The Soil Of Your Heart

We talk through Mark 4 and the Parable of the Sower, where the same gospel message lands very differently based on the condition of the heart. We get practical about hard hearts, shallow roots, and distracted lives, then end with a gut-check on what kind of “soil” we are right now. 
• dream-car memories that turn into an honest moment about growth 
• why Jesus teaches spiritual truth through everyday stories 
• the seed and the sower as consistent while the soil changes 
• the path as a picture of hard hearts and immediate loss of truth 
• self-preservation and hurt as subtle ways we become spiritually numb 
• time with God and humility as the way the Holy Spirit softens us 
• rocky soil faith that starts fast but cannot endure 
• thorny soil faith that gets choked by worry and competing priorities 
• distraction as a major threat and the discipline of saying no 
• building family core values to protect what matters most 
• good soil as responsiveness that produces multiplying fruit 

Transcript

Welcome And Jet Fuel Purpose

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to the Jeff Fuel Podcast, a series of Concord conversations. In each episode, our lead pastor and a guest will sit down and dive a little deeper into what we learned as a church that week. These are honest, practical conversations to fuel your faith and help you live it out with purpose and consistency. Or in other words, this is jet fuel for your soul.

Dream Cars And PT Cruiser Confession

SPEAKER_01 0:26

All right. Well, Michael, we're back, my man. It is episode 17 of Jet Fuel, where we're trying to fuel faith for everyday life.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

That's right. And this is one thing I love about this is it's not just a Sunday morning thing, but it's something where we can dive deeper from what we talked about on Sunday. Absolutely. So cool.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Love that. Well, uh, before we get started though, one of the things is uh we've been taking these questions that just allows folks to hear a little bit of maybe the inner monologue or the past or something like that. So, Bree, we got a another question this morning. So, what's our question for today?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Our question is what was your dream car when you were younger, like a kid?

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Oh, easy, easy, easy. Exactly what it was. Do you want to go first? You want me to go first? Let us let you go first. Okay, I'll go first. Um Your dream car. Do I need to? I might need to put a like a disclaimer. I don't know, maybe I should. This is no longer my dream car. Um because you look back on life and wonder why you did things the way you did.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Um Yeah, I I would say so. We're we're officially record as a child, this was your car, but no longer have you seen the error of your ways.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

I have seen the error of my ways because when I was a kid, the PT Cruiser came out. Oh no. And I loved that. I'm talking like the the I don't, did they even make Hot Wheels for it? It was something similar. Like I got those, like the little toy model cars you could like build and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Okay. Yeah. It was the PT Cruiser.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Like, did you have a color like color loser in your red? It was the red one, like that maroonish red.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Oh, because not even a good red.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

No, not even a good red. I'm gonna be honest. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

You know, Michael, I I I'm facing an inner struggle right now because there's a lot of judgment going on right now. There is from a feeling judged because I'm feeling judged. I'm feeling judged because I'm judging myself. That is awesome, and I am gonna file that away.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

That's the weirdest looking car. Like as I get older, I'm like, hmm. The PT Cruiser.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Like, where did that appeal to me? And some of you are so offended right now because you own one, but it does look like it needs to be in like a 60s, like uh villain movie or something. It's like a Dick Tracy villain car. It's less classy, but much okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

And I don't mean to mean be mean, but it's not even like got like the epic like retro colors of like you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 2:58

It's just but there was an appeal for a while. There was a appeal for a while. It was a thing. So did it have the hatchback? Is that did it have one of that? How did the the back of that car look? I'm trying to remember.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

I believe it is if I remember correctly. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

The PT Cruiser. I'm thinking AI is gonna have a field day with putting Michael in this PT cruiser. That's gonna come up in our text thread. I'm thinking. Yeah, just your face riding in the PT Cruiser. For me, um, mine's maybe uh a little different because I actually own my dream car. When I was a kid, I think maybe about third grade, watching TV and a GMC commercial came on where they drive the truck through like down the mountain and it hits the pond and the mud. Somebody loves it. Yeah. And I remember looking and it was a blue four-door GMC truck with that iconic red GMC. And I just remember it's like a third grader going, one day, one day I'm gonna have that truck. And, you know, you go through and you have all the different things, and I got some handy-down cars for my family. And um, you know, then there was a time uh Lauren was trying to help me find a truck and just she was looking and looking, looking. And then one day she just screams, she's like, I found it, I found it. And we drove forever, it feels like, and we went and bought this truck, and I've had that truck for 11 years now, and my next mile marker is the 200,000 miles on that truck, and so I have it, but a little young for that to be my dream car forever. So I don't know. I'm gonna have to pick a new one. Maybe the P uh a vintage PT Cruiser.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

You could get it, you could get a PT cruiser.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

You think I can get it on sale now at the Museum City? Probably.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

Do they even still make them? Are they still like?

