Foundry Community Church
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - Year A
  • I Sing The Mighty Power Of God

      • Psalm 119:105–112ESV

      • Romans 8:1–11ESV

  • All Creatures Of Our God And King

  • Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23

    Matthew 13:1–9 ESV
    1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
    Matthew 13:18–23 ESV
    18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
    This is the Gospel of our Lord!
    Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!

    Introduction ~

    Nearly everyone understands the importance of good soil. Farmers know that the quality of the harvest is determined long before the seed is planted. The same seed can produce dramatically different results depending on the condition of the ground.
    Jesus says the issue isn't the seed. The issue isn't the sower.
    The issue is the soil.
    Every person listening to Jesus that day had a heart represented by one of these soils—and so do we.
    The question isn't, "Is God speaking?"
    The question is, "Am I listening?"

    Point One ~ A Hard Heart Rejects God's Word

    Matthew 13:4, 19
    Jesus says,
    Matthew 13:4 ESV
    4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
    Later He explains,
    Matthew 13:19 ESV
    19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
    The path wasn't a road.
    It was a walkway.
    Farmers and travelers crossed these paths every day.
    Year after year.
    Step after step.
    Eventually the dirt became packed as hard as concrete.
    When seed landed there...
    It couldn't penetrate.
    It simply sat on the surface until birds carried it away.
    Jesus says some hearts become like that.
    Not because God stopped speaking.
    But because repeated exposure without response creates hardness.
    Every time we resist conviction...
    Every time we ignore God's prompting...
    Every time we excuse our sin...
    Every time we choose pride over repentance...
    Our hearts become a little less sensitive.
    A little less receptive.
    A little more resistant.
    Hebrews warns us,
    Hebrews 3:15 ESV
    15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
    Notice that the problem isn't intellectual.
    Jesus isn't talking about intelligence.
    He's talking about receptivity.
    Some of the hardest hearts belong to very intelligent people.
    Some of the softest hearts belong to people with very little education.
    The issue is not IQ.
    The issue is humility.
    Pride hardens.
    Bitterness hardens.
    Unforgiveness hardens.
    Disappointment hardens.
    Sometimes people have been hurt by life.
    Sometimes they've been hurt by other Christians.
    Sometimes they've been hurt by the church.
    Instead of bringing that pain to Christ, they build walls around their hearts.
    Those walls may protect them from pain...
    But they also prevent God's Word from getting in.
    That's exactly what Jesus is describing.
    God's truth is proclaimed.
    His grace is offered.
    His mercy is extended.
    But a hardened heart leaves His Word sitting on the surface until the enemy steals it away.
    The problem isn't the seed.
    The problem isn't the Sower.
    The problem is the soil.
    Church, I wonder this morning...
    Has disappointment hardened your heart?
    Has resentment hardened your heart?
    Has pride hardened your heart?
    Has disappointment with God caused you to stop listening?
    Have you heard so many sermons that they've become familiar instead of life-changing?
    One of the greatest dangers in church isn't hearing too little Scripture.
    It's hearing so much Scripture that we become comfortable without being transformed.
    Every Sunday gives us another opportunity either to soften our hearts...
    Or to harden them.
    The choice is ours.

    Transition

    The good news is this:
    God specializes in breaking up hard ground.
    He has done it throughout history.
    But Jesus says there is another danger.
    Sometimes the problem isn't hardness.
    Sometimes the problem is shallowness.
    And that's the second soil.

