Luke 8:14–15, 21 NIV “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 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.… “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Most Christian men underestimate how much their spiritual life has been shaped—not by Christ—but by worry, wealth, and comfort.

Jesus says there are only two kinds of men in the Church:

1. Men among the thorns

2. Men in the good soil

They look nearly identical on Sunday.
Same service. Same songs. Same Bible in hand.

But time exposes the root.

These men hear the Word but never mature because their lives stay dominated by:

• financial pressure

• career ambitions

• family anxieties

• pleasure and entertainment

• the pursuit of comfort

The weeds eventually cover them.

Their calendars mirror the world.
Their energy is poured into what God will burn.
Their treasures, talents, and time remain tied to earth.

In the end, Jesus says they produce nothing, and worse—they are not recognized as family. They may call Him “Lord, Lord,” but they never lived like His men.

Good soil men also hear the Word—but they retain it and persevere.

Their lives show evidence of:

• growing Christlikeness

• consistent obedience

• daily communion with God

• sacrificial giving and serving

• discipling their family and others

• prioritizing God’s mission over personal comfort

These are the men Jesus calls brothers.
These are the men who build the Father’s business with every resource they possess.
These are the men who bear eternal fruit—fruit God rewards.

Jesus warns:
Fruitless lives are cut off. Fruitless men are burned.

The Father sent His Son’s blood to purchase us—at infinite cost—not so we could blend into the world but so we could persevere in holy obedience.

If we belong to Christ, we bear fruit.
If we do not bear fruit, we prove we never belonged.

So every Christian man must ask:

• Am I burying my life in thorns—or planting it in good soil?

• Am I building God’s kingdom—or my own comfort?

• Am I living as a son—or just showing up on Sunday?

Run Today’s Play: Choke the weeds before they choke you.

Cut the distractions.
Kill the compromises.
Prioritize obedience today—not someday.

Spend real time with God.
Give your best to His mission.
Invest your life in what He rewards forever.

Persevere.
Produce fruit.
Prove you are His.