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Oh no, I don't think so. I think you got to find that somewhere or a resale. I don't think those are coming off the line anywhere.

Mark 4 Shift To Parables

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Um, but uh man, uh, we are in the second part of our Mark series. So when we did this, we broke it up into four big sections um to go through Mark in 2026. And we just finished the the power uh or the the crowds and calling, and now we're in the power and parables. So we are in chapter four, uh going through one through twenty. So Mark four, one through twenty. And this is one of the most famous parables that Jesus teaches that most people will be familiar with, but this one kind of hits close to home for you.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Yes, very much so. So as we're we're reading through Mark, right? This is the moment where everything kind of takes a shift in Jesus' ministry. Right. Um, up until now, we've been seeing miracles, confrontations, calling of the disciples. Um, and now we're Jesus like goes into like storytelling mode in a lot of ways, speaking in parables. Uh, but for me, what I love about this story is uh this is actually the story that was preached on the night that I got saved. No way. Yes, absolutely. Um uh going through was actually at a uh a revival. Um, John Reed was the evangelist who was speaking that night. And uh I remember listening through the story of the parable, and and we'll get more into it, but yeah, it was uh it was the night that I got saved was because of this specific parable.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Dude, that is incredible, man. Just thinking about that. So, man, thanks. I I don't know how this worked out, but man, I love that you're here.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

When I was looking over the content for what we were talking about, I was like, this is literally like I could talk about this forever. Oh man. And it dives in deeper. Like this whole parable, it's it's the the story is not really about the seed. It's about the soil. It's not about the sower, it's about the soil and the condition of the soil.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

So Well, I think this is a big deal, and I'm so excited. I think back to um my son got saved uh in on a passage, and every time we read that, it just brings all these emotions because he remembers how that impacted him. So I'm hoping we're gonna see a little bit of that as we discuss. So for you guys that are listening today or watching online, this is really uh an incredible thing. So we're Mark chapter four, verse one, the parable of sower. Uh, we just found out this is a powerful passage in in Michael's life. And so um, let's let's start. I mean, the setting is he's literally in a boat.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

By the sea. Mm-hmm. Again, uh talking to the crowd, um, and he's got to get on the boat.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

And so imagine this. So Jesus is teaching, the crowds are coming, and he gets into a place where he kind of has to back up a little bit. So he gets in this boat and he's just offshore, and this massive crowd is on the shoreline. And I just love uh verse one. It it almost, I feel like sometimes just the way we read it, we underplay it. But it just says he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat, he sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. I'm just trying to picture this because you and I probably have two of the most unique perspectives on any Sunday morning at Concord. So most people are always facing the stage. Yes. And and whether you sit in the front or the back or the side, and I know some of you have your specific seats you like to sit in, and and when it's a little bit more full, you get a little, uh, a little cantankerous with us. But I love a full house. Um, but from where we stand, from the roles that we have within the church, a lot of times we're looking into the face of the crowd that's gathered that morning. And and I'm just trying to think about Jesus as he's standing on the shoreline and people can continue to come in. It's kind of like what we experience. You're watching people come in that back door, they're fine in their seats, and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming as all the people crowd in. Um, but there's something special about looking into the eyes of a crowd.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Yes, and I think about Jesus. Especially like we we look at what he's talking about, he's sharing a story that I'm Kali Day. He's talking about a story that's quite literally life-changing. And not for just that moment, but for thousands of years to come.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Right. And the same message that he taught sitting in that boat on the shoreline is the one we're gonna talk about today. Yeah, absolutely. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

So he uh he kicks off here and it's really ordinary. I mean, he's just talking about a farmer. I mean, how many times do you share just stories about life experiences when you're up there with me? Um, he just gets to talking about a farmer.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Yeah, and he's he's talking about something that would relate to their culture that they would be able to see themselves in to understand the agrarian society, and they know about preparing a field, they know about the soil, and they know about getting everything just right so they can plant their seeds, they can water, they can wait for it to grow. And so much of the New Testament utilizes this imagery, this language, this parabolic Well, it was life to them. Right. It was there every day. Yeah. And so he's gonna, he's gonna talk about something deeper, and he's gonna take the things of God and something they're very familiar with, and he's going to mesh and integrate these two. And so uh let me ask you this question.

Why Stories Reach The Heart

SPEAKER_01 9:47

You know, what was the reason that that you see for Jesus using everyday images to communicate spiritual truth? What's what's the reason for Jesus to take the spiritual and take their their normal and mesh those together?

SPEAKER_02 10:02

I mean, I think it's an example of everything God did for us. He sent Jesus down to earth to be with us. So what better way to connect with us than to relate with us in our physical nature being?