    Point Two ~ A Shallow Heart Won't Last

    Matthew 13:5–6, 20–21
    Jesus continues,
    Matthew 13:5–6 ESV
    5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
    Then He explains:
    Matthew 13:20–21 ESV
    20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
    Notice something important.
    This person isn't hostile to the gospel.
    In fact, Jesus says they receive it with joy.
    There's excitement.
    There's enthusiasm.
    There's emotion.
    Everything looks promising.
    If you were standing in the field a few days after the seed was planted, you might even think this plant was healthier than the others because it sprouted first.
    But appearances can be deceiving.
    Jesus says beneath the surface is solid rock.
    In Palestine, this wasn't a field scattered with loose rocks that could simply be picked up and removed. It was often a shelf of limestone hidden just inches beneath the soil. From above, everything looked healthy. But below the surface, the roots had nowhere to go.
    As long as conditions were easy, the plant looked alive.
    But eventually the sun exposed what the shallow soil had concealed.
    Isn't that how life works?
    Easy seasons rarely reveal the depth of our faith.
    Success doesn't usually test us.
    Comfort doesn't expose us.
    It's suffering that reveals our roots.
    Anyone can praise God when life is going well.
    Anyone can trust Him when prayers are answered immediately.
    Anyone can worship when the diagnosis is good, the marriage is strong, the children are thriving, and the finances are secure.
    But what happens when the doctor says, "I'm sorry..."
    What happens when the job disappears?
    When the relationship ends?
    When the prayers seem unanswered?
    When following Christ costs you friendships, opportunities, or comfort?
    That's when roots matter.
    Jesus isn't saying hardship destroys faith.
    He's saying hardship reveals whether faith has developed roots.
    One of the greatest misunderstandings in modern Christianity is the idea that following Jesus guarantees an easier life.
    Jesus never promised that.
    In fact, He promised the opposite.
    He said,
    John 16:33 ESV
    33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
    The Apostle Paul wrote that all who desire to live godly lives will face persecution.
    Peter reminds believers not to be surprised by fiery trials.
    Throughout Scripture we discover that suffering isn't evidence God has abandoned us.
    Often it's the very place where He deepens us.
    There have been seasons when I left a worship service inspired.
    I couldn't wait to tell someone what God was teaching me.
    I read my Bible with excitement.
    Prayer came easily.
    Everything felt alive.
    But excitement isn't the same thing as maturity.
    Emotion is a wonderful gift.
    But emotion alone won't carry you through cancer.
    Emotion won't carry you through grief.
    Emotion won't sustain your marriage.
    Emotion won't keep you faithful during years of unanswered prayer.
    Only deep roots can do that.
    Those roots are developed quietly.
    Daily prayer.
    Daily Scripture.
    Regular worship.
    Obedience when nobody is watching.
    Faithfulness in ordinary moments.
    Those hidden disciplines prepare us for public storms.
    Most people admire giant oak trees.
    Few people admire the roots.
    Yet without the roots...
    There would be no tree.
    Church, God is often doing His deepest work in places nobody else can see.
    And that's good news.
    Because if you're in a season where God seems to be working underground...
    Don't lose heart.
    Roots grow before fruit appears.

    Application

    So let me ask you a personal question.
    If the heat of suffering exposed your faith this week...
    What would it reveal?
    Would it reveal deep confidence in Christ?
    Or would it reveal that you've been surviving on spiritual enthusiasm instead of spiritual maturity?
    The question isn't,
    "How excited am I about Jesus today?"
    The better question is,
    "How deep are my roots?"

    Transition

    Jesus says there is yet another kind of soil.
    This one has roots.
    Life begins.
    Growth starts.
    But something else is growing too.

    Point Three ~ A Crowded Heart Produces Little Fruit

    Matthew 13:7, 22
    Jesus says,
    Matthew 13:7 ESV
    7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
    Later He explains,
    Matthew 13:22 ESV
    22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
    This may be the most dangerous soil of all.
    Because unlike the hard path...
    Something actually grows.
    Unlike the rocky soil...
    The plant survives longer.
    Life begins.
    Roots develop.
    Growth is visible.
    But eventually...
    Fruit never comes.
    Why?
    Because the plant isn't alone.
    There are competitors.
    Jesus names them.
    The worries of life.
    The deceitfulness of wealth.
    Elsewhere He adds,
    "The desires for other things."
    Notice that Jesus doesn't necessarily describe immoral things.
    He describes ordinary things.
    Responsibilities.
    Finances.
    Work.
    Schedules.
    Dreams.
    Recreation.
    None of those are sinful by themselves.
    The danger comes when good things become ultimate things.
    When they occupy more of our affection than Christ Himself.
    Thorns rarely appear overnight.
    Ask anyone who gardens.
    You don't wake up one morning to find a garden completely overrun.
    It happens gradually.
    Quietly.
    Almost unnoticed.
    That's exactly how spiritual distraction works.
    Nobody intends to drift away from God.
    Nobody wakes up one morning saying,
    "I think I'll stop praying."
    "I think I'll neglect worship."
    "I think I'll ignore God's Word."
    It happens one small compromise at a time.
    One missed Sunday becomes two.
    One skipped devotional becomes a week.
    One busy season becomes a lifestyle.
    Eventually we discover we aren't rejecting Jesus...
    We're simply too distracted to hear Him.
    Jesus says that's exactly what happens to many believers.
    The enemy doesn't always need dramatic temptation.
    Sometimes ordinary distraction is enough.
    Busyness.
    Entertainment.
    Social media.
    Career.
    Sports.
    Travel.
    Financial success.
    Even good things can become dangerous when they quietly replace our first love.
    I wonder how many Christians aren't living in rebellion...
    They're simply living distracted.
    And distraction can be just as spiritually dangerous.
    Because whatever consistently captures your attention...
    Eventually captures your heart.

