The parable of the sower may be the most important of the parables of the Kingdom of God. We notice that the Seed, the Word of God, or Christ if you will, is sown in four kinds of ground.

The Seed does not enter and germinate in the first kind of ground.

The second kind of ground is stony and the Seed does not develop a good root system. In times of trouble the plant withers and dies. Christ planted in the stony heart withers and dies!

The growing plant is choked out by weeds in the third kind of ground.

Christ is sown in the first three kinds of ground but does not bring forth permanent fruit. This is worthless to the farmer.

The fourth kind of ground is an honest and good heart. Unless we have an honest and good heart we never will bring forth the fruit of Christ.

In the fourth kind of ground the Seed may bring forth thirtyfold, or sixtyfold, or a hundredfold. This means that all people do not bring forth Christ to the same extent.

What governs the amount of Christ we bring forth?

Perhaps the destiny planned for us from the beginning of the world.

Perhaps the amount of pruning we are willing to receive.

Perhaps the diligence with which we pursue Christ.

I think we get out of Christ whatever we put into Christ.

Two people own grand pianos. After thirty years one can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The other can play all the Beethoven sonatas. It depends on what you put into it.

I think there is this about God. Perhaps you were predestined to be a corporal in the army of the Lord. But if you surprise God by the amount of diligence you apply to seeking Christ you might end up a general.

Every aspect of the Christian salvation is an opportunity. What you do with your opportunity depends to a great extent on the choices you make each day. There simply is no place in Christian thinking for a spirit of fatalism or inevitability.

Never, never, never let life beat the idealism out of you. With God all things are possible. Are you very young? What does it matter? Are you very old? What does it matter? So many trips around the sun, that's all. No real significance in trips around the sun.

Why don't we surprise God? Why don't we go after Christ until the Lord says "Well done My servant!" with a real note of astonishment in His voice.

We certainly can't lose anything by serving the Lord with our whole personality. We have all eternity to rest!

Well, fruit's the thing. God has ordained us in Christ that we might serve as models of righteousness and praise for the rest of His creation. We could never accomplish such virtue in our adamic nature. But if we do what Christ and His Apostles commanded there is no reason why we cannot reap Christ a hundredfold.

Let's go for it.

Here's a one-liner for you. Christ came to change what we reap by changing what we sow.