“The Roadside Soil” (Luke 8:12)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2026 9:09 PM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “The Roadside Soil”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:12

            Message of the verse:  “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.”

            Now we must remember that this parable that Jesus is saying represents something, and also remember that only those who are believers will understand it, as that is the way Jesus’ parables worked.  We have talked a bit about this verse earlier, but now we want to talk about its meaning.  Now the hard-packed, impenetrable soil beside the road, which is the pathway through the fields that people walked on.  This symbolizes those who have heard the gospel but reject it outright.  Like that soil, the hearts of such people are hardened against the truth.  MacArthur writes “The Old Testament refers to them as hard-hearted (Ps. 95:8; Proverbs 28:14)and stiff-necked (Deut. 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; Neh. 9:29; Jer. 7:26).”

(Ps. 95:8; Proverbs 28:14)

“8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,”

“14 ¶  Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

(Deut. 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; Neh. 9:29; Jer. 7:26)

“16  Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”

14  But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.”

“29  And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.”

“26  Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.”

“They are stubbornly resolute and rigid in their indifference and hostility to the gospel, motivated by their love of sin.  The heart of such people is a thoroughfare, constantly trampled and packed down by the sins that traverse it.  It is never plowed by conviction, self-examination, honest assessment of guilt, and repentance.  It is as callous to the sweet reasonings of grace as it is to the fearful terrors of judgment.

            “Interestingly, such hard-hearted people are often not atheists, but highly and seriously religious.  A prime example was the Jewish religious leaders of Christ’s day.  So firmly shut were their minds to the truth of God that they hated, opposed, and ultimately killed His Son, the very Messiah they had longed for (cf. Matthew 21:33-46).”

 

(cf. Matthew 21:33-46)

“33 ¶  "Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34  When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35  And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36  Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37  Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40  When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41  They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ’”The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." 45  When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46  And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.”

            “Because the sin-hardened hearts of those who permanently reject the gospel are impervious to God’s truth, their father (John 8:44) the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.”

(John 8:44)

“44  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

“Satan does that through false teachers (Matt. 7:15-20), fear of man (John 12:42), embarrassment at identifying with Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:33), pride (James 4:6), doubt that causes them not to believe and be saved, and mot of all, through the love of sin (John 3:19).”

(Matt. 7:15-20)

“15 ¶  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

(John 12:42)

42 ¶  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;”

(Matt. 10:33)

33  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

(James 4:6)

6  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

(John 3:19)

19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

9/11/2026 9:54 PM

 

 

 

 

 

“The Interpretation” (Luke 9:8b-15)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2026 9:20 AM

My Worship Time                                                                               Focus:  “The Interpretation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:8b-15

            Message of the verses:  “As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹ Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand.

¹¹ “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. ¹² And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. ¹⁴ And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.”

            Looking at John MacArthur’s commentary it seems to me that this is just an introduction to these verses as we will go into more detail about them beginning in this evening’s SD, and so I think it is wise for me to just quote what he wrote in this mornings SD.

            “As He told this story, Jesus would call out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

(cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

“35  It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

“15  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

“23  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

“That challenge distinguished between those who desired to understand what He was teaching, and those who did not.  Unsurprisingly only His disciples were interested, and they began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.  Jesus’ response revealed the incredible privilege that was theirs:  ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.’  The mysteries of which the Lord spoke are spiritual truths hidden through the Old Testament era and revealed in the New. (See the discussion of the New Testament mysteries in chapter 16 of this volume).  The kingdom of God, as noted in chapter 19 of this volume, refers to the sphere of salvation where God reigns over His people.  But as noted above, to the rest who reject the truth, parables are and act of judgment, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand (Matt. 13:12-13).”

(Matt. 13:12-13)

“12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

“Matthew records that Jesus elaborated on that statement of judgment by quoting from Isaiah’s familiar prophecy:

“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing but not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’ (Matt. 13:14-15; cf. Isa. 6:9-10)”

(Isa. 6:9-10)

“9 ¶  And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "’Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

“Because they willfully hardened their hearts against the truth, God judicially hardened them, just as He did with Pharaoh (cf. Ex. 8:15; 14:8).  While such people cannot understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:14), believers can (v. 16; cf. Matt. 13:16-17, 51).