    Pastoral Application

    So let me ask another question.
    If someone looked honestly at your calendar...
    Your spending...
    Your conversations...
    Your thought life...
    What would they conclude is most important to you?
    Would they see a life centered on Christ?
    Or would they see someone slowly being crowded by everything else?
    Church, Satan doesn't always have to make us bad.
    Sometimes he simply keeps us busy.
    Busy enough that prayer feels optional.
    Busy enough that worship becomes occasional.
    Busy enough that we no longer hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.
    A crowded heart has very little room for the life God wants to produce.
    But thankfully, Jesus doesn't end the story with hard soil...
    Or shallow soil...
    Or thorny soil.

    Point Four ~ A Receptive Heart Bears Fruit

    Matthew 13:8, 23
    Jesus has described three disappointing outcomes.
    A hard heart.
    A shallow heart.
    A crowded heart.
    If the story ended there, it would leave us wondering if anyone can truly experience the life God desires.
    But then Jesus speaks about one final soil.
    Listen again to His words.
    Matthew 13:8 ESV
    8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
    And later He explains,
    Matthew 13:23 ESV
    23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
    This is where the entire parable has been heading.
    This is the outcome the Sower desires.
    This is the Church that Jesus Describes, Desires and Deserves!
    Notice something important.
    Jesus doesn't say the good soil is perfect soil.
    He simply says it is good soil.
    That's encouraging.
    Because none of us comes to Christ with a perfect heart.
    We all carry scars.
    We all have regrets.
    We all have seasons of doubt.
    We all struggle with temptation.
    The difference isn't perfection.
    The difference is receptivity.
    Good soil is soil that has been prepared.
    It has been broken up.
    The rocks have been removed.
    The weeds have been cleared away.
    It is open to receiving the seed.
    In the same way, a receptive heart is one that humbly says,
    "Lord, teach me."
    "Lord, correct me."
    "Lord, change me."
    "Lord, have Your way in my life."
    Those are dangerous prayers.
    Because if we genuinely pray them, God will answer them.
    Sometimes He answers through encouragement.
    Sometimes through conviction.
    Sometimes through blessing.
    Sometimes through pruning.
    But He is always working toward the same goal—to make us more like Christ.
    Notice the progression Jesus gives.
    He says the good soil 
    …hears the Word...
    ...and understands it...
    ...and then produces fruit.
    That order matters.
    Too many people try to reverse it.
    We think if we work hard enough, we'll eventually become fruitful.
    Jesus says fruit isn't something you manufacture.
    Fruit is something that grows.
    Think about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
    Paul doesn't call it the "works" of the Spirit.
    He calls it the fruit of the Spirit.
    Love.
    Joy.
    Peace.
    Patience.
    Kindness.
    Goodness.
    Faithfulness.
    Gentleness.
    Self-control.
    Those qualities cannot simply be stapled onto our lives.
    You can't wake up tomorrow morning and decide, "Today I'll tape more patience onto my personality."
    You can't manufacture genuine joy by pretending.
    You can't produce lasting peace through positive thinking alone.
    Fruit grows from life.
    And spiritual fruit grows from the life of Christ within us.
    That's why Jesus says in another parable,
    "By their fruit you will recognize them."
    Notice He didn't say,
    "By their church attendance."
    "By their vocabulary."
    "By the bumper sticker on their car."
    He said,
    "By their fruit."
    Fruit is visible evidence that life is healthy beneath the surface.
    A healthy apple tree doesn't have to announce what it is.
    Eventually everyone can see the apples.
    Likewise, a believer whose heart is receptive to God's Word will begin to display the character of Christ.
    Not overnight.
    Not perfectly.
    But progressively.
    That's important for us to remember because we often become discouraged by slow growth.
    We want instant transformation.
    We want immediate victory.
    We want God to fix years of habits in a single afternoon.
    Sometimes He does remarkable things instantly.
    More often, He transforms us faithfully over time.
    Think about how seeds grow.
    After a farmer plants a seed, he doesn't return the next morning expecting a harvest.
    Growth happens quietly.
    Invisible work takes place beneath the surface.
    Roots stretch downward before shoots reach upward.
    Day after day, life is developing where no one can see it.
    Then, eventually, the evidence appears.
    The same is true spiritually.
    Some of you may be sitting here today wondering,
    "Is God doing anything in my life?"
    You pray.
    You worship.
    You read your Bible.
    Yet you don't feel dramatic change.
    Can I encourage you?
    Don't underestimate what God is doing beneath the surface.
    The Holy Spirit is often accomplishing His greatest work in places that are invisible to everyone else—including you.
    Every act of obedience matters.
    Every prayer matters.
    Every moment spent in God's Word matters.
    Every decision to forgive matters.
    Every quiet act of faithfulness matters.
    God is cultivating roots.
    And when the roots are healthy, fruit will come in His time.
    Church, that's one of the greatest encouragements in this parable.
    The responsibility of the soil isn't to produce fruit by sheer effort.
    The responsibility of the soil is to remain receptive to the work of the Sower.
    Our responsibility is to keep saying yes to Jesus.
    Yes when He convicts us.
    Yes when He comforts us.
    Yes when He calls us to obedience.
    Yes when He asks us to forgive.
    Yes when He asks us to trust Him.
    As we continually surrender our hearts to Him, something beautiful begins to happen.
    The very life of Christ starts showing itself through us.
    People notice a different spirit.
    A different attitude.
    A different way of responding to hardship.
    A different kind of love.
    Not because we've become extraordinary people—
    But because the extraordinary life of Christ is growing within ordinary people.
    And that leads us to a beautiful picture of what fruitfulness really looks like.
    When Jesus says that the good soil produces "a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown," His listeners would have been astonished.
    In the first century, a good harvest might produce seven or eight times what was planted. Tenfold would have been considered an exceptional year.
    But Jesus isn't talking about an ordinary harvest.
    He describes an extraordinary one.
    Thirty.
    Sixty.
    One hundredfold.
    In other words, when God's Word takes root in a receptive heart, God accomplishes far more than we could ever produce on our own.
    That's how God has always worked.
    Think about the disciples.
    When Jesus first called them, they weren't impressive by the world's standards.
    They were fishermen.
    A tax collector.
    Ordinary men with ordinary lives.
    Yet after the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, those same men carried the gospel across the known world.
    Why?
    Because God's Word had taken root in receptive hearts.
    Think about Peter.
    The man who once denied Jesus around a charcoal fire would later stand before thousands on the Day of Pentecost and boldly proclaim Christ.
    What changed?
    The seed had taken root.
    Think about Paul.
    The persecutor of the church became its greatest missionary.
    What changed?
    The seed had taken root.
    Think about your own life.
    If you've walked with Christ for any length of time, you're probably not who you used to be.
    Maybe you're more patient than you once were.
    Maybe you're quicker to forgive.
    Maybe you respond differently to disappointment.
    Maybe your priorities have changed.
    Maybe your language has changed.
    Maybe your generosity has grown.
    Those changes didn't happen because you became stronger.
    They happened because Christ has been faithfully cultivating your heart.
    That's what spiritual fruit looks like.
    Sometimes we overlook it because it develops gradually.
    But the people closest to us often notice it before we do.

