Hearing God’s Word: Choosing the Soil of Your Heart

Devotional

Day 1: Hearing and Understanding God’s Word

Jesus teaches that truly hearing God’s word means more than just listening—it requires understanding and a willingness to let the message take root in our hearts. Many people hear the message but allow distractions, misunderstandings, or hardened hearts to keep them from truly receiving what God wants to say. The parable of the sower reminds us that the condition of our hearts determines how we receive and respond to God’s word, and that we must be intentional about listening and seeking understanding, not just letting the words pass by. [09:41]

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 (ESV)
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” … “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can slow down and truly listen for God’s voice today, making sure you understand and not just hear?

Day 2: The Danger of a Hardened Heart

A hardened heart refuses to listen or accept what God is saying, often out of stubbornness, pain, or pride. When we close ourselves off, the good things God wants to plant in us are quickly snatched away, leaving us unchanged and unfruitful. Recognizing when our hearts are hard is the first step; we must then ask God to soften us, so we can receive His word and allow it to grow, even when it challenges us or calls us to change. [16:38]

Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you’ve been resistant to God’s prompting? What would it look like to ask Him to soften your heart in that area today?

Day 3: Shallow Roots and Lasting Faith

It’s easy to get excited about God’s word in the moment, but without deep roots—through prayer, study, and community—our faith can quickly wither when life gets hard. True growth requires more than a surface-level response; it means investing in spiritual practices and relationships that help us endure and flourish, even when challenges come. Building these roots takes intentionality and humility, recognizing that we need God and others to help us stand firm. [20:10]

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Reflection: Who is one person you can reach out to this week for spiritual encouragement or accountability, so your faith can grow deeper roots?

Day 4: The Distractions of the World

The worries of life and the pursuit of wealth or comfort can easily choke out God’s word, leaving us spiritually unfruitful. Divided attention and misplaced priorities keep us from fully following Jesus, as we try to balance the world’s demands with God’s call. We must be honest about what distracts us and make deliberate choices to put God first, trusting that He will provide what we truly need and lead us into a fruitful life. [22:42]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Reflection: What is one distraction or worry you can set aside today to make more space for God’s presence and priorities in your life?

Day 5: Choosing to Be Good Soil

God continually offers us His word and opportunities to grow, but we must choose to receive, understand, and act on what He gives. When we listen and obey, our lives become fruitful—not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Fruitfulness comes from daily choices to trust God, respond to His leading, and share His love with those around us, knowing that He is faithful to bring growth and blessing through our obedience. [29:11]

John 15:5 (ESV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Reflection: What is one step of obedience you can take today to respond to God’s word and allow Him to bear fruit through your life?

Sermon Summary

Hearing is a gift, but truly listening is a choice. Life is full of moments where we misunderstand, get distracted, or simply refuse to hear what’s being said—whether it’s in our families, our friendships, or in our relationship with God. Sometimes, like a child with a pacifier or a parent with partial hearing, we miss the point entirely, and the results can be both humorous and frustrating. But these everyday stories mirror a deeper spiritual reality: the way we receive God’s word is shaped by the condition of our hearts.

Jesus’ parable of the sower in Matthew 13 paints a vivid picture of how the message of the kingdom is scattered generously, but the fruitfulness depends on the soil it lands on. Some hearts are hard, refusing to let the word in at all. Others are shallow, quick to receive but just as quick to fall away when life gets tough. Some are choked by distractions, worries, and the pursuit of other things. But some hearts are good soil—open, receptive, and ready to bear fruit.

The truth is, we all cycle through these different soils. Some days, we’re eager and ready to grow; other days, we’re distracted, stubborn, or overwhelmed. The good news is that God keeps sowing, keeps inviting, and keeps loving us through every season. Our responsibility is to notice the state of our hearts, to ask God to soften us when we’re hard, to deepen our roots when we’re shallow, and to clear away the thorns of distraction and worry.

Fruitfulness comes not just from hearing, but from understanding and acting on what God says. It’s about choosing to get up when God wakes us, to connect with others who encourage our faith, and to put into practice what we’ve received. When we do, we not only experience God’s blessing ourselves, but we become a blessing to others—sharing encouragement, prayer, and support in ways that multiply far beyond what we could do alone. Every day is a new opportunity to choose what kind of soil we will be.