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yeah, that's it. So you know, what makes a story like the one that he's about to share, that we're about to walk through, but what makes story such a powerful way to teach?

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Yeah, I think it's just because it's something we personally relate to. You know, we talk about PT Cruiser, right? I can I can go on and on about everything I thought about the PT Cruiser, I could do because it's something I have lived. Right. You know, yeah. And so when when you look at these stories, especially when, you know, I was saying, you know, Jesus was it's about life for them. Well, that was their food. Like imagine their society. Everything was based on farmers. I mean, it still is today very much. So what happens if crops didn't work? Right. If we couldn't grow food, like that would change everything. Well, imagine talking to a people where that's specifically grain. If they did not have wheat, the entire society would collapse. Right. Like he's talking to something that is very pinpointed, personal, relational, life-changing, involving circumstances with them specifically.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

So just thinking, because I really respect how plugged in you are as um a creative, as a content creator. And it seems like there has been a shift in the last several decades towards moving, communicating through stories. So what I mean by that is like uh sports were always a big deal for TV. You'd watch the football game on Sunday or you'd uh the little league game throughout the week. But then what SportsCenter started doing, they started doing these 30 for 30s, and they would give you kind of this peek behind and this athlete, and you know, they grew up and it was this hard time and they got turned down by this. And we started uh, you know, not just falling in love with the game, but the players, the coaches. We see that in social media where reels, you're getting glimpses of stories, and you can see uh inside somebody's business, you can see inside all that. But even what we do here at the church sometimes is we'll do a testimony video. Yes, and somebody you see all the time, and all of a sudden you get a glimpse of their story and you feel like you know them. Yes. You feel like you have an experience with them. Uh and so I love the fact that I feel like we're shifting more from even everyday sports and social media and testimony videos, but it's really something that Jesus has been using for uh, you know, in this time several thousand years ago. Yes, absolutely.

Seed Stays Same Soil Changes

SPEAKER_01 12:34

But we connect emotionally to story. Um, it's something that hits hard. And so let's look at this because this parable, this story, this using something that's familiar to them, he's gonna look at four types of soil. And this farmer's gonna scatter seed everywhere, yeah, but it's gonna land on four distinct types of types of soil.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

The path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Well, and it often represents different receptions that we have to the gospel. You know, the you know, what you just said, the path, the rocky ground, the thorns, the good soil. Um, it's kind of what we're gonna see is their response to the seed of the gospel planted on their life.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

Well, and also another thing to look at with this story is the farmer's consistent, the seed is consistent. So, you know, when you look at the outcome of this story as we continue to talk through it, like if you want to get scientific, right? And you're trying to find things. I am the last person in the world to be scientific. But if you're you're trying to find out a result, you've got to have consistencies. But the only thing that changes through the story is the soil.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

You know, you saying that right now, because that's not even in our notes right now. But I don't know why I'm inside. But but I've never thought about it from that. You know, when you do a science experiment, like you you think of all your controlled variables. This is what the same is. This is what the same is, and this is the one thing I'm gonna change. And in this, I mean, like you said, the message, the farmer, the seed, all of that's the same, but how what it's being planted in is what's different.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

Which brings to focus this parable isn't about the farmer. It's not about the seed, it's about the soil, aka the heart that is receiving it.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

That's good. I mean, I I've studied this, I've I've taught this, I've walked through this. And so for me, I mean, to think about it through that lens is a big deal. So, you guys listening today, I mean, I'm even learning right now as we're going deeper, and Michael thinks.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

So, this is conversation. Yeah. Like when you sit down and just have a conversation, because it wasn't in the notes. Like that's I just like the way that when you get to dive into things. So, question on that, when when we look at this this message being about the condition of our hearts, why do you think that Jesus focuses on the condition of our heart instead of the quality of this message?

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Well, I think mainly because the gospel is personal. I mean, each person receiving it, you know, as someone who has taught the gospel a lot, who's shared the gospel a lot, um, you know, there is something when I look in the crowd, there are people that are at different stages and seasons of life where they're more receptive or less receptive to it.