            Having made it clear that the truth contained in the parable was for His disciples only, Jesus identified its key elements.  Significantly, He did not name the sower (as He so identified Himself in His explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares [Matt. 13:37]), since the sower is not the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the seed as the Word of God, specifically in the context the gospel message of salvation.  Peter used that same analogy when he wrote, ‘You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God’ (1 Peter 1:23; cf. Rom 10:17).  No artificial, synthetic seed can replace the divine seed and produce better results; attempting to alter the gospel message to make it more palatable to unbelievers brings judgment (Gal. 1:8-9) and can only result in false conversions.  The soil represents the heart (vv. 12, 15), and the four types of soil describe the various conditions of the souls of those who hear the gospel.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  That the Holy Spirit of God will use the blogs that I write to give out the gospel message so that souls will be saved, and believers will grow in grace.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to give the surgeons who will be operating on my grandson to have great wisdom so that it will be successful.  9/11/2026 10:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Parable” (Luke 8:5-8a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/10/2026 9:03 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                        Focus:  “The Parable”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                    Reference:  Luke 8:5-8a

            Message of the verses:  “The Sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.  Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.  Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.  Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.”

            Looking at this one can see it is a simple story and it describes an activity that was very familiar to Jesus’ hearers, since Galilee was largely an agricultural region.  In fact, as they stood along the shore that day they may even have seen this taking place in the distance.  Now when a sower went out to sow his seed he used a method known as broadcasting.  Now this involved walking up and the furrows in the plowed field scattering the seed by hand.  The seed would fall on different types of soil, of which the Lord mentions four of them.

            Some of the seed fell beside the road.  Jesus was talking about the beaten paths that separated the narrow strips of cultivated land.  Farmers used those paths to access their plowed fields, and travelers used them to travel through the countryside, example (Matthew 12:1) “1 ¶  At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.”  The paths were not plowed, and in the dry, semi-arid climate of Israel they would become virtually as hard as concrete.  There was no chance of seeds growing on these hard-packed soil.  What was not trampled under foot by people walking along the paths the birds of the air ate.

            Now some of the other seed fell on rocky soil. Jesus was not referring to soil strewn with rocks and boulders, since those would have been turned up ty the plowing and then removed.  In many places, however, there was an underlying rock bed deep enough below the surface to avoid being struck by the plow.  The plant’s roots could not penetrate that rock bed to reach the water table that was beneath it.  As a result they withered away, because the thin layer of topsoil retained insufficient moisture for them to survive. 

            Now we move on to still other seed fell among the thorns “Akanta (thorns) is a general term for the category of thorny” writes MacArthur “(Matt. 27:29; John 19:2]), prickly weeds that are useless and particularly harmful in cultivated cropland.”

(Matt. 27:29; John 19:2)

“29  and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

“2  And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.”

“Even the most careful, diligent plowing could not always remove all of the weed’s roots.  The result was a soil that looked good when the farmer sowed the seed, but the tragic reality was that there was other life in it.  The noxious weeds grew faster than the good plants, blocking sunlight and consuming the water and nutrients from the soil.  As a result the thorns grew up with the good plants and chocked them out.

            “But the situation was not entirely hopeless.  Some seed managed to fall into good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.  The soil had not of the drawbacks of the other three; it was soft, deep, and free of weeds.  As a result As a result, it produced an amazing crop.  Matthew 13:8 and Mark 4:8 refer to a crop yield of thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold; Luke mentions only the greatest yield (cf. Gen. 26:12). All were far above the average yield a farmer could expect.”

(cf. Gen. 26:12)

“12 ¶  And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him,”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  A large part of the reason I write Spiritual Diaries is so the Word of God can go around the world and produce fruit for the Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today: I have had grief compounded upon grief as my grandson, as I mentioned yesterday has lost an arm and a leg to a motorcycle accident.  Compound with still grieving over the death of my wife on the 29^th of July it has made my life and the lives of our family very difficult.  He has a very long way to go before he will even be back to some kind of a normal life, and our prayers go heavenward for him many times a day.  I continue to listen to the song that was sung and played at my wife’s funeral “He giveth More Grace” as that song is listened to each and every day to remind me that God gives more grace when the burden grows greater. 

9/10/2026 9:43 PM

PT-5 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-15)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/9/2026 5:35 PM

My Worship Time     Focus:  PT-5 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                               Reference:  “Luke 8:4-15”

            Message of the verses:  “4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

            I will continue to quote John MacArthur’s introduction to the above section of Scripture.

