The Parable of the Soils

The Parable of the Soils:

The Setting (v.1-2)
 - by the sea with a large crowd (1:45, 3:9)
 - the boat was his pulpit

The Parable (v.3-9)
 - he is asking for the crowd to discern (3,9)
 - 4 different kinds of soil
   - hard soil (4)
   - rocky ground (5-6)
   - thorny soil (7)
   - good ground (8)

The Interpretation (v.13-20)
 - this is a key parable to understanding all parables (13)
 - the seed is the gospel (14, 1 Peter 1:23, James 1:21)
 - 4 different hearts which give 4 different responses to the gospel
   - the hard heart (15, acts 24:25)
    - Satan steals away the word (2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2)
   - the non-committed heart (16-17, 1 John 2:19)
    - we are to be rooted and grounded in Christ (Col 2:6-7, John 15)
    - affliction/tribulation should be expected and should not sway us (1 Thes 1:6-7)
   - the worldly heart (18-19, 1 Tim 6:5-11)
    - we are to seek first the kingdom of God
    - seek the things above
   - the responsive heart (20)
    - regeneration produces change (John 15, Psalm 1:3, Eze 36:27, 1 John 3:9-10)
    - sanctification is progressive and it appears there are different degrees of it