As church leaders, we have wrestled with this question for quite some time.  If you work in a church,  you see that some people tend to grow faster than others.  In my years of ministry, I have witnessed this trend for quite a while.  I have seen people who have been in the church a long time and don’t show sign of maturity; however, there are others whose rapid growth is evident.  Have you wondered why this is so?  I found answers to this question in the parable of the sower (soils) that Jesus spoke (Luke 8:1-15).  In this parable there are four types of soils: path, rocky, thorny and good.

The word of God was sown in each of those soils, but only in the good soil was the word or the (seed) able to develop into a plant that produced fruit.  When you read that story in Luke 8:1-15 you will discover why God’s word (seed) did not get to produce fruit in the path, rocky and thorny soils.

You must ask yourself this question, what kind of soil am I?  If you hear the word of God and it does not produce change in you, then your heart may be hard (path), shallow (rocky soil) or thorny.  The good soil (receptive heart) described in the story, symbolized those who hear the message, believe it and retain it.  They also persevere to the point of producing fruit.

The condition of your heart is very important in order for God’s word to cause any changes in it.  People with receptive hearts tend to be the ones growing and maturing in Christ.

When the word of God is preached or announced to you, how do you receive it?  I know you hear it, but do you believe and keep it in your heart?  The word of God is what produces growth in you, but if you’re not experiencing growth, then you must examine the condition of your heart.  Which kind of soil are you?