SPEAKER_04 15:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

And that can come from sin, that can come from pride, that can come from just a closed ear or routine. They've heard it and they've heard it and they've heard it. Um, but for here, he's just really talking about the heart of people and and going, I'm focusing on where this unchanging, unshaking gospel seed is gonna fall. Um, is really um the message never changes, but people's moments of reception do change for sure.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Um, what do you think factors or shapes um how people receive truth? Now that's a tough question. I I I wrote in my notes that you know, tolerance and intolerance. I think we are a society now that has become in a pursuit of tolerance, have become intolerant. Um to where if you don't think just like me, if you don't receive just like me, and I think what that has done is it has hardened our heart to anything outside of what we can comprehend or experience in our own mind. In our efforts of opening the boxes of our lives, we actually put ourselves more in a box. Right. And I think for us, the prime callousness that comes over our heart that makes us receptive to things is pride. Thinking we understand, yeah, thinking we know better. And so when something comes, I think a lot of times we're like, well, I think I've got it. I think I know. I don't want to hear from anybody else. And um when the gospel comes, it's a game changer for every single person it exists with. The gospel is not just a small change for anybody, it is a radical, um, spiritual, eternal, um, you know, everyday life change. It is not something that ever stays the same. And so you got to think, you know, the factors that sh, you know, would contribute to that is, you know, have we let pride convince us that we know best? Have we become intolerant of truth? Have we become so um focused on our box that if it doesn't fit, we don't do it? And I think a lot of times that can our season of life, our disposition towards life or thinking or receptivity, all of those are factors in what, you know, our readiness for the gospel is. Yeah, very much so.

The Path And A Hardened Heart

SPEAKER_01 17:37

Well, let's look at this first soil that's the the path. Um, you know, in verse four it says, and uh and he, as he said, as he showed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and they devoured it. And so this first path, it's just hard ground. The seed can't make its way in. It's just packed, it's it's hard, and like it just sits on top. And it literally talks about the birds come and just pick up these seeds, which means it has like zero percent effectiveness.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Yeah. And if we turn that into our lives, like take it away from you know, yes, parable, but the story, but relating that to our hearts, just like you said, that pride, man. Like, if you've ever been in a moment, and and I say this, I've I've been here, like someone tries to share wisdom to you, and you're just like, bro, stop. Like, don't even, like, come on. You know what I mean? Like, whether with your mind saying you've not been through what I've been through, so back off. Or it's like, oh my gosh, or you why are you the one who's trying to tell me this? Like, I feel like that's exactly what this is. And the enemy takes that word away immediately.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Well, it's it's one of those things where I feel like we've covered it in a couple of sermons, just the the danger of having a hard heart towards the things of God. You know, that we lose our compassion, we lose our receptivity, we stop our ears, we we don't want to listen. And um, man, it's it's representative of the heart that can hear the same gospel, but their heart is so hard, it never sinks in. Uh, and it's just absolutely wild to think about we can get to a place where our heart can be so hard that the gospel just doesn't even sink in.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

Yeah. And yes, absolutely hardest of heart, but sometimes it can be other things. It can be distractions, being so busy within, or it could be even like caught up in sin. You're so distracted chasing things of the world of fleshly pleasures that you aren't even aware of the messages that are being brought to you of God's word.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Well, and I think scenarios in life, and we can build up walls around us. We talk about that emotionally with people that have been hurt or that have experienced trauma. And a lot of times we do whatever we can to protect ourselves. And so we we put up these walls, we put up this uh hard facade to not let anything get close to our inner person so we can't get hurt, we don't have to deal with things. And so, um, but the word is heard, but it's just never uh received. What let me ask you this, Michael, just as a very practical thing in in where we are right now for people listening, you know. I mean, I know some people listen to this in the car, other people listen to it uh, you know, uh in their living room or working out on the treadmill, whatever. But what are some ways in what are some ways modern life can harden our hearts to spiritual truth? Just in the culture and the context and the community that we live in, what are some ways modern life can harden our hearts towards spiritual truth?

SPEAKER_02 20:35

In my life, the first thing that pops up in my mind is self-preservation. Okay, I'll unpack that a little bit here. But when you go through hurt, when you go or or even anything, like you may just be a crazy season of life or whatever that looks like. When people want to come share or be with you or or give wisdom or pour into you, it can be very easy to close off. And maybe that's just me, but also like whether that whether that be church hurt, whether that be relational hurt, job hurt, whatever that is, like we can close off because we're like, oh, I'm just gonna shut that side of my life down and just almost ignore it and pretend that it doesn't exist so that I can continue going.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

And in this pursuit of self-preservation, we close ourselves off to things that are very spiritual and needed.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

I think so, yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

Oh man, that is that's intense to think about because I bet there's some folks listening right now, but that's been part of their journey is they've experienced something and they close it off just to protect themselves and they don't just close themselves off from potential hurt or future hurt. They really close themselves off to connection, to relationships, and most importantly, spiritual things.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

I mean, there's numerous things. Um, you know, we can go back to to pride, we can go back to, you know, sin in our lives, all these other things. But I I think a lot of times, because the reality, everyone has experienced hurt in one way or another. Um, and I know like specifically, like one that I've heard of a lot in in just my life in church is church hurt. And many times we just shut that off. But the reality is we do that so that we can, we can uh um and I'm wow, the mind, the word's not coming on my mind. So that we can uh get by. You know, yeah. Um it's a coping mechanism. That's the word I'm looking for.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