Key Takeaways

1. The way we listen to God’s word is deeply influenced by the posture of our hearts. Hardness, distraction, or stubbornness can keep us from truly hearing and understanding, but God invites us to continually ask for a softened, receptive heart that is ready to receive and respond. [13:00]
2. Shallow faith may spring up quickly with enthusiasm, but without deep roots—formed through connection, accountability, and perseverance—it cannot withstand the heat of trials or the pressures of life. Lasting growth requires intentional investment in our relationship with God and with others who strengthen our faith. [19:06]
3. Distractions and divided loyalties are like thorns that choke out spiritual growth. When we try to live with one foot in God’s kingdom and one foot in the world, we eventually lose our footing. True fruitfulness comes from prioritizing God’s voice above all the competing voices and desires in our lives. [22:15]
4. Sometimes, God answers our prayers long before we’re ready to receive the answer. We may ask for change, but then resist the very opportunities God gives us to grow. Recognizing and acting on God’s provision—rather than letting it pass by—opens the door to transformation and blessing. [25:39]
5. Fruitfulness is not just about personal blessing, but about being part of a community that encourages, prays, and supports one another. We need people of faith around us to help us persevere, to share our burdens, and to multiply the impact of God’s word in our lives and in the world. [28:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:33] - Hearing and Misunderstandings in Everyday Life
[01:50] - Learning to Listen: Family Stories
[03:25] - The Police Poop Story: Miscommunication
[06:48] - Why We Don’t Listen: Distraction and Stubbornness
[08:49] - Introduction to Matthew 13: The Parable of the Sower
[09:41] - Jesus Explains the Parable
[11:09] - Sowing Seeds: God’s Generosity and Our Choices
[13:00] - What Kind of Soil Are You?
[16:38] - Hard Hearts and Missed Opportunities
[18:17] - Shallow Roots and Withering Faith
[21:41] - Divided Attention: The Thorny Soil
[23:12] - God’s Answered Prayers and Our Response
[26:23] - Good Soil: Fruitfulness and Obedience
[28:47] - The Power of Community and Bearing Fruit
[30:51] - Closing Reflections and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 (ESV) —
> And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

> “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Observation Questions

What are the four types of soil Jesus describes in the parable, and what happens to the seed in each type? (Matthew 13:3-9)
According to Jesus’ explanation, what do the birds, rocky ground, and thorns represent? (Matthew 13:18-22)
In the sermon, what are some everyday examples given of people not really listening or misunderstanding what’s being said? [03:25]
How does the sermon describe the way God sows His word compared to how we might plant seeds in a garden? [11:43]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says, “Sometimes, like a child with a pacifier or a parent with partial hearing, we miss the point entirely.” What does this suggest about the way we can misunderstand God’s word in our own lives? [03:25]
Why do you think Jesus uses the image of different soils to describe people’s hearts? What does this say about personal responsibility in how we respond to God? (Matthew 13:18-23)
The sermon mentions that “we all cycle through these different soils.” What might cause someone’s heart to move from being hard or distracted to being good soil? [13:00]
How does the sermon connect the idea of fruitfulness to being part of a community, not just individual growth? [28:47]

Application Questions

The sermon talks about noticing the state of our hearts and asking God to soften us when we’re hard. This week, what is one area where you’ve noticed your heart being hard or closed off to God or others? What would it look like to ask God to soften you in that area? [17:45]
When have you experienced “shallow roots” in your faith—times when you were excited about God but quickly lost motivation or hope when things got tough? What could help you develop deeper roots now? [19:06]
The sermon describes distractions and divided loyalties as thorns that choke out spiritual growth. What is one specific distraction or “thorn” in your life right now? What practical step could you take this week to clear it away or minimize its impact? [22:15]
The pastor shared a story about praying to be a morning person, but then ignoring the answer when it came. Can you think of a time when you asked God for something, but then resisted or overlooked the way He answered? What did you learn from that experience? [25:39]
Fruitfulness is described as not just personal blessing, but being a blessing to others. Who in your life right now could use encouragement, prayer, or support? What is one thing you can do this week to be “good soil” that blesses someone else? [28:47]
The sermon says, “Every day is a new opportunity to choose what kind of soil we will be.” What is one intentional choice you want to make this week to be more receptive to God’s word?
The pastor emphasized the importance of community and accountability for lasting growth. Are you connected to people who encourage your faith? If not, what is one step you could take to build those connections? If you are, how can you deepen those relationships? [20:10]

