My Relentless Search for 'Good Soil'

I’m frustrated about something, and I wonder if you can help me work through it. It all goes back to two fundamental questions I have about Jesus’ Parable of the Sower.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it has a simple beginning: “A farmer went out to plant some seed” (Mark 4:3-20 NLT). But then the parable gets a little complicated. Some of the farmer’s seed fell on the “footpath,” others fell on “shallow soil,” and the third fell among “thorns.”

The farmer was only successful in the fourth scenario: “Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Here’s the first question that troubles me: What kind of incompetent farmer is this?! He must have pathetic aim. Can’t he target ALL his seeds toward the good soil?

Let me know whether you agree with my conclusion at this point: Jesus explains that “The farmer plants seeds by taking God’s word to others.” ?So…I think I get what He’s saying. When we first share the gospel or other Biblical principles with someone, we never know for sure whether they are “good soil” or not.

Like the farmer in this story, Jesus freely sowed seeds of God’s kingdom far and wide. Multitudes were given a chance to respond, but only a few turned out to be good soil. Like the parable, many people either rejected His message or allowed the seed to be chocked or stunted. ?

Perhaps you’ve experienced this in your own interactions with people. Someone who initially seemed open to the claims of Christ ended up flaming out. Meanwhile, a hardcore antagonist like Saul of Tarsus ends up becoming a committed disciple.

Question #2

Okay, the answer to question #1 seems to be that we’re called to sow seeds as widely as possible, leaving the outcome to the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:6). But my second question is more daunting: Even if we’re called to widely scatter seed for evangelism, aren’t we supposed to search for “good soil” for the process of discipleship?

I believe the answer to this is a resounding YES! Let’s look at some evidence.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul says to entrust God’s Word to people who are “faithful” (ESV, CSB. NKJV), “trustworthy”(NLT), and “reliable” (NIV). Sadly, many professing Christians don’t meet this criterion! As a result, they aren’t a very good investment of our time.

But how are we supposed to know whether a person meets this “good soil” test? Sometimes it simply takes time to determine a person’s sincerity and faithfulness. Paul tells Timothy the goal of discipleship is not just to produce a Bible student but rather a “good soldier” willing to endure suffering; an “athlete” who is spiritually fit and able to follow the rules; and a “farmer” who is hardworking rather than being lazy or feeling entitled (2 Timothy 2:3-6).

The Gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles are all full of examples of fair-weather followers. Many of these people seemed to get off to a good start, yet they didn’t finish well. The outcome of their life was embarrassment rather than a 30-fold, 60-fold, or 100-fold harvest for God’s kingdom.

My Ongoing Search

For more than 50 years, I’ve been on the lookout for “good soil”—people like Timothy, Titus, and Silas who are wholehearted followers of Jesus. There have been both hits and misses in that pursuit.

Paul had this same experience, finding that some people were more responsive than others. For example, the people of Berea were much more receptive than the people of Thessalonica:

“The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.?As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men” (Acts 17:11-12).

Recently I’ve been evaluating where to find the “Bereans” today. Instead of investing as much of my time with my baby boomer friends, I’ve mostly turned my attention to young people. Although God can still transform people in my advanced age group, it’s much more likely that He will raise up responsive disciples in the next generation.

However, even though I love pouring my life into young people, I’m detecting a disturbing trend in recent years. Many young Christians in America seem to be falling prey to the same things Jesus warned about: “All too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things” (Mark 4:19).

If Jesus were preaching on this today, He might say, “Many are chasing the American dream but forgetting about God’s kingdom dream.”

Some of you may want to protest: “Jim, you seem to be overlooking the amazing reports of revival breaking out on college campuses across the country. Isn’t it obvious that God is doing remarkable things?”

Yes, indeed, the Lord IS doing great things in the lives of many students. I’m thrilled by the reports and have even visited some of the campus revival meetings.

However, Jesus’ parable showed the fallacy of only observing short-term results. Instead, it requires us to look down the road to the long-term fruitfulness of the sprouted seeds.

So I ask, will the students who’ve been spiritually awakened receive the discipleship and mentoring they need? Will they avoid being sidetracked after graduation by the new responsibilities of careers, marriage, mortgages, and the endless activities our society prescribes for their children? Let us be praying for them!

Good Soil Overseas?

In recent months, God has revolutionized my life in a very surprising way. Pastors in places like Pakistan, Kenya, and India have reached out and asked me to preach the Word of God and train their leaders.

I was initially very skeptical, because I knew there are lots of scams. No doubt, some people overseas are just interested in receiving our money, not our mentoring.

However, this experience has been exhilarating. As I preach and teach through FaceTime, Google meet, WhatsApp, and even TikTok, I sense a spiritual hunger not often seen in the United States. ?

Okay, you can go ahead and rebuke me for my bad attitude toward my fellow believers in the USA. I’m sure many have an intense hunger for the things of God. Like the Bereans, some are ready to soak up the Word and spread it far and wide.

But it’s hard to feed someone who already feels “full” (Revelation 3:17). With our ready access to countless YouTube preachers, podcasts, and social media content, many American Christians seem like people who’ve just gorged themselves with three Big Macs and a large order of fries at McDonalds. It’s not healthy, but it sure is filling. ?

True disciples yearn for more transformation. They realize they must regularly clean out the clutter in their life and “make room” for the purposes of God. Help us to do that, Holy Spirit.

Pointing the Finger at ME

As I’m reflecting on this longtime quest to find “good soil” in others, God is challenging me about the condition of my own soil. Too often, I’m prone to criticize others for their lack of spiritual hunger, while failing to see my own complacency. Sometimes I get much too satisfied with my present level of Bible knowledge, spiritual maturity, and fruitfulness.

There’s an important principle at work here: If I myself am not hungry to go deeper and become more fruitful, my disciples won’t be hungry either. Before expecting to influence others, I must regularly break up the “fallow ground” in my own heart (Hosea 10:12).

I recently preached a message at my home church about how many of us could use a “personal trainer” for our spiritual life, just as we may also need one to help us get in shape physically. A friend of mine has a personal trainer he really likes, and I asked him why that experience was so rewarding.

My friend replied that his personal trainer was truly inspirational. “Yes, he kicks my butt and makes me work harder in the gym,” my friend explained, “yet the main ingredient is that he’s in such great shape that I want to be like him.”

Friend, don’t miss this vital lesson. Whether you are old or young…whether you live in America or somewhere overseas…whether you’re a longtime believer or just getting started…I hope you’ll join me in pursuing a new level of spiritual fitness and fruitfulness. Let’s become “good soil” again, so others will want what to be like us.

The apostle Paul said it this way: “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). When that’s our daily quest, there’s no room for arrogance or complacency.