Parable of the Sower

Note: This is the direct manuscript from the sermon this morning:

Every time we read this parable, the question becomes:
“Which soil are you?”
The hard soil represents the person whose heart has become closed off to God.
The rocky soil is the one whose faith springs up quickly but disappears just as fast when life gets difficult.
The thorny soil is the person whose faith gets choked out by worry, wealth, success, or simply the busyness of life.
And the good soil...
Well, that’s who we’re all supposed to be.
The problem is, most of us don’t feel like we’re the good soil.
So this parable often leaves us feeling less hopeful and more guilty.
Less encouraged than anxious.