All of you know that I like to tell stories. It reminds me of the way Jesus spoke to His listeners.
Because Jesus didn’t just give lectures. He told stories. Stories that touched hearts. Stories that made people lean in. Stories that made folks say, “Lord… You’re talking about me, aren’t You?”
So today, I want to tell you a story. A simple one. It’s story about a farmer named Joe.
Picture the scene with me— early morning, sun rising, birds singing, dew still on the grass.
Farmer Joe steps out of his little house with a big bag of seed over his shoulder. He’s not rich. He’s not fancy. But he’s faithful.
And he believes— he believes that if he plants the seed, God will bring the harvest.
Joe doesn’t know exactly how it will grow. He doesn’t know what the weather will be.
He doesn’t know what challenges will come. But he trusts the process. He trusts the seed.
He trusts the God who made the soil.
Joe walks to the first field. But this is no field. It’s a path.
Hard. Packed down. Like concrete.
He tosses seed anyway. But the seed just bounces. It can’t sink in. And the birds? They swoop down like they’ve been waiting all morning for Joe to come and feed them.
Jesus says some hearts are like this. Not because people are stubborn— but because life has stomped on them.
"They are weighed down from every side—crushed by pain, buried under loss, paralyzed by fear, and broken by disappointment."
But we know that God can soften any soil. One tear. One prayer.
One moment of surrender— and the ground begins to break open.
Sometimes the hardest hearts are the ones closest to finding Jesus.
On Joe walks to the second field. Now this one looks better.
A little soil on top… but underneath? Rocks everywhere.
He plants anyway. And the seed jumps up! Green shoots everywhere. It looks like revival.
But when the sun gets hot— those little plants dry up. No roots.
Jesus says some hearts are like this. They get excited. They shout “Amen!” They say, “Lord, I’m ready!”
But when trouble comes— when life gets hard— faith dries up.
Roots grow deepest where no one is watching. Roots grow in the quiet places— in prayer, in Scripture, in obedience, in trust.
God doesn’t just want us to feel His Word. He wants us to grow in His Word.
When he’s finished with field two, he’s on to the third field.
Now this one looks pretty good. Soft soil. Moist ground. Perfect for planting.
But hidden in the soil are thorns. Weeds. Things that don’t belong.
Joe plants. The seed grows— but so do the thorns. And those thorns wrap around the plants and choke the life out of them.
"Jesus says some hearts are just too crowded. These people love God and want to grow, but they are choked by:
- Worry about tomorrow.
- Busyness every day.
- Distractions all around them.
- Desire for more things.
The thorny heart says, 'Lord, I love You,' but the calendar shows something else."
I suspect we are all like this sometimes. I know that I am.
But here’s the hope— thorns can be pulled. God can clear the clutter if we let Him.
Sometimes spiritual growth is not about adding more… but removing what’s choking us.
Taking away things that distract us from prayer and stop us from spending quiet time alone with God.
And then finally, Joe reaches the fourth field. Soft soil. Deep soil. Clean soil. Ready soil.
He plants his seed there— and my friends, it grows. It grows tall. It grows strong. It produces fruit Joe never dreamed of.
Jesus says this is the heart that hears God’s Word and says, “Lord, speak. I’m listening.” “Lord, plant Your Word in me.” “Lord, I will obey.”
Now good soil isn’t perfect soil. It’s prepared soil.
It changes who we are on the inside. It brings life to our families.
It gives power to our witness when we share the gospel. It pours out blessings into our community."
St. Francis Mission may be small in number, but God grows big fruit in small places.
All He needs is good soil.
If each of us prepares our heart— If each of us welcomes God’s Word— If each of us lets the seed take root— then this little congregation can shine like a field full of harvest. In many ways we already do.
God is not looking for crowds, our pews to be filled. He is looking for open hearts.
Let’s make this our goal.
Each morning, take a moment to read one Scripture, letting God’s Word be the first seed planted in our hearts.
Each night, offer one honest prayer, telling the Lord exactly where we are and what we need.
Sometime during the week, pull one thorn—remove one distraction, one worry, or one habit that’s been crowding our spiritual growth.
Then choose one small act of obedience, something simple that says, “Lord, I’m listening.”
And finally, encourage one person, planting a seed of hope in someone else’s life.
Small steps like these make soft soil, and soft soil makes room for God to grow something beautiful in us.
My friends… God is sowing His Word right now. He is scattering seed in this room.
He is planting truth in our hearts.
The seed is good. The seed is powerful. The seed is alive.
Let’s prepare the soil. Let’s welcome the Word. Let’s bear fruit for His glory. Amen.