    Illustration — The Apple Orchard

    When I was a kid growing up, we used to go to Pfeiffer Orchards during harvest season.
    Remembering later in life, as I walked between the rows of trees, something struck me.
    None of the healthy trees seemed to be trying to produce apples.
    There were no strained branches.
    No frantic effort.
    No signs hanging from the limbs that read, "Produce More Fruit!"
    The trees simply stood where they had been planted.
    Their roots reached deep into the soil.
    They received sunlight.
    They absorbed water.
    Season after season they remained healthy.
    And because they were healthy...
    Fruit appeared naturally.
    I remember one of the workers telling us, ”My job isn't to tape apples onto the branches. My job is to keep the trees healthy. If the tree is healthy, the fruit will come."
    I've thought about those words many times because they describe the Christian life so well.
    So many believers spend their lives trying to tape spiritual fruit onto their branches.
    We try to look joyful.
    We try to appear patient.
    We try to sound loving.
    We learn the right vocabulary.
    We smile at church.
    We know when to say, "I'm blessed."
    But underneath the surface, our hearts may still be anxious.
    Still resentful.
    Still exhausted.
    Still disconnected from Christ.
    Jesus never called us to decorate dead branches.
    He called us to abide in Him.
    In John 15, Jesus says,
    "I am the vine; you are the branches... apart from me you can do nothing."
    Notice what He doesn't say.
    He doesn't say,
    "Try harder."
    "Push yourself more."
    "Become more religious."
    Instead, He says,
    "Remain in Me."
    Abide in Me.
    Stay connected to Me.
    Because fruit is never produced by striving.
    It is produced by remaining.
    The healthiest Christians I've ever known usually aren't the loudest Christians.
    They're often the quietest.
    They're the people who faithfully pray.
    Who quietly serve.
    Who forgive quickly.
    Who encourage others.
    Who remain steady through hardship.
    Who continue trusting God when life doesn't make sense.
    Their lives preach sermons long before they ever speak a word.
    That's what Jesus is describing.
    A life so rooted in Him that His character naturally begins to appear.