But it can be very dangerous instead of helpful.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Well, you cannot cope and thrive at the same time. Coping requires, well, just doing whatever it takes to get by. Thriving means you've worked through it, you've processed it, and you've been able to work through it. Well, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Um to use a sports analogy, moving from defense to offense. Yes, absolutely. And you know, instead of just trying to prevent things, you're proactive and moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Very much so. But and but that's what it leads to is to say, because that's kind of a side note, we must be intentional to be willing to not do that in our lives, be aware of that so that we're not blocking ourselves

Guarding Against Spiritual Numbness

SPEAKER_02 23:13

off.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Well, how do we spirituality guard against becoming spiritually numb? Because it seems like just hearing you talk, because I know uh a little bit of your story, and I know that you've been in some different church environments than I've been in, and I know our people have been in different environments before, experienced different things. So, how does someone guard against being spiritually numb? I mean, I know we're talking about the gospel seed here, but I know just in seasons of life, even for a believer, like how would you encourage somebody to think or proactively live to just guard against cutting off those pieces of themselves and becoming spiritually numb where you can hear good teaching, you can experience powerful worship, you can pray intensely, and you're watching everybody else, but just inside you feel numb. What are some practical things we can do to guard against that?

SPEAKER_02 24:10

I mean, one, I'm not sure it's any just one answer for all of it. Okay. Um I did ask 26 questions in one. My overarching thought is this one, nothing can change your heart like the Holy Spirit can. Come on. Nothing can. Absolutely nothing. Um uh, you know, the Bible even says God can change the hearts of kings and and princes, and and nothing can change our heart like God can. So are we intentional to spend time with God?

unknown 24:40

Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

And and I mean, I'm and and yes, read your word. We we've got to know what we're talking about. We've got to dig in and know our theology. But just spend time with God where you can sit and let Him speak to you. Because the reality is if you're listening to this and you've had moments like that in your life and you just sit in the presence 15 minutes, God will bring to your mind the things that you've hardened your heart to. And it kind of sings a little bit because you're probably gonna, if you're like me, you're gonna want to like wrestle that and be like, oh no, but I'm not really, I'm not really and try to justify why you've done what you've done. Right. But if you can truly sit down in humility in the presence of God, in worship, reading his word, and just in quiet time, God will bring that to remembrance.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Yeah. And you just think we don't do that because one, we're too busy, or two, we don't want to be alone with the spirit and him deal with some of the stuff we've been trying to suppress.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

I think it's a both and I think that we don't do it one because we many times and for me, I've I've not done it in a lot of ways because I didn't realize the effectiveness of it.

unknown 25:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

So I didn't do it much. But then when I started doing it, started seeing the effectiveness of it, seeing how it completely changes my attitude, completely changes my mood, changes everything about me. Like I'm like, why, why would I not do this anymore?

SPEAKER_01 26:10

Wow. That's a that's a powerful thing, you know. And I think we've got some things here with the gospel, but we also have just some practical tips that we've kind of taken a side road onto. But I do think for you out there, I mean, um, it is very easy to get spiritually numb. And some of it may come from a place of trying to protect yourself, but at the same time, you know, the best place we can be is near the Lord. Yes. Letting the Spirit make us sensitive, make uh the spirit um open up to deal with some things. You know, a couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon, and man, it just God was messing with me on it, challenging me, and I had to be just vulnerable that I was conflicted about preaching this message because it hit so close to home that it became uncomfortable. Because I could see myself not as the, you know, a lot of times when we were talking about this even before we were recording, sometimes we always make ourselves the hero of the story.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Uh what what would you what did you call it? The main character.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yeah, main character, the main character complex.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

Yeah, we never make ourselves the villain, but I was, as I was studying for that man, I really saw more of myself in the Pharisees than I did in, you know, the, you know, being the one that would line up with Christ. And so I do think that's so important when we talk about that first soil that just had all of that seed just ripped away instantaneously because they were so hard to that. And when we share the gospel, we're gonna run into people like that. And so we're really have to think in sharing the gospel, in scattering the seed, we need to be prayerful that God would soften hearts so there's at least a chance for us to get in there. Um but let's take a break real quick.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Yeah, let's take a break. We got a ministry highlight. It's gonna be awesome.

Ministry Highlight Church Finances

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Hi, Concorde family. We are here with another ministry highlight. Today we have Miss Michelle Sheffield with us. Um Michelle, first um tell me how long have you been coming to Concord?

SPEAKER_05 28:10

Well, my husband Rob and I have been attending since um January of 2017, um, and then we joined that June. Okay, all right. About nine years.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

Okay. So it's for anybody who doesn't know you, tell us a little bit about what you do here. Well, actually, so you're a finance controller, that's your official title. Um can you tell us what that means?

