The Parable of the Sower is the foundational parable. If we do not understand this parable, we will not understand the rest of Christ's parables.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of the seed, which is the Word of God, and of four types of soil onto which the seed falls: 1) hard soil; 2) rocky soil; 3) thorny soil; and 4) good soil. Each type of soil represents one of the four types of the human heart. As you read further, think about what type of heart you have.
The hard soil represents the heart hardened by sin. This type of soil hears the Word of God but does not understand it because this heart has been seared by sin. Therefore, this kind of heart cannot receive the Word of God because Satan quickly snatches it away.
The stony soil represents the heart of him who hears the Word of God and is initially delighted with it. But when troubles come, the stony heart loses faith because he did not allow his heart to be transformed by the Word.
The thorny soil represents the heart of him who seems to receive the Word of God but who, in reality, allows the cares and pleasures of this world to choke out the Word.
The good soil represents the heart of him who gladly receives the Word of God and allows it to transform him. This heart bears much fruit for the Kingdom. This heart is the only one of the four that is truly saved.
What type of heart are you? Be honest with yourself. If your heart is not the good soil, you can choose to change now. Ask Jesus to create in you a clean heart, a good heart. He will. ______________________________________________________
Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA. All rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Gift of Grace
If you are like me, you mess up in some way nearly every day. Whether it is through a misspoken word or a thoughtless act, we succumb to our human frailty on a regular basis.
If you are also like me, you feel very bad when you sin. To sin means to miss the mark. As humans, we frequently miss the mark because of our flawed nature.
When we sin, however, we have an Advocate before the Father in Heaven. Our Advocate, or Lawyer, is Jesus Christ Himself. If we have accepted Him as our Savior, He pleads our case before the Father.
The Father is the Judge. Jesus is the Defense Attorney. If we are in Christ through being born again, then when we stand before the Father, the Father looks at us through the lens of Christ. The Father sees that we are in Christ, and the Father acquits us.
How great a gift God has given us in Jesus Christ! If you have not yet accepted the Gift of Christ, which is the Gift of Grace, I urge you to do so now. Here is a prayer you can pray:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. I need You to save me. I receive You now as my Savior. Cleanse me and make me whole. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, you are now a child of God. Your next step is to begin reading the Bible. Then find a good church that teaches the Word of God in all of its fullness and without compromise.
If you have any questions about your new birth in Christ, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will be happy to answer your questions.
If you are also like me, you feel very bad when you sin. To sin means to miss the mark. As humans, we frequently miss the mark because of our flawed nature.
When we sin, however, we have an Advocate before the Father in Heaven. Our Advocate, or Lawyer, is Jesus Christ Himself. If we have accepted Him as our Savior, He pleads our case before the Father.
The Father is the Judge. Jesus is the Defense Attorney. If we are in Christ through being born again, then when we stand before the Father, the Father looks at us through the lens of Christ. The Father sees that we are in Christ, and the Father acquits us.
How great a gift God has given us in Jesus Christ! If you have not yet accepted the Gift of Christ, which is the Gift of Grace, I urge you to do so now. Here is a prayer you can pray:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. I need You to save me. I receive You now as my Savior. Cleanse me and make me whole. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, you are now a child of God. Your next step is to begin reading the Bible. Then find a good church that teaches the Word of God in all of its fullness and without compromise.
If you have any questions about your new birth in Christ, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will be happy to answer your questions.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Are You Thinking Straight?
Emotional problems result from believing lies. Since we were designed to function according to truth, any deviation from truth will cause us to malfunction, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
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