God includes both a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

A Kingdom Of The Receptive

Contributed by David Dewitt on Jan 9, 2001

The parable of the sower shows us how we are to receive the good news of Jesus Christ

A Kingdom of the Receptive Matthew 13.1-17 September 14, 1997 Morning Service Introduction I. Ben Franklin’s Field of Plaster: Ben Franklin was known for his outrageous experiments, one such experiment revealed that plaster could be sown with crops to help them grow, when he shared his discovery ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-17

Denomination: Church Of God

Shallow Spirituality

Contributed by Brian Atwood on Mar 11, 2002

Attitudes to avoid because they promote shallow spirituality.

Last week we looked at "surface spirituality", the soil that did not receive the seed because it had been "walked on" and was hardened. We learned that we can develop a hardened heart when others hurt us if we’re not careful. If we let our hearts become bitter and unforgiving the Word of God ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 9:57-62

Denomination: Baptist

Secrets Of Your Heart

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Dec 16, 2003

This is a New Year’s sermon.

SECRETS OF YOUR HEART Luke 8:4-15 Introduction: 1. New Year’s resolutions. Why bother? 2. The motive of your heart is a major factor in your success or failure in keeping with your commitments. 3. In this parable: The sower represents God. The seed represents God’s Word. The soils represent ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Denomination: Baptist

Lord, Spare Us From Skewed Priorities

Contributed by Edward Frey on Aug 7, 2003

The gospel shows us how Christ prioritized our salvation through his own life, death, and resurrection. Now, we are equipped to prioritize our lives in service to him.

An old Native American tale recounts the story of a chief who was telling a gathering of young braves about the struggle within. “It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,” the chief told them. “There is one good dog who wants to do what’s right and the other dog always wants to do what’s wrong. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9

Denomination: Lutheran

What Kind Of Receiver Are You?

Contributed by Chris Beam on Sep 6, 2015

It’s one thing to hear the Word of God, but listeners must receive the Word of God and let it take root in their life.

What Kind of Receiver are You? Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 Even though we’re not quite there yet, fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year…Mainly because of football season! So in honor of this special time of year, I want to use some football imagery over the next couple of weeks ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Instant Christian

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 10, 2011

We have adapted the Christian life to the culture. We want it hot, easy, quick and effortless.

The American people expect everything fast, easy and cheap. And we often treat the Christian life like that. We want it to be like a McDonald’s drive through — drive up to the window, get what you want and drive off. Have you noticed all the ads that tell us about the products ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-24

Denomination: Methodist

How To Hear God Speak Series

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 23, 2010

Whether God’s Word gets through to us or not depends on our attitudes. Is yours a closed mind? A superficial mind, a distracted mind, or a willing mind? It is only when you really listen and obey can your life be changed and you become productive and use

[Adapted from Rick Warren’s sermon of the same title.] This morning we’re beginning a new series, "Conversing with God". I will cover it in 4 sessions. • Frankly, nothing is more important in our walk with God, than be able to hear and understand what God is saying. • Let’s look at Luke ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Why Do Some People Struggle To Change For The better? Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Feb 17, 2024

Some individuals may choose not to alter their existing habits and beliefs, opting to maintain the status quo and continue struggling with their conflicting commitments rather than embracing change.

People often struggle to change due to various reasons. Here are some possible reasons why people don't change: Fear of the unknown: Many individuals find comfort in familiarity and fear the uncertainty that comes with change. Laziness and complacency: Change often requires effort and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:15