The document discusses the parable of the sower from the Bible, in which seeds sown by a sower produced different results depending on the type of soil. It says Jesus places responsibility on individuals for their differing spiritual results. It then discusses that no one is fully spiritually mature upon becoming Christian, and that individuals are responsible for their own spiritual growth through learning practices like prayer, Bible reading, worship, sharing their faith, and resisting sin. Spiritual maturity requires both knowing spiritual truths and putting them into practice.

2. PARABLE OF THE SOWER
One action (“the word” distributed), four results:
1. No Responsiveness – stolen
2. Responsiveness w/o root – withered
3. Responsiveness w/o cultivation – choked
4. Responsiveness with fruitfulness – reproducing
Where does Jesus place responsibility in regards
to the differing results?

3. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN
SPIRITUAL MATURITY
No one comes into Christ fully formed in spiritual maturity. How does that
change?
• How to pray? You need to learn how to pray.
• How to read and understand Scripture? You need to learn how to do so.
• How to worship God in spirit and truth? You need to learn how to worship.
• How to share God’s message with others? You need to learn how to do so.
• How to resist sin and embrace holiness of heart? You need to learn how to
do so.
• How to give financially and otherwise? You need to learn how to do so.
(And so on…)
Some churches seem to offer to take responsibility for your spiritual maturity if
you will attend their classes and programs – nope!

4. SOWER PARABLE
Fruitfulness is a matter of KNOWING and DOING
James 1: 22 – “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says”.
Your faith grows and your spiritual maturity increases
when you try things out and learn from your efforts.
Spiritual maturity is not a gift from God any more than
bigger muscles are a gift from the gym. YOU learn
it by using God’s resources to push on your limits.

5. LAMP AND MEASURE
“Consider carefully what you hear,” he
continued. “With the measure you use, it will be
measured to you—and even more. Whoever has
will be given more; whoever does not have,
even what they have will be taken from them.”
What is one of the most important spiritual
lessons you have learned? How did you learn
it?

6. NOT OURS TO “GROW THE SEED” BUT TO
CULTIVATE THE SOIL
Verses 26 – 29 - The seed has a life of its own. It knows
how to grow. It is our job to cultivate the soil
Spiritual Maturity is a matter of cultivation.
• Spiritual practices – baseline “weeding and feeding”
• Rest – allows roots to go deeper
• Service – increases fruitfulness
• Worship and Fellowship – reinforces and cross-pollinates
the life of the growing plant

7. THE KEY TO GROWTH AND FRUITFULNESS
Respond to what you know
Risk using what you have
Relate to others who are fruitful
Reflect on what you learn
Rest in who God is
Rejoice in the Lord!
Repeat…