This sermon kicks off a new summer series called "More to the Story," which walks through several parables of Jesus. Pastor Chris Wigley begins with the parable of the sower from Matthew 13, one of the most well-known parables in Scripture and the only one Jesus explains in full detail, verse by verse. In it, a farmer scatters seed that falls on four different types of soil, each representing a different condition of the human heart toward God's word.
The main point is simple but searching: the seed and the sower stay the same, but the soil determines what happens when God's word is received. Jesus describes a hard heart, a shallow heart, a divided heart, and a fruitful heart, and calls his listeners to honestly examine which one describes them. This message will encourage anyone who wants to keep sharing their faith even when it feels discouraging, and anyone willing to ask hard, honest questions about the condition of their own heart before God.
The sermon closes by connecting this self-examination to the Lord's Supper, inviting people to respond to God's word rather than just hear it, and to allow God to till the soil of their hearts so his word can take root and bear fruit.
Preacher: Chris Wigley, Lead Pastor
Scripture: Matthew 13:1–23, 1 Corinthians 2:12–14, Galatians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 11