How's Your Hearing?

Jesus told this parable about four types of hearers (soil).  

Mark 4:3-8 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 

Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

The seed that fell on the footpath are those whose hearts are hard and when they hear the Word it can't penetrate and Satan steals it away quickly. 

The seed that fell on shallow soil are those who are nominal believers. They prayed the prayer but are not living for God. They are hears of the Word only.  James 1:22-24 "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like."

The third seed fell among the thorns. This represents believers who are more concerned with the cares of this life then in their walk with Christ. Their focus is on what they see and they don't grow in their relationship past the infant stage. They hear the Word but don't apply the it to their lives. 

The fourth seed fell on fertile soil. This represents believers who have yielded their lives to Christ and who are walking by faith not by sight. Those who seek the giver rather then the gift. When they hear the Word it takes deep root because they apply it to their life by allowing the Holy Spirit to dig deep and make the necessary changes he desires to make. 

What kind of hearer am I?  We must ask ourselves this question daily. Am I applying the Word I hear and read to my life or am I just going through the motions?