The parable of the sower describes different types of soil that seeds can fall on, representing how people receive the word of God. Some seeds fall on hardened or unprepared hearts and do not take root. Other seeds fall on shallow soil and people receive the word with joy but fall away when faced with affliction. Still other seeds are choked by thorns, as people's concerns for worldly things prevent the word from growing in them. But seeds that fall on good soil take root deeply and produce a bountiful crop, representing people who hear the word, keep it, and remain steadfast through patience.