SPEAKER_05 28:37

Uh well, basically, I am responsible, or this position is responsible for overseeing the um financial health of the of the church. Um my team and I um we make sure that contributions are properly recorded, okay, and that um expenses of the church, first of all, that they are um properly invoiced to us, um, that they are properly authorized, that they fall within budget, okay, and um that they're properly expensed in the in the right category.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

So make sure staff isn't just blowing a bunch of money. Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 29:20

Not that they would never do that. They are very frugal, but just so that the reports that we present to the church at conference accurately reflect the financial health of the church.

SPEAKER_03 29:32

Perfect. How long have you been in the finance world?

SPEAKER_05 29:36

Since before you were born here.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

So 44 years. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

All right. What what kind of stuff did you do before you came? Are you officially retired? Sort of?

SPEAKER_05 29:48

Well, I came out of retirement. You came out of retirement to come here, I know that.

SPEAKER_03 29:51

But what were you like, what did you retire from?

SPEAKER_05 29:53

What were you doing before you first out of college? I um I'm a Texas girl. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:59

Where are in Texas?

SPEAKER_05 30:00

Uh down near South Texas. But I've I've lived kind of all over Central and Houston and sort of area.

SPEAKER_04 30:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:07

So out of college, I went to work for a major oil company in Houston in their accounting center.

SPEAKER_04 30:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 30:14

And um they a few years later transferred me to a um sub a small subsidiary here in Norcross as an assistant controller.

SPEAKER_04 30:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 30:25

And um that's how I got to Georgia.

SPEAKER_04 30:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 30:28

And so after that, I worked for another um uh manufacturing company. And so I was in corporate accounting for um qu quite a while, and then I stepped out of work for a few years while my kids were young, and then went back to work in tax accounting at a small CPA farm down in Norcross. So for 27 years, I did um tax preparation and planning and um you want to do mine? No, no. I are even though I'm retired, I still do plenty of tax returns for my family. And that's enough stress.

SPEAKER_03 31:09

I'm sure.

SPEAKER_05 31:09

Um, but anyway, I retired in um April of 2024.

SPEAKER_03 31:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 31:16

And then God called me and then we just pulled you out of it. Well, it was it was a it was uh obedience uh thing. I really felt God leading me to help the church out when the previous financial controller resigned.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

Well, well, first, thank you so much for that. Uh you have done, if you do not know Michelle, she is one of the hardest workers that I know. You have been a gift to our staff. And I know that we do not have you forever. Um, but and while we do have you, I it has been so, so great. And you are doing a fantastic job.

SPEAKER_05 31:56

Well, thank you for that, Erin. I just want to say that um even though it wasn't something that I had planned, I have really been blessed in working with the staff and getting to know y'all on a deeper level and to know your hearts.

SPEAKER_03 32:09

Thank you very much. Okay, I got one last question for you. Okay. If you were talking to our church family and you were gonna tell them, hey, what's one thing that you can they can be praying for you in this position and in what you do here for our church, what would that prayer be?

SPEAKER_05 32:25

Well, I will highlight that I am an interim financial control. So you can be praying for they can be praying for the personnel team to find the right fit.

SPEAKER_04 32:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 32:37

Church accounting is different than anything I've ever experienced. So it has been challenging. Um but the position involves more than just accounting. There's some human resources related things with it. Um just they just need the right and and experience level. And um, so that's one area. And then the second would be um one of my goals uh in the time that I'm here is to get um processes documented so that will help um facilitate that training. So just that I can get that done on top of my other responsibilities.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

Yes, the the many, many responsibilities that you have. Well, thank you so much for being with us, Michelle. I know you were terrified to be here, but you did a great job. And again, I want to reiterate thank you so much for what you do for our staff and just for the blessing that you are to us. Thank you. Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

All right.

Rocky Soil And Shallow Roots

SPEAKER_02 33:42

Well, uh, let's dive back into Mark IV.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

Yeah, we're gonna see two uh additional types of soil. The first one was that path, and now we're gonna get to the rocky soil and the thorny soil, which are uh, man, so easy to connect with. But that rocky ground is people that receive the word, like it can get in between the rocks, but uh, you know, they receive it with joy, but then it doesn't take root, you know. I mean, and and a root system in faith is so, so important.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Yes, very much. So and the other one is uh the thorny, thorny soil um where the word grows, but it eventually gets choked out.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Oh, and I just I've seen that so much in church. You know, you know, there are some people that are hard-hearted towards the gospel and just don't want anything to do with it. And there's such fury and hate towards the gospel and just a hardness. But there are a lot of people that they understand what the gospel is and they see their need for it and they want it, but just that thorny soil, man, it just life can just choke it out.