            The first thing I want to say is that you please be in prayer for my family as my grandson was in a very sever motorcycle accident and has lost one leg and one arm, but the Lord has spared his life and no vital parts of his body, like organs and head injury’s did not happen, but it will be a very long road to recovery, and so prayer is needed.

            “Though Jesus made up such analogies all through His minis try, this parable marked a major turning point.  From this time on Jesus spoke to crowds only in parables (Matt. 13:34).  Now let me add something here that I hope will be helpful, and that is that the incident where the scribes and other rulers accused Jesus of doing his miracles in the power of Satan was the time when Jesus began to speak in parables, for this was the time when they blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and Jesus said that this was the unpardonable sin.  Now I will quote Matt. 13:34.

(Matt. 13:34)

“34  All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.”

“That was a deliberate act of judgment on His part.  Those who would not believe now could not; the fools who hated knowledge (Prov. 1:22) were deprived of it.”

(Prov. 1:22)

“22  "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”

By presenting His teaching in parables, Jesus hid the truth from rejecting unbelievers and revealed it only to His faithful followers.  Without an explanation, a parable can mean anything or nothing; it is little more than a riddle.  The Lord’s veiling of the truth means that judgment had fallen on Israel so that they could not longer understand the teaching of their own Messiah.  Those who had rejected Him were fixed in the darkness they loved (John 3:19).

(John 3:19)

19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

“Only the Lord’s disciples understood the parables, because only they received His explanation of them.  Mark’s account of this incident records that Jesus ‘was saying to [His disciples]. ‘To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise them might return and be forgiven’’ (Mark 4:11-12).

            “In this passage the Lord told the parable to the crowds, and then interpreted it in private to His disciples.”

9/9/2026 5:54 PM

 

PT-4 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-15)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/9/2026 8:45 AM

My Worship Time     Focus:  PT-4 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  “Luke 8:4-15”

            Message of the verses:  “4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

            I will continue to quote John MacArthur’s introduction to the above section of Scripture.

            “Matthew’s account provides the setting for this parable.  On the day He told it, Jesus left a house (probably the one where His mother and brothers found Him [Matt. 12:46-50]) and went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee (13:1).”

(Matt. 12:46-50)

“46 ¶  While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 47  48  But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49  And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”

(13:1)

“1 ¶  That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.”

“Because of the large crowds that pressed Him, Jesus got into a boat and sat down to teach the people (cf. Luke 5:3), who stood on the beach (Matt. 12:2).”

(cf. Luke 5:3)

“3  Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.”

(Matt. 12:2)

“2  And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.”

“The large crowd consisted not only of people from the immediate vicinity, but also from various other cities.  Drawn by the rapidly spreading news of Jesus’ power over nature and the demonic realm, and His ability to heal any and all diseases and even raise the dead, they gathered to experience firsthand His powerful miracles and amazing teaching.

            “When the crowds arrived, the Lord spoke to them by way of a parable. Parabole (parable) means to put one thing alongside another for comparison.  Parables were a common rhetorical device employed by the rabbis.  Here, as He often did, Jesus put a story alongside a spiritual truth to make that truth more clearly understood.  While parables could be brief illustrations (e.g., 5:36-39; Matt. 13:31-32, 33, 44, 45-46), they could also be extended analogies, as is this one. Parables placed profound theological truth in familiar settings, making it vivid, interesting, unforgettable, and easily recalled.”

(e.g., 5:36-39; Matt. 13:31-32, 33, 44, 45-46)

“36  He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38  But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39  And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’"

“31  He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32  It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’”

“33  He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was leavened.”

“44 ¶  "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

“45  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46  who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he and bought it.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life today: On top of losing my wife to cancer a little over a month ago I got news this morning that my 20 year old grandson was in a serious motorcycle accident early this morning.  He lost an arm, and part of a leg.  God be miscible to our family.

9/9/2026 9:21 AM

 

 

PT-3 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-15)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/8/2026 9:12 AM

My Worship Time     Focus:  PT-3 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  “Luke 8:4-15”

            Message of the verses:  “4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

            I mentioned in my morning SD that there is a list of verses to look at and MacArthur wrote the following to help me where he is going with this:  “Scripture describes such a heart as

.wicked (Proverbs 26:23) “23 ¶  Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.

