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Spring has sprung in my neighborhood. Flowers are blooming, grass growing and leaves sprouting on the trees. I’ve already spent some time pulling weeds and planting things in my garden. Plants are amazing things. Cover a seed with good soil and watch it grow. Their roots run deep as the plant gains strength. Have you ever pulled up a plant and examined the network of roots that spread through and clutch the dirt? They are amazing structures that provide water and nutrients to the plant as well as anchor it against the wind. They also anchor weeds against my effort to uproot them.

Roots can also be an example of perseverance. In Luke 8:15 Jesus describes the meaning of good soil in his parable. He said, “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.” (NIV 1984)

The word persevere carries the nuance of holding fast to something. Plants that hold fast to the soil will produce a crop, whether they be a tomato, okra, zucchini, wheat or corn. Pull up the plant, and no crop develops. In the same way, we must hold fast to God to produce fruit for him. We must entwine our lives with Jesus and abide in him. Don’t let go of your trust in God. Hold fast to Jesus.

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Visit Elmer Fuller’s author website at: https://www.elmerfuller.com/

Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00 — 3.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Are you anxious for spring? I am. We had a warm spell in December and our daffodils poked through the soil. I guess they are anxious for spring too! They didn’t grow much before winter’s freeze returned. I’m looking forward to spring when we can plant a small garden.

Jesus once told a parable about planting seeds in the spring. Do you remember it? The farmer’s seed fell on different types of soil. Some fell on the hard path, others in the rocks and some was choked by weeds. The parable was about how people respond to Jesus’ message. Listen to how Jesus explains the good soil in Luke 8:15, “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.” (NIV)

I’ve discovered that I’ve always missed something in this parable. We know the good soil represents people who hear the message of Jesus’ kingdom and retain it. They produce a crop. But until recently, I missed the fact that the crop was produced by perseverance. That doesn’t sound easy or automatic!

This week on the podcast, we are going to explore several verses about perseverance. If we want to be those of noble and good heart who are good soil, then we need to understand what perseverance is and how we can persevere.

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.