Thorny Soil And Choked Fruit

SPEAKER_02 34:42

I remember when when I was listening to this message being preached, this is the one that caught with me. Really? This is the one that caught me. How so? Um, so one, it was, I mean, I was raised in church. I'm just so interested in this testimony. So I was raised in church my whole life. Um, and and I'm incredibly blessed, beyond blessed, that my parents raised me um to follow God's word. Um, but I never really felt like I had fruit in my life, you know, when it started to grow. It it could take root and start to grow, but it never flourished in anything that was reproductive or anything that was life-giving. And I just remember looking at my life, being like, Where's my fruit? Where's my fruit? I don't have any fruit. And I was like, this it gets choked out.

SPEAKER_01 35:29

Yeah. Well, and and Jesus lists several things here: the worries of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and and really kind of the desire um for other things.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

And it's competing priorities, things that just distract and take away.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Well, uh, let's unpack this a little bit. Let's let's look through it.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

So uh discussion here. Which of those thorns, worry, wealth, distraction, whatever that is, what do you think challenges people most today?

SPEAKER_01 35:58

Oh, that's a good question. Because I do think it could be all three, Michael. But if you're if you're asking me right now where we are in North Georgia, would it be worry, wealth, or distraction? Um what do you think would be the most challenged? I would have to say distraction. Yeah. That's what I would think. I think we have competing things that pull our energy, our attention. I mean, and and look, I'm not one of those guys that's like, get rid of a cell phone, like don't though that would be nice. Yeah, it would be. Um but I do think just even a screen at times. We send spend so much time just locked in. You know, I heard a stat the other day that every generation, the per the following generation has become more educated, more intelligent, more adept at solving problems, that uh, for lack of a better word, is smarter than their parents. Uh, this is the first generation that is not as far as they can test, because they said critical thinking, problem solving, and reading have gone, and all we're doing is intaking other people's thoughts. And so we just watch content on content on content, and we're just receiving instead of thinking, working through, problem solving, regulating emotion, all of those things. Uh and I think that that's just the tip of the iceberg for a lot of what people struggle with today is we're just so distracted. Uh we we have to get to that social media thing. We've got um, you know, this, you know, uh sports tournament, we've got this business deal, this vacation, this conversation, this social engagement, X, Y, and Z. And I think for a lot of people, um, they are so distracted by the fullness of their calendar, their schedule, their commitments. Most people in our generation can't say this two-letter word that changes their life. The most freeing word in the English language, which is no, right? We we feel compelled to be involved in this fundraiser and be on this team. And and I think we forget just to spend time. And I think if you say which of those thorns, worry, wealth, or distraction, all of them are viable, but I think this generation in this area, distraction presents the greatest challenge to spiritual growth in thorny ground.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

Yeah. So how do you, for people listening, for myself, for your own life, how do you keep your faith from being crowded out or choked out by those things?

Distraction And Learning To Say No

SPEAKER_01 38:37

Man, I hate to give the example that's just so baseline and what you would expect, but you have to. It makes me think I was always told this. I've going, there was this uh little boy in Sunday school. Um, he's a little kid, and his uh his Sunday school teacher says, you know, what is brown has a bushy tail, collects acorns, and lives in the tree. And the little boy thought about it, and he goes, he goes, Man, I know the answer is Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me. You know, I think that's what we get adept at is, you know, we come to something like this and we go, how do we keep our faith from being crowded out? And you hear something, you're like, I know the answer is time with the Lord. I know it's community and accountability and reading scripture and prioritizing my faith. But, you know, uh, and I think, you know, when we say something, somebody's, you know, listening right now and they're like, of course, you know, I can't let it be crowded, but you know, I have to be on this committee for my kids' school. And we already committed to this tournament travel team. And hey, well, we've got this extra meeting at work. If I want to get this promotion next year, I want to get this next pay bump, and we make excuses and we won't say no so we can prioritize our faith. We are usually our own worst enemy when it comes to things crowding out our faith. Yeah. Because our time alone with Jesus, our priority of community and sitting under teaching and being involved in the church, growing our faith is because we commit to other things and let those have priority instead. And they choke your faith to death. Like, I mean, literally just choke the life out of it because you're like, oh, I can't be here to do that because I have X, Y, and Z. And we make good rationale for it. Yeah. Like we can defend our choices to the nth degree.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

I was actually talking about this very same thing just like a week or two ago um with one of my mentors. Um, and we're talking about setting a culture for your family, setting a culture for your life. And what's crazy, like if if you're in a work environment, have a job, especially in any corporate setting or business setting, every business has a mission statement. Right. Every business has their core values that they live in and they base all their decisions off of those core values. But how many families have a mission statement for their family? Right. How many families have core values for their family that they base all their decisions off of? You know, and we do it for business. Why? Because it helps us stay on point, helps us stay on focus, on task, and it helps us grow. Right. But how much more important is our family than our businesses that we try to lead?