.desperately sick (Jer. 17:9) “9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

.perverse (Prov. 11:20) “20 ¶  Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.”

.evil (Gen. 8:21; Jer. 3:17) “21  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.”

“17  At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.”

.insane (Ecc. 9:3) “3  This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”

.unclean (Jer. 4:14) “14  O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?”

.deceitful (Jer. 17:9) “9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

.Disloyal (1 Kings 15:3) “3  And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.”

.errant (Psalm 95:10) “10  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways."

.unrepentant (Rom. 2:5) “5  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

.unbelieving (Heb. 3:12) “12  Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

.blind (Rom. 1:21) “21  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

.deceived (Isa. 44:20) “20  He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

.hardened (Eph. 4:18) “18  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

.proud (Prov. 16:5; 21:4) “5 ¶  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”

4 ¶  Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.”

.greedy (2 Peter 2:14) “14  They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!”

.foolish (Rom 1:21) “21  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

.idolatrous (Ezekiel 15:3-4) “3  Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4  Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything?”

.rebellious (Jer. 5:23) “23  But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.”

.perverse (Ps. 101:4; Prov. 11:20) “4  A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.”

20 ¶  Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.”

.stubborn (Jer. 5:23) “23  But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.”

.dull (Acts 28:27) “27  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’”

“All of those negative terms expose the depts of human depravity.”

9/8/2026 10:14 PM

  

 

PT-2 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-15)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/8/2026 9:12 AM

My Worship Time     Focus:  PT-2 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  “Luke 8:4-15”

            Message of the verses:  “4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

            As per usual I will quote this introduction from the commentary of John MacArthur.

            I realize that I did not get too far in last evening’s SD, and I don’t think that I will get very far in this morning's SD as in MacArthur’s commentary which I will be quoting this morning he has a list of verses that I wish to quote, 23 is the number and so I which to do them all in one SD, but probably in this evening’s SD.

            “The parable the Lord related in this passage answers the question of why throughout redemptive history most people have rejected the gospel (Matt. 7:14; 22:14; Luke 13:23-24).

(Matt. 7:14; 22:14; Luke 13:23-24)

“14  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

“14  For many are called, but few are chosen."

“23 ¶  And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24  "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

It is crucial to a proper understanding of evangelism, and reveals what kind of responses believers can expect when the present the gospel.  Jesus’ simple illustration provides profound and unforgettable insight into the subject of receptivity to the gospel.  He makes it clear that the issue is not the gospel message, nor is it the skill of methodology of those proclaiming it.  The determining  factor is the condition of the hearer’s heart.

            “The importance of the heart cannot be overstated.  ‘Watch over your heart with all diligence,’ counseled Solomon, ‘for from it flow the springs of life’ (Prov. 4:23).  Jesus noted that ‘the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart’ (Matt. 12:34), and warned that ‘the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and those defile the man.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, slanders’ (Matt. 15:18-19; cf. Mark 7:21-23).

(Matt. 15:18-19; cf. Mark 7:21-23)

“18  But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

“21  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’”

            I believe it is best to stop here because of the large list of verses that are next in this section and so I will try and quote all of these verses along with the topics of them in this evening’s SD.

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  Keep my heart cleans so that I can do the things that the Lord has planned for me to do.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to give me peace as I continue this mourning process over the death of my wife.  No one can truly understand what the loss of a spouse does unless they have gone through it themselves.

9/8/2026 9:48 AM

 

 

 

 

PT-1 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils” (Luke 8:4-15)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/7/2026 8:33 PM

My Worship Time     Focus:  PT-1 Intro to “Receptivity to the Gospel: The Parable of the Soils”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  “Luke 8:4-15”

            Message of the verses:  “4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

            As per usual I will quote this introduction from the commentary of John MacArthur.

            “The good news of salvation is so inexplicably wonderful and glorious that words cannot express its magnificence.  Those who have experienced salvation’s blessings—forgiveness of sin (Acts 10:43) and freedom from its tyranny (Rom. 6:1-7); justification (Rom. 3:20-28); eternal life (John 3:16); peace with God (Rom 5:1); adoption into the family of God (Rom. 8:15); the indwelling (2 Tim. 1:14); filling (Eph. 5:18); and empowering (Acts 1:8) of the Holy Spirit; a clear conscience (Heb. 10:22); the hope of heaven (1 Peter 1:4); the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) revealed in the word of truth (John 17:17)—find it hard to understand how anyone could reject it.  After all, who would turn down eternal life in favor of eternal punishment?  Who would hold on to hell and reject heaven? Who would refuse everlasting joy and peace and in its place prefer instead misery and pain?”  Now I am going to quote all of these verses in the order that they are in in this paragraph.

