October 4, 2026
OPENING:
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” — Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
INFORMATION: Good Ground
Jesus said in Mark 4:8 (NLT), “Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Later he explains to disciples in Mark 4:20 (NLT) — “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Three things about good soil:
1. Fruit is evidence God is at work
- Fruit isn’t about trying harder — it reveals the condition of your heart.
- Paul wrote in Colossians 1:10 (NLT), “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”
2. Good soil needs tending
- God doesn’t move on from you when things finally start going well.
- Jesus said in John 15:2 (NLT), “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
3. Fruit is proof of obedience
- The difference between the four soils was never the seed — it’s what happened after the seed was planted.
- Jesus said in John 15:5 (NLT), “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
INSPIRATION: Proof of Obedience
Good soil is a heart aligned with the Father. But it doesn’t stop being your heart. It can still harden. It can still grow rocks. It can still get crowded.
1. Fruit is proof of following Jesus
- Don’t disqualify your fruit because somebody else seems to produce more — the Father is celebrating, not comparing.
- Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9 (NLT), “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
2. You are not making it grow
- Holy Spirit does the work in you; your part is staying close enough to be worked on.
- Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
MOTIVATION: What Is Much Fruit
Obstacle 1: “This is about my personal growth.”
- The growth keeps your heart receptive so Holy Spirit can work — but the goal was always reaching the next one.
- Jesus said in John 15:16 (NLT), “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”
Obstacle 2: “If I let up, this whole thing falls apart.”
- Tending soil is not the same as carrying the load — the seed grows while you sleep.
- Jesus said in Mark 4:26-27 (NLT), “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.”
TRANSFORMATION: Return To Good Works
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Name one area of your life that is genuinely good soil right now. Before you ask God for anything else, just say thank you.
- This Week — Return to one good work you let slide because things were fine. The prayer, the scripture, the worship, the sharing Jesus with others.
- This Month — Aware, Care, Tell. Be aware of the people around you, care about what’s happening in their life, then tell them what you see God growing in them.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community