Sermon Clips

That is what happened to the religious leaders. There were some things that Jesus said that they were like, preach it. And there were other things that they said that that's too close to home. That's not your business. You went from preaching to meddling. Have you heard it? That Jesus wants to be in every part of our life. [00:13:25] (21 seconds) #JesusInEveryPart

When you've decided, I'm not listening to that, I don't want to hear that, not right now. You ever been that way? When somebody says, oh, I know you're going through a hard time and that person's been very ugly. You just need to kill them with kindness. And the first thing you want to think is shut up. I don't want, no. And you begin to create that hard heart and the devil will take out every good thing that you read and that you hear on Sunday because it is falling, not on that fertile soil. [00:15:50] (31 seconds) #SoftHeartNotHard

It happens to us when we listen to a Bible teaching from some, and they just set us on fire and we're like, okay, I know what I'm going to do. This is the change that's going to happen. And as soon as you separate yourself from that, it begins to fall apart. I can tell you that accountability is something that keeps us going, but that's not what happened in that scripture. It says that it just fell apart. It withered away because the sun's core didn't have any roots. It had nothing to attach it to. And so when the sun came out, it just went away. [00:19:36] (38 seconds) #FaithNeedsRoots

We need to ask the Lord to help us build a deeper faith. Get connected with other people. I cannot tell you how important it is to get connected with other people who are like-minded because the next kind of soil, if you are not, and you try to keep going without those roots, you're going to wither away or you're going to be choked out. You have choices to make in the way that you receive things and what you do. [00:20:15] (26 seconds) #StayConnectedInFaith

I have to tell you how hard it is sometimes because I can get all of us, not just me. You know, I was just thinking recently of the story of John the Baptist. He was filled with the Spirit before birth, and yet when the end was coming, he still had doubt. So it doesn't matter where you are in your walk. This type of soil can change all of us. Our hearts some days when we wake up just are ick. And if we don't approach it right away and take care of it, then we're going to be like, of it we can have such an ugly day. [00:20:44] (36 seconds) #EvenFaithHasDoubt

You know, we ask for things and God doesn't give it because we get distracted between what we want and what God wants us to do or what we think, we want and what we really want. And so wasting time is ridiculous. It is one of those things that is very, very hard. [00:25:44] (21 seconds) #DistractedFromGod

Good soil. this is the aha soil. That is the soil that I have been living in this week. The, I get it. I said I didn't have time to walk and I didn't have time to do any Bible study. I didn't have time. Can I tell you that I had, well, not uninterrupted, but I had, um, an hour of almost uninterrupted time with my sermon this morning and in the week. Why? Because I did what I asked the Lord to help me to do. See, it doesn't make it easy in our head, but we have to choose the soil that we receive it in. [00:26:05] (45 seconds) #GoodSoilGrowth

Take what you learn and put it in action. That's what that good soil does. So my question for you today is, what kind of soil are you in today? Because it might change every day. It might change every day. But I want you to know God loves you. He has spread that seed and continues to spread bits and pieces of it every day in ways that you can't do it alone. [00:29:13] (27 seconds) #PutFaithInAction

Getting excited about something is great, but if it doesn't last, if it's not longevity, find accountability in people you know who have a place in eternity that you want to have. That's what we need to do. [00:29:49] (19 seconds) #DailySoilCheck

Ask the Lord to show you his fruitfulness in your life, because sometimes we get discouraged and think, I want so much to do, and he will give you ways to share the fruitfulness that he has given you. [00:30:51] (17 seconds) #LongevityInFaith

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