SPEAKER_01 41:25

That is so interesting to think through because I think about that, especially with where my kids are in life right now. I've got two teenagers, 14 and 17, and you know, so much of their life. We we overlook poor communication that's given to them. You know, a a team or something will be like, hey, practices, you know, move to this time today. Well, we shift our whole family to do that, or hey, this opportunity's come up for your kid, and we're like, Way, well, we already made this commitment. And what comes out of that, an unfortunate byproduct, is we no longer stick to our word. We commit to something, and then something else comes and we're like, well, and we make all this rationale. And this is dangerous. This rocky soil, this thorny soil, it's really more dangerous than we would think. It's not something just to brush off. It's so easily entangling. Wow. That is that is intense just to think about. Well, let's switch to this last

Good Soil That Multiplies Fruit

SPEAKER_01 42:20

one. This is the the the one, the good soil. I mean, the one that, like you said, just for your testimony, you started taking a hard look at your life and going, I know all the right things, but I don't see anything that's producing fruit in my life. But this is the heart that hears the word. Yes. It takes deep roots, good soil, and it begins to produce fruit.

SPEAKER_02 42:44

Yeah, but not only this, but notice it says the produce multiplies 30, 60, and even a hundredfold.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

Yo, that is so crazy just to think about. Um, but the point's not perfection, right? It's productiveness, it's responsiveness, it's those kinds of things. And healthy hearts receive truth, they hold on to it, and they allow it to shape their lives. Yeah. I mean, that's a big deal. Uh, recently, and some of you guys will love this, and some of you will know uh not what we're talking about, but um, my mother-in-law has a green thumb. She can grow anything. Lauren and I, we don't have anything that replicates that in our family. Anything that we buy that is a flower, that is a plant, like just it's a death sentence to get in my truck and come home from the store, right? Um, you know, and and and we can, you know, do all the right things and uh all of that kind of stuff. But really, if you put it in the right soil, you do the right things, they're built to grow and flower and produce and get bigger. You know, but it's when we don't take it out of the pot and put it in the soil and we don't water it and do that stuff. And so here it's talking about this good soil is in a place. Place where it can produce fruit. Yes. And so those are those are big things that that we see all the time. And so this parable that Jesus is telling is talking about this gospel seed, that it's the unchanging truth of the gospel. That seed is consistent. The farmer is consistent. He is scattering seed. But where the seed falls dictates how the seed grows.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

And so hard, rocky, thorny, and good all have different responses to this consistent farmer's actions, this consistent gospel seed, it really determines based on the heart, right?

Heart Check Questions And Prayer

SPEAKER_02 44:45

So that's so takeaway, man. Um as we land this, uh talking about this soil, I think some questions to ask ourselves. One is what kind of soil is my heart right now? Maybe take some self-reflection, right? Spend some time alone and think through that. Um, because it can be easy to not be aware of that.

SPEAKER_01 45:07

I also think it gives us a good prayer point for people as we're sharing the gospel, knowing what kind of uh soil that we're sharing or scattering seed on. And that gives us a way to pray, going if they've got a hard heart, going, God, let this let the seed get through. Don't let the birds snatch it and go. Or, hey, somebody's, you know, busy and they've got some thorny soil that we're saying, God, you help them remove some of these distractions. I think that's a great point to think through.

SPEAKER_02 45:33

And then a kind of, in my opinion, a second step on this question is are you letting God's word take root in your life, or do you just hear it?

SPEAKER_01 45:43

Oof. That's that's a tough question to just think about because like I said, we we receive a lot of content. How much of it do we ever let just soak in? Yes. To sit with it, to let it, you know, just take root in our heart. That's a that's a big deal for sure.

SPEAKER_02 45:57

Yeah. And uh lastly, is this, you know, what could be crowding or distracting you? What could be the thorns in your life that's pulling you away from spiritual growth in your life?

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Aaron Powell Man, that would be uh some serious pruning some of us need to do in our life. And I would encourage you if you're listening now, I do think this is one of the biggest things hitting Concord and the local church nowadays is we just have let other things crowd out, choke out, and distract from our faith. And some of us, like you said, need a family mission statement, a personal mission statement, and say, hey, here's what gets through and here's what does here's what doesn't. That's still so uh man, the power of the gospel isn't the issue here, it's the condition of the heart.

Closing Encouragement

SPEAKER_01 46:41

And so, man, this has been a great conversation, and I love that I got to do this podcast with you, knowing that this is such a powerful uh testimony in your own life. And I appreciate what you brought to the table today, your study and all of those things. And so I know this has been jet fuel for me. That's right. I hope it's been jet fuel for you guys. We'll see you next time.