The Parable of the Sower: The Ones on the Rock

If the newly-baptized Christian’s brand-new “church family” is, weeks and months and years after their baptism, still nothing more than a bunch of strangers or barely acquaintances whom they see very briefly a couple of times a week at church, and if they’ve tried to study the Bible on their own but find it difficult without someone helping them (cf. Acts 8:30-31), then we should not be surprised to look around one Sunday and realize that we haven’t seen them in…well, months.  And what were their names again? Is this what Jesus wants?… Read More The Parable of the Sower: The Ones on the Rock

The Parable of the Sower: The Path

How does Satan have the power to “take away the word from their hearts”?  Answer: they give it to him.  We can do this too.  The devil does not have the ability to force any of us to do wrong (1 Cor. 10:13).  However, each of us has the ability to choose whether or not to serve God (Josh. 24:15).  Many of us choose to follow our own desires, which Satan uses to successfully tempt us to sin (James 1:13-15; cf. Gen. 3:4-6).… Read More The Parable of the Sower: The Path