(Acts 10:43)

“43  To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

(Rom. 6:1-7)

“1 ¶  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7  For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

(Rom. 3:20-28)

“20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27  Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

(John 3:16)

“16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

(Rom 5:1)

“1 ¶  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Rom. 8:15)

“15  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

(2 Tim. 1:14)

“14  By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

(Eph. 5:18)

18  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”

(Acts 1:8)

“8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

(Heb. 10:22)

“22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

(1 Peter 1:4)

“4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”

(1 Cor. 2:16)

“16  “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

(John 17:17)

“17 ¶  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

9/7/2026 9:12 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Materially” (Luke 8:3b)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/7/2026 9:55 AM

My Worship Time                      Focus:  “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Materially”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:3b

            Message of the verse:  “and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”

            This morning I have come to the end of the 19^th chapter from John MacArthur’s commentary on the Gospel of Luke which covers the first three verses in the eight chapter of Luke.

            In yesterday’s SD we were looking at some of the women who were supporting the ministry of Jesus, and this morning we will see that in addition to the woman mentioned in my last SD there were many others, both men and women, that supported Christ’s ministry by contributing to their, speaking of Jesus and the Twelve, support out of their private means.  Jesus’ ministry depended on the small contributions of others whose lives He had changed, and I think that is still the pattern in todays Church.  The disciples had left everything to follow Him as seen in Matthew (19:27), and this included their professions (Mark 1:20; Luke 5:28) and their homes (Luke 18:28).

(Matt. 19:27)

“27  Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”

(Mark 1:20; Luke 5:28)

20  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

“28  And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.”

(Luke 18:28)

“28  And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

MacArthur writes “Jesus Himself had ‘nowhere to lay His head’ (Luke 9:58), and at the time of His death owned nothing but the clothes He wore (Luke 23:34).”

(Luke 23:34)

34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.”

“The meager contributions they received were generous enough that Jesus and the Twelve were able to contribute to the poor (John 13:29).”

(John 13:29)

“29  Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.”

“None of them personally prospered, as the frustration of Judas evidences (John 12:1-6).”

(John 12:1-6)

“1 ¶  Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2  So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3  Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5  “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6  He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

            “The Lord’s ministry demonstrates the biblical principle that ‘those who proclaim the gospel [are] to get their living from the gospel’ (1 Cor. 9:14; cf. Luke 10:7; 1 Tim. 5:17-18).”

(1 Cor. 9:14; cf. Luke 10:7; 1 Tim. 5:17-18)

“14  In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”

“7  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.”

“17 ¶  Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18  For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

“Therefore ‘the one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him’ (Gal. 6:6).  That does not repay believers’ debt to God.  The debt of sin they could never pay has been paid in full by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 2:13-14) and they no longer owe it.”

(Col. 2:13-14)

“13 ¶  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

“But transformed by God’s grace Christians, out of love and gratitude, seek to imitate the sacrificial loving grace He bestowed on them.

            “The Lord Jesus Christ carried out God’s sovereign will, ministered where God placed Him, proclaimed God’s message, poured Himself into discipling a few faithful men, embraced both men and women from all walks of life, and depended on the contributions of those who had benefited from His ministry.  He is the perfect model for all those who serve Him in gratitude and love.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I like the statement that says that believers cannot do anything to gain their salvation on their own, but once they are saved then they are to support the church where God puts them.  I did not go to church for four years after I became a believer, but then after that I knew that God wanted me in a church.  I suppose that many unbelievers are saved in a church setting but that was not the case for me, however I was attending Bible studies at a Christian book store and had fellowship there for the first four years after becoming a believer.  I am thankful to the Lord for His patience that He had with me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to continue to guide me, to give me strength to just get up each morning and try to do what He is leading me to do for the cause of Christ.  I am going through the most difficult time in my life right now, yet I know that the homegoing of my dear wife was all in the plans of God, yet it has left a very large hole in my life, but I continue to trust the Lord to show me what the next steps will be in my life.

9/7/2026 10:54 AM