    Pastoral Application

    So let me ask you something this morning.
    If someone spent a week with you...
    Would they see the fruit of the Spirit?
    Would they experience love?
    Would they notice joy?
    Would they encounter peace?
    Would they describe you as patient?
    Kind?
    Gentle?
    Faithful?
    Not because you're pretending...
    But because Christ is genuinely transforming you?
    You see, fruit isn't primarily for the tree.
    An apple tree doesn't eat its own apples.
    Its fruit nourishes someone else.
    In the same way, the fruit God produces in your life is meant to bless the people around you.
    Your patience blesses your family.
    Your kindness blesses your coworkers.
    Your faithfulness strengthens the church.
    Your generosity encourages those in need.
    Your peace points anxious people toward Christ.
    When God grows fruit in us, He intends to feed others through us.
    And isn't that exactly what Jesus did?
    Everywhere He went, weary people found rest.
    Hungry people found bread.
    Broken people found healing.
    Lost people found hope.
    As we remain connected to Him, our lives begin reflecting His life to the world.
    Church, that's what God desires for every one of us.
    Not merely that we attend church.
    Not merely that we know Scripture.
    Not merely that we avoid certain sins.
    But that we become people through whom the life of Jesus is clearly seen.

    Transition to the Conclusion

    As we come to the end of this parable, Jesus leaves us with one unavoidable question.
    Not, "Which soil do you think you are?"
    But,
    "What kind of soil is your heart becoming?"
    Because here's the encouraging truth.
    Soil can change.
    A hardened path can be broken up.
    Rocks can be removed.
    Thorns can be pulled.
    Ground can be cultivated.
    And that's exactly what our gracious God has been doing from the very beginning.
    The same Sower who scatters the seed is also the Master Gardener who lovingly prepares our hearts to receive it.
    That is where this parable ultimately leads us—not to guilt over the condition of our hearts, but to hope in the God who is still at work within us.

    Conclusion

    As we come to the end of Jesus' parable, it's worth remembering where we began.
    There was one Sower.
    There was one seed.
    There were four different soils.
    Throughout this message, we've examined each one.
    Some hearts become hardened.
    Some remain shallow.
    Some become crowded with the cares of life.
    Some receive God's Word and bear fruit.
    But perhaps the most encouraging truth in this entire passage is this:
    Jesus never criticizes the seed.
    The seed is always good.
    The Word of God is never the problem.
    Isaiah reminds us of that beautiful promise:
    "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish... so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
    Think about those words.
    God's Word never returns empty.
    Never.
    Every time Scripture is read...
    Every time the gospel is preached...
    Every time someone shares their testimony...
    God is at work.
    Sometimes we see immediate results.
    Sometimes the work is hidden beneath the surface.
    Sometimes it takes years before the harvest appears.
    But God is always working.
    That means this morning, while we've been opening His Word together, the Holy Spirit has been at work throughout this room.
    Some hearts have been encouraged.
    Some have been convicted.
    Some have been comforted.
    Some have been challenged.
    Some may have heard God's voice more clearly today than they have in a very long time.
    Because that is what God's Word does.
    It accomplishes His purpose.
    The question has never been whether God is speaking.
    The question is whether we are willing to let Him cultivate our hearts.
    One of the beautiful things about farming is that soil is not permanent.
    A hardened field can be tilled.
    Rocks can be removed.
    Thorns can be pulled.
    Ground can be restored.
    Farmers do it every year.
    And our Heavenly Father has been doing it for centuries.
    Some of you may be thinking,
    "Pastor, I recognize myself in the hard soil."
    Others may say,
    "I've been living in the rocky soil. My faith has been built more on emotion than endurance."
    Others may quietly admit,
    "My life has become crowded. I haven't rejected Jesus, but I've allowed everything else to crowd Him out."
    Can I tell you some wonderful news?
    None of those conditions have to be permanent.
    Because our God is in the business of changing hearts.
    Ezekiel records God's promise:
    "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
    Only God can do that.
    And He still does.
    Today is not about identifying your soil and walking away discouraged.
    Today is about placing your heart into the hands of the Master Gardener.
    Because He knows exactly how to cultivate it.

