who does HE speak to?...

now here is the key to it all, GOD talks to people who decide in advance that they are going to do whatever HE tells them to do when HE tells them.

most of us want GOD to talk to us and then we'll decide if we're going to do it or not and GOD says, "no, no. we don't play that game." GOD talks to people who are going to do what HE tells them to do once HE tells them.

if you want GOD to speak to you, you need to say, "ok, GOD, i'm going to do what you tell me to do whether i understand it or not, whether it makes sense or not, whether i'd think i'd like to do it or not, because i know it's the right thing and i know you know what would make me happy more than i do." it's a matter of trust.

the forth soil represents a willing heart. willing to do whatever GOD tells you to do, before HE even tells you.

luke 8.8, 15 (ms), other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop…the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

the key word is, seize. they not only hear GOD's word but they seize it. they write it down, they listen to it, they think about it and go over it. the result is a productive life.

would you like to make your life count? would you like to have a productive, fulfilling, satisfying life? then do what james 1.22 (niv) tells us, do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. do what it says!

listen, you kid yourself if you think you're growing just by going to church. you do what it says.

if i could hook up a machine to your brain right now and show the contents on this screen, some of you would be embarrassed. some might have a blank screen.

what kind of spiritual brain scan would show up? would you have a closed mind? would you have a superficial mind that gets excited about what you’ve heard and then get up and forget it all? would you have a distracted mind that wants to do the right thing but you're too busy right now? or would you have a willing mind?

just a thought from the front porch…