This document provides a 3-part summary of the human heart in relation to receiving God's word: 1) It describes the heart as hard, shallow, or crowded - unable to fully receive or retain the word. 2) It explains the parable of the sower, with the seed representing God's word and the different soils/hearts representing different responses to it. 3) It promotes having a "fruitful heart" that hears God's word, retains it, and produces good works - living out the word and bringing others to Christ.

1. In an average lifetime :-
• Beats approx 3,000 million times
• Pumps 48 m gallons of blood
• In one hour, produces equivalent
energy to raise a ton of weight
3 feet off the ground

2. Series – ‘Serving God with our whole body’
Today
A heart in tune
with God
Matt 13:1-9, 18-23

3. Series theme verse
Now you are the body
of Christ, and each one
of you is a part of it
1 Cor 12:27

4. God looks at the heart
‘Do not consider his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things people
look at. People look at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’
1 Sam 16:7

5. The Seed is the Word of God - The Bible
• Seed has life in it - Heb 4:12a
• Seed is powerful – Heb 4:12b
• Seed produces fruit – 1 Cor 3:6

6. 1. The Hard heart
A farmer went out to sow his
seed. As he was scattering the
seed, some fell along the path,
and the birds came and ate it up
Matt 13:3b-4

7. 1. The Hard heart
when anyone hears the message
about the kingdom and does not
understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was
sown in their heart
Matt 13:19

8. 2. The Shallow heart
Some fell on rocky places, where
it did not have much soil.
It sprang up quickly, because the
soil was shallow.
But when the sun came up, the plants were
scorched, and they withered because they
had no root – Matt 13:5-6

9. 2. The Shallow heart
The seed falling on rocky ground refers to
someone who hears the word and at once
receives it with joy. But since they have no
root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because
of the word, they quickly fall away
Matt 13:20-21

10. 3. The Crowded heart
Other seed fell among thorns,
which grew up and choked
the plants
Matt 13:7

11. 3. The Crowded heart
The seed falling among the thorns
refers to someone who hears the word,
but the worries of this life and the
deceitfulness of wealth choke the word,
making it unfruitful
Matt 13:22

12. 4. The Fruitful heart
Still other seed fell on
good soil, where it
produced a crop – a
hundred, sixty or thirty
times what was sown
Matt 13:8

13. 4. The Fruitful heart
But the seed on good soil stands for
those with a noble and good heart,
who hear the word, retain it, and by
persevering produce a crop
Luke 8:15

14. What does it mean to be fruitful?
• Reaching others for Christ
• Living a Christ like life which
produces the fruit of the Spirit

15. Which soil represents the condition of your heart?
• Hard heart
• Shallow heart
• Crowded heart
• Fruitful heart

16. How do I develop a heart in tune with God?
Learn God’s ways Teach me your way, O LORD - Ps 86:11a
Live out God’s truth I may walk in your truth – Ps 86:11b
Lay aside all distractions give me an undivided heart - Ps 86:11c

17. “You can have as much
of God as you want.
The questions is –
how much do you want?”
Alan Redpath