Sermons on Thorny Ground:

Hope: Lost And Found Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 3, 2016

The dead don't come back. That's what the world believes, and that was what the men on the road to Emmaus thought. But is that true?

OPEN: Years ago the producers of Sesame Street faced a dilemma. Will Lee, the actor who played Mr. Hooper, passed away, and the producers were faced with how to communicate the concept of death to the 10 million children (most of whom are under 6 years of age) who watched the show. Child ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:9-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Parable Of The Sower

Contributed by Paul Davidson on Jan 26, 2021

I remember sitting, my face wet with tears, as I prayed for God to rescue me and change the soil of my heart into rich, fertile soil. I was tired of just pretending to be a Christian. I no longer wanted to be the person I had become. I surrendered my life to Jesus... and I was forever changed!

INTRODUCTION God has put a message on my heart to share with you from the Gospel of Matthew. This message is actually very special to me personally. It was April of 1993 when I heard someone preach on the “Parable of the Sower” from Matthew 13. We had just survived a very serious car ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-9, Matthew 13:18-23, 1 Corinthians 2:14, James 1:2, Galatians 1:6, Galatians 5:7-8, Matthew 7:21, Proverbs 24:30-32, 1 Timothy 6:10, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 19:23-24, John 15:5-8, Ezekiel 36:26, 1 Peter 5:7  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Cycle A-- 15th Sunday, Year A --The Sower

Contributed by Paul Andrew on May 17, 2020

It is the intuitive mind alone that can penetrate the essence and heart of a parable. Then it becomes a living reality, thoroughly relevant to one’s own life.

“To throw alongside” a story with cryptic meaning is called a parable in Greek. In Zen Buddhism, a parable is like a “koan,” which is a spiritual inquiry using perplexing language intended to rouse a student’s innate wisdom-mind to apply it to their own life. As Rabbi Ibn Ezra said of parables, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:10-11

Denomination: Catholic

The Parables Of Jesus: Stories That Transform Lives Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jan 10, 2025

Jesus often used simple yet profound stories to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Through these parables, we are invited not only to understand God’s truth but to live it out.

The Parables of Jesus: Stories That Transform Lives Introduction Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the teachings of Jesus found in His parables. Jesus often used these simple yet profound stories to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Through these parables, we are invited not only ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-9, Isaiah 55:10-11, Luke 10:25-37, 1 John 3:18, Luke 15:11-32, Romans 5:8  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Soil Solutions For Spiritual Success!

Contributed by Victor Ramlall on Jan 29, 2014

In order to be fruitful productive Christians, we need to have our heart properly prepared by the Holy Spirit to be wholly receptive to the Word!

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Heart For The Word

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Apr 21, 2025

Encouraging message on sharing our faith. Focusing on the positives of the message of the seed of the sower.

Title: Hearing and Giving the Word Theme: To show how God can use us to share the word. Text: Matthew 13:1 -9, 18 – 23 Power of the Word Preparation for the Word Placement of the Word Opening Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. (2) And ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:18-23

Denomination: Church Of God

The Crave

Contributed by Duran Johnson on Mar 3, 2003

A message for new members to encourage them to aggressively pursue the Word of God.

You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. (1 Peter 2:2-3, NLT) Introduction What a clear and concise message! It simply says that we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Denomination: Baptist

Part 3 - Matthew 12:9-14 -Deformities Of The Heart And Hand Series

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Sep 19, 2010

The CLAWED FINGERS of their law system were DISTORTED AND MALFORMED and particularly difficult to uproot. It is not at all surprising that Jesus uses a man with a DEFORMED HAND to illustrate what needed to be done if ever they were to be healed of their D

Part 3 - Matthew 12:9-14 -DEFORMITIES OF THE HEART AND HAND Yesterday, with the encouragement of my wife, I got rid of some THORNY WEEDS growing like trees in the back garden. The thorns were now like razor sharp nails and so it was difficult to get to the roots without punctures, scratches and a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:9-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Do I Expect To Hear?

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jul 13, 2008

A Sermon for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time(A) "As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit" Matthew 13:23

let me ask a question of all you who are here today—What did you come expecting here to hear? In a fascinating story of his journey across the United States with his pet dog, John Steinbeck tells of a Church service he attended during his travels in the State of Vermont. Tongue in cheek, he says, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Methodist

Counterfeit Christianity

Contributed by Don Bradley on Feb 5, 2011

This sermon stresses the difference of being a genuine believer and a counterfeit one.

COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23 Intro: One day Jesus was by the seashore when He became accompanied by multitudes of people. There were so many that He had to go offshore and sit in a boat. He then began to teach the people. What He taught them was the Parable of the Sower, among ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:18-23

Denomination: Baptist

The Fear Of God

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Aug 11, 2022

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” as the Book of Proverbs stresses repeatedly. May we seek to live as God-fearing people who humble our hearts in reverence of His glory and live in faithfulness to His will.

The year was 1845. A man named Carl Steinman was fascinated by volcanoes, and going against the advice of his guide, he ventured to the edge of a dormant volcano while visiting Mount Hecla in Iceland. Although it had last erupted over fifty years earlier, the guide noticed there had been ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-13

Receiving The Word

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 15, 2017

Let us understand where we find genuine Christianity deeply within people’s hearts.

Intro, Purpose & Plan Are our hearts downtrodden, like a well-worn path? Are our hearts hard, lacking stick-to-it-iveness or thorny, laden down with worldly cares. How can we learn to become like rich soil that receives the word of the kingdom and produces a rich harvest? Let us understand where ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

You Gotta Have Heart Series

Contributed by David Owens on May 8, 2023

In Mark 4, Jesus taught the parable of the sower, and then explained it. The parable challenges us to sow the word of God and to cultivate our hearts so that we can be the good soil that produces a great harvest.

A. Once there was a man who was having serious heart trouble, so he went to the doctor to see what his options were. 1. His doctor recommended that he have a heart transplant. 2. The patient asked if there were any hearts immediately available and told the doctor that he could pay whatever amount ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20, 1 Corinthians 3:7, Hebrews 4:12, Proverbs 4:23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Genesis Sermon 4: Origin Of Vegetation

Contributed by Elmer Towns on Nov 20, 2002

This is a sermon about the creation story.

A. INTRODUCTION: GENESIS 1:11-13 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:11-13

Denomination: Baptist

A Complacent Or Passionate Heart, Which Will It Be?

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Oct 22, 2001

The abundant Christian life is a choice that starts with how we listen and respond to the Word of God.

Intro: There once was a not so bright fellow who saw an advertisement for a cruise. The sign in the travel agency window read “Cruise -- $100 Cash.” I’ve got a hundred dollars, he thought. And I’d like to go on a cruise. So he entered the door and announced his desires. The fellow at the desk ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:5-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational