A Rooted Life

Passage Luke 8:1-15 (The Parable of the Sower)

A rooted life begins with how we respond to the word of God. Jesus told a profound parable to a crowd of people who had gathered from various towns to hear him. In this parable in Luke 8:1-15, he compared different groups who heard the same message, but responded differently.

How did each group respond to the word?

• The first group represents those who hear the word, but the word is taken from them so that they may not believe and be saved. (verse 12)
• Second, those with a rocky ground foundation hear, receive the word with joy, but have no root, and in times of testing, they fall away. (verse 13)
• The third group who hear God’s word, when they go on their way, they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (verse 14)
• The fourth group where the seed fell on good soil, have hearts who hear the word, retain God’s word, and by persevering produce a crop. (verse 15)

Observations

1. All heard the word of God, but what differed is how they received the word.
   • What differentiates the last group of people?
     1. They retain the word of God
     2. They persevere in their faith. The Christian faith requires great perseverance. 
        
        James 1:2-4 NIV says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
        
2. Hearing God’s word alone doesn’t change us. We are called to be doers, not hearers only. 
   
   James 1:22-25 NIV, says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.“

  3. A rooted life delights in God’s word and meditates on it

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

Reflection: Which group am I in right now and how can I take the next step forward in my relationship with God?