Four Hearts

Mark 4:13-20 "Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14  The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15  The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16  The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18  The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19  but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20  And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted"

Jesus describes four hearts in this scripture, the first heart is the hardened heart. The hardened heart is the person that has no place in the heart for the word of God. This person has been hurt and wounded, the enemy has lied to them and they blame God for their pain.

The second heart is the shallow heart, this person has no depth to their life. They follow their emotions and circumstances. When trouble or persecution comes because they are obeying the word of God, they fall away and follow the path of least resistance.

The third heart is the crowded heart, this person is driven by wealth and success, they worry more about their appearance than their integrity. This person is too busy to find time for the things of God.

The fourth heart is the open heart, this person receives and understands the importance of the word of God in their life. This person not only accepts the word but he cultivates the word and continues in it, allowing it time to produce fruit.

Recognize that each person received the same word, the seed doesn't change from person to person, Gods word is the same for all. The only thing that changes is the condition of people's hearts. The condition of your heart determines the size of your harvest. If you are not happy with the fruit of your life, then change your heart.