This Sunday marks the beginning of our brand-new series: Big Picture! In this series, we will take a deep dive into Jesus’ parables, starting with The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23).

Matthew 13:1-8

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 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.”

Jesus is teaching about four different heart conditions. Where He is the sower, the Gospel is the seed, and our hearts are the soil.

Many interpret this parable as describing how the Gospel first enters a person’s heart, and while that is true, I want us to focus on something deeper: our own hearts today.

Our heart conditions are not fixed, they shift with life circumstances, distractions, and even things we withhold from God. This doesn’t mean our salvation is in question, but it does mean that the way we receive God’s word changes over time.

I believe Jesus is calling us to radical heart transformation. It’s time to put on our gardening hats, our favorite pair of jorts, and our old grass-stained Nikes and get to work.

So, how can we actively maintain our hearts so that when we read the Bible, hear a sermon, or receive discipleship, we allow God’s Word to take root?

1. Prayer

Prayer is essential for every Jesus follower, yet it is often one of the most neglected aspects of our faith. I’m as guilty as anyone—so many days I go through the motions without saying a word to God.

I want to challenge us to be a team that is constantly talking to God. Prayer takes the focus off us and our problemsand centers us in God’s presence.

2. Listening

Even in my own prayer life, I tend to do all the talking (and trust me, I love to talk). But as children of God, we often dominate our conversations with Him, dumping everything on Him and saying “Amen” before giving Him space to respond.

In every conversation with God, we should pause and listen. When we ask Him the hard questions and give Him room to speak, only then can we identify the weeds and roots in our hearts that need to be uprooted.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–19

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”