    Invitation

    So let me leave you with one final question.
    Not,
    "What kind of soil have I been?"
    But,
    "What kind of soil do I want to become?"
    Because through the grace of Jesus Christ, your future does not have to be determined by your past.
    The hard heart can be softened.
    The shallow heart can grow deep roots.
    The crowded heart can be cleared.
    The receptive heart can bear abundant fruit.
    Perhaps your prayer today is very simple.
    "Lord...Break up the hard places…Remove the rocks…Pull the weeds…Make my heart good soil."
    If that is your prayer, I believe God delights to answer it.
    Because He is far more committed to your spiritual growth than you are.
    He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.
    So don't leave today discouraged.
    Leave encouraged.
    The Sower is still sowing.
    The Spirit is still working.
    The Word is still powerful.
    And the harvest is still possible.
    Thanks be to God.

    Transition to Communion

    As we come to the Lord's Table, this parable takes on an even deeper meaning.
    The One who told the story of the Sower is also the Seed that willingly fell into the ground.
    Jesus said,
    "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."
    At the cross, Christ gave His life so that new life could grow in us.
    The bread reminds us that His body was broken.
    The cup reminds us that His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins.
    At this table we are reminded that our hope has never rested in the quality of our soil.
    Our hope rests in the faithfulness of our Savior.
    He is the One who forgives.
    He is the One who transforms.
    He is the One who cultivates hearts through His Holy Spirit.
    As we receive these gifts today, let us offer Him our hearts once again.
    Whatever condition they may be in...
    May we place them into His gracious hands and pray,
    "Lord Jesus, make my heart good soil."
    Come, for the table is ready.

      • Matthew 13:1–9ESV

      • Matthew 13:18–23ESV

      • Matthew 13:4ESV

      • Matthew 13:19ESV

      • Hebrews 3:15ESV

      • Matthew 13:5–6ESV

      • Matthew 13:20–21ESV

      • John 16:33ESV

      • Matthew 13:7ESV

      • Matthew 13:22ESV

      • Matthew 13:8ESV

      • Matthew 13:23ESV

  • Leader: Brothers and sisters in Christ, we come now to the Lord’s Table—a place of grace, remembrance, and renewal. Here we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, proclaim His victory over sin and death, and celebrate the unity we share as His people.

    Invitation to the Table

    Leader: Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
    This table is not the table of any church, but the table of our Lord Jesus Christ. All who trust in Him, repent of their sins, and desire to follow Him are invited to share in this meal of grace.

    Prayer of Confession

    Leader: Before we receive these gifts, let us confess our sins before God.
    All: Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
    Let us go before our Lord in Silent Confession…

    Assurance of Pardon

    Leader: Hear the good news: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
    In Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven.

    The Great Thanksgiving

    Leader: The Lord be with you.
    People: And also with you.
    Leader: Lift up your hearts.
    People: We lift them up to the Lord.
    Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
    People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
    Leader: Let us pray as our Lord taught us…

    The Lord’s Prayer

    Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

    Words of Institution

    Leader: On the night He was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, He broke it and said:
    "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
    In the same way, after supper He took the cup and said:
    "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
    For whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

    Prayer of Consecration

    Leader: Let us pray.
    Gracious Father, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and cup. By Your Spirit, unite us with Christ and with one another, that we may be nourished in faith, strengthened in hope, and renewed in love. Make us faithful witnesses of Your kingdom until Christ comes again in glory. Through Him, with Him, and in Him, all honor and glory are Yours, now and forever. Amen.

    Distribution

    Leader: The body of Christ, given for you. Amen.
    The blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen.

    Prayer After Communion

    All: Gracious God, we thank You for feeding us with the spiritual food of the body and blood of Your Son. Strengthen us through this meal to love and serve You faithfully, to seek justice, to show mercy, and to walk humbly with You. Send us into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Christ's love. In His holy name we pray. Amen.

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–24ESV

  • Doxology
  • Breathe on Me, Breath of God
  • Now Unto Him
Foundry Community Church
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