Devo for 03/16/2025 service- Message by Pastor Clint Sprague

Last Sunday Pastor Clint brought week 2 of the “Seeds” series and continued to build off the Parable of the Sower that Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:18-23.  As we looked at Jesus’ explanation of the parable, He explained that the Sower (God) spreads the seed on the ground, representing the Word of God being sown into our hearts.  For the seeds to grow and be fruitful, it has to be in good soil.  

Let’s look at this idea of our hearts being “good soil” for His Word.  Specifically looking at soil (our hearts) that looks good on the top, but is rocky underneath.  Pastor Clint shared that these “rocks” need to be removed so the roots of the seed can grow deep.  To add to that point, there is a thing called a hardpan in farming.  This hardpan will also keep roots from growing deep, and it can occur, over time, in once-good soil.

A hardpan in a farm field can form when a tractor pulls an implement like a plow over a field year after year, causing the soil below the plow to be compacted.  Over time, this compacted soil becomes rock hard, not allowing the roots to grow any deeper than the depth of the plow, causing the seed to die.  This hardpan cannot be broken by normal plowing, the farmer has to be intentional and take steps to go deeper into the soil to break it up allowing the roots to have plenty of room to grow.

As I was thinking about the hardpan and our walk as Christians, I realized that we can sometimes end up with “hardpans” in our hearts.  These are areas in our lives that once were thriving with deep roots in good soil, but over time, we began taking things for granted, and a “hardpan” formed in our once fertile soil in our hearts.  (Busyness is a good example; life gets crazy, and we quit “breaking up the deep soil” and end up with a shallow hardpan)  

So how do we break up the “hardpan in our hearts” and keep one from forming?  As men of God, we need to understand that we have a role to play in making sure our “soil” (heart) is good, and stays fertilized, tilled and ready for growth.  We need to go deep enough in our pursuit of God that the hardpan never has a chance to form, or if it does, we can break through it to prepare for the seed to grow deep roots.

Here is a three-step process that may help:

• We can “fertilize” our soil (hearts) by intentionally and regularly spending time in the presence of God and asking Him into all parts of our lives.

• We can “till” our soil by intentionally and regularly spending time studying the Word.  

• We can make sure we are ready for “growth” by gathering with our Christian brothers to encourage and challenge each other as we become the men God created us to be.

Don’t forget to invite God into your day!

Topic for Study - 

• Studying the Word

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17

• Revelation 1:3

• Proverbs 3:1-2

March Memory Verses: 

James 1:19

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger