American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
Brent Austin The Bible.
It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Exploring the Word comes from Matthew 13:3
Welcome to Exploring the Word. If you ever have the great, privilege of going to the COVID the Billy Graham Conference center in Asheville, North Carolina. It's been my joy to be there a number of times. there's a painting of Billy Graham. He's out in a big field and he's got kind of a sack over his shoulder and he's sowing seed. And this painting of Billy Graham was done by Russian Christians as a gift to he and his wife Billy and Ruth Graham. And at the bottom it says a sower went forth to sow. And of course it was in honor of Billy Graham being a sower of the gospel. But really that line comes from Matthew 13:3. And we're going to get into one of the well known parables of Jesus and I really, it stirs my heart. I think it's a beautiful thing because we are to be sowers of the seed of the gospel that there would be a harvest of souls, those who come to faith in Christ.
Tuesday is our day of prayer. So you want to share prayer requests
And with that we welcome you to this edition of Exploring the Word. Very special edition of Exploring the word today. Alex McFarland here along with one of our co hosts, Dillon Burrows. And Bert is out today, but Dillon is with us. And in addition to getting into Matthew chapter 13, we are gonna take prayer requests Tuesday. per Brent Austin's suggestion a couple years ago, Tuesdays are our day of prayer. So you want to share prayer requests and we will get together, we will agree together and pray. It's gonna be a great day on the program. My dear friend, Dillon Burroughs. Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Sir.
Dillon Well, thank you Alex. Always a pleasure to be with you and with all of the listeners out there today. Looking forward to sharing from God's Word together as well as praying with some of you today. And even if you don' don't call in to pray, you can pray with us with the needs of those who do call in. As we join together across the nation and worldwide to lift up needs, to praise the Lord and to intercede on behalf of one another as God calls us to do. So that the power of a righteous person or the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. So let's not forget that as we lift one Another up today.
Alex McFarland Amen. You know, I mentioned that picture, of Billy Graham at the Cove And you're going to be with us next summer at the COVID along with Lauren Greene of Fox News. And, and we'll talk about that later.
Alex : Matthew 13 addresses four types of soil and how gospel affects people
But right now I want to get in and I want to read some of Matthew 13. I just have loved this gospel and our time to go through it. But it says in Matthew 13, on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to him. So that he got into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, behold, a sower went out to sow. And as, he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some seed fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. Verse 8 of Matthew 13. But others fell upon good ground and yielded a crop some hundredfold, some 60, some 30. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Dillon Beloved, beloved parable. there's songs. Tell me the stories of Jesus. And it says, songs, by the tales by the wayside, songs by the sea. I've seen paintings of Jesus in a small boat there at the edge of the shore, the people listening. this brings so many beautiful images to mind. But, Dillon hasn't it been said by many a commentator that the four types of soil are really indicative of, four kinds of receptivity of the human heart. The heart receiving the gospel. Nothing wrong with the seed, but the eventual outcome is due to the soil it falls in when, or really the, state of the heart.
Dillon Yeah, that's so true. And it's important that we set the scene as well. Most people overlook this, but when you start at the beginning of chapter 13, it says Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Where are we talking about in this passage? Well, historically we believe this is the house of Simon Peter. He was the only apostle, we are told, who was married at the time that he came as a follower of Jesus. He's in Capernaum. He comes out of his house. And the lake they're talking about right there is the Sea of Galilee. And so a very well known historical site that you can go to still Today as an. As a tourist and see the archaeological remains. but then it says Jesus sat on in a boat on the seashore and along the sea. And it's significant because Jesus does this on multiple occasions. And there's an acoustic reason for this. Right, as well, that you can hear the sound come off the water up onto the land may have been a safety issue as well. So he separated from the people a little bit. But for whatever the reasons, he's sitting in this boat, given the teaching. And he addresses what you mentioned, these four different types of soil and how they resonate or respond or connect with the hearts of people. And you shared a little bit about this. Let's look at these one by one. First, we have, the hard heart, you know, the path, the seed on the rocky soil. This one's pretty clear. It says the evil one snatches it away. We know the evil one is Satan. So those who are on this kind of seed are those who are very clearly not responsive to the word in a way that Jesus Christ wants. But it's these other three that are often, debated and discussed among commentators and Christian leaders and pastors about what do they mean? What is the focus? Because you have the rocky ground, you have the thorny ground, and then you have the good soil. So I want you to comment on this first, Alex, and then I'll jump in about what are we talking about? These three other types of soil. How do they relate as, this referring to a person who's a follower of Christ. And all three occasions, two occasions, one occasion, how do we know? And let's talk a little bit about how it applies to us today.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen, Dillon
Dillon: Sometimes people procrastinate before the gospel can bear fruit
Great, great setup there. So. So you've got the. The first seed that falls, by the way. then you've got the second seed that falls on stony places, and the third falls among thorns, verse seven. And then the fourth seed. Seed falls on good ground. whenever I'm sharing the gospel with people, and even over the weekend in Montana, we were at an event and there were Christians, there were those that did come to Christ, and there were several that were having some real struggles. And I always try to. Dillon whenever I'm trying to minister the gospel and see people come to Christ, if they are, not receptive, I always try to want to kind of find out why. And in these four contexts, I think those of us that have been, you know, Christians or tried to be a witness, maybe we've seen examples of this. Okay, first of all, there in Verse four, it says some seed fell by the wayside or by the footpath, and birds came and ate it. You know, it's almost like, maybe people momentarily comprehend the gospel, but they procrastinate. they don't really understand. And before the gospel can bear fruit in their life, either they've forgotten it or moved on, or Satan has diverted their attention. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 4 that Satan tries to keep men in darkness. So I think, Dillon a lot of people, they don't ever give a serious, consideration to where they stand with the Lord or getting their family in church or beginning to really build a Christian life. They're just so busy, they don't give it any attention. And like the birds snatching seed away before it can germinate, people's attention is diverted. I think it's maybe even a little easier to comprehend. The stony places or the thorns. Five and six. The seed falls on stony places. Okay, Right now, even this morning, my wife is trying to share the Gospel with a woman that is spiritual. And she talks about. This lady talks about, you know, she's a very, very spiritual person. But it's a thin, thin. There's no soil, and the seed might germinate a little bit, but withers and dies. I think about this, that you begin to engage people in a gospel conversation, and they present that they are kind of spiritual, they're interested. But when it comes to commitment, when it comes to enduring the tribulation or really the price that comes with saying yes to Jesus and Jesus alone, their enthusiasm ebbs away. The ground of their heart is stony with not much topsoil at all. Then in verse seven, the seed among the thorns, okay, this seed begins to grow. and some translations talk about grain growing, but choked out by thorny weeds. Now, I think there's probably no end to the thorns of life that would, supplant the first place in life that Jesus deserves. And I'm just going to say this, and Dillon I'll throw it back to you in life. Listen, folks, lots of things are competing for your loyalty and your attention. I mean, the spirit of God is calling. But then you're thinking about goals, responsibilities. You're thinking about looking upstanding and respectable around people. Maybe you're thinking about, you know, the Bible talks about the deceitfulness of riches. I mean, the thorns that will get the upper hand and choke down the fruit of Jesus. In your life, there's no limit. And that's why you've Got to make a decision, folks. You have got to make that decision that no, nothing is more important than my relationship with Christ. And, my heart will be. There was a book many years ago, my heart, Christ's Home. and you want your heart to have sufficient soil or receptivity that the gospel can bear fruit. Whatever, whether it's popular opinion, priorities, temptations, besetting sins, you gotta dig up those thorns, get them gone so the gospel can bear fruit.
Dillon: The thorns choked the plants, as you well elaborated
Dillon comment so far and take us to verse eight, if you would.
Dillon Sure, that's well said. One thing it brought to mind for me is as a child we had a large garden out in our yard. And one of my early chores as a child was to pull weeds during the summer months, you know, from our way, from the tomato plants or the corn stalks. And those thorns and those weeds would not go away. It didn't matter how many you pulled, there seemed to be more and more and more. And it was a never ending battle. And if you're a gardener of any type, farmer of any type, you could probably relate. There's something about those things, thorns or those weeds that just keep coming back. And spiritually that's the case too. It just seems like we constantly face battles of some kind. But the emphasis in this passage is that the thorns, choked the plants. So the plants were unable to flourish and be fruitful as they were intended because of the distractions around them, as you well elaborated.
Jesus says out of these four, you want to be the fourth group
And that's what brings us to this fourth section, the seed that falls on good soil. And I want people to understand that even though there might be some debate about which of these four groups are really Christians and which ones aren't, the focus is on the fourth group. The focus is not on the second group or the third group. And whether those people are really Christians or not. Jesus is saying, out of these four, you want to be the fourth group. And that is the group that I'm calling you to live by, to be 160 or 30 times what was sown, to multiply, just like fruit, just like vegetables are supposed to do, just like seed is designed to do. And that's what we see in the passage, is that there's this emphasis that if you're fruitful, you're doing what God has called you to do. And you'll know that you are my followers by your fruit. Okay, we're told we're be known as his followers by our love for one another, but also by being fruitful and talks much about the fruit of the Spirit. We'll come back and talk more about this here in just a moment on exploring the word and look forward to talking about this more with all of you in just a moment.
80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing baby on ultrasound
Bert Harper Friend. We're living in a defining moment today. A woman facing an unexpected pregnancy can order the abortion pill online, often before anyone has the chance to tell her she is loved, she's not alone, or that there is hope. That's why you are needed right now. You were made for this moment. At preborn network clinics, mothers are welcomed with compassion, practical support and a free ultrasound. And when she sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat for the very first time, fear often gives way to hope. In fact, more than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound at a preborn network work clinic. That one moment can save a baby's life and open a mother's heart to the hope of Jesus Christ. This is our moment to stand. For those who cannot speak for themselves, just $28 provides one life saving ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies. Please don't wait. Dial 250. That's dial pound 250 and say the key word baby. That's pound 250 baby or gifts securely. Preborn.com Bert Harper that's preborn.com Bert Harper together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time.
Fill this land with the father's glory. Set our hearts on fire.
On Tuesdays we take prayer requests on our Facebook page
Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland along with Dillon Burroughs. We're in Matthew chapter 13, listening to some of the parables of Jesus. Hey, you know, on Tuesdays we take prayer requests and we will open up the, phones in the next segment. But you can go ahead and begin to post prayer requests if you want to, on our Facebook page. We have a very active, Facebook page. It's just exploring the word super easy to find. And Brent, Austin looks after that for us. Bert and I post articles and I've got an article that I'm going to be sending to Brent. My most recent article in the American Family Journal, stand on, why we need to speak against antisemitism and stand up for, the rights of Israel and Jewish people. I'm going to send that to Brent, but on Facebook, if you want to go ahead and begin to post some of your prayer requests, and there are a lot of them, we just come together in prayer on Tuesdays and we would love to hear from you in that regard. I'm going to give the number to. You might want to Write this down. The toll free number if you want to call in in the next segment is 8885-8988-4088-8589-8840. And we will get to prayer request in the next segment.
Dillon: Your reception of the Gospel can make salvation actual
Dillon before the break, we were talking about the soils. And you well said in verse eight, the fourth seed fell on good ground, brought forth a good crop of grain, and it says some hundredfold, 60 and 30. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And in, the next we'll talk about some of the purposes of the parables. But the thing about it, there's nothing wrong with the seed, certainly nothing wrong with the sower. But the soil, that's where it is. And I want to say this, I'll throw it to Dillon Jesus's death, burial and resurrection makes salvation possible. But your reception of the Gospel can make salvation actual. You see, God offers himself, but he doesn't force himself. Because Christianity is about a relationship with Christ. And we know God does the saving. All the work was done by Christ on Calvary. But we do have to respond. And just like that, good ground can cause the seed to grow and a crop to happen. our hearts have to be the soil receptive, and then we turn to Christ and we are saved. we have to make that decision and respond to the gospel, don't we, Dillon?
Dillon Yes, you're exactly right. And it reminds me also, if you're familiar with Revelation chapters two and three, there are letters to seven churches that existed during the first century century. The apostle Jon wrote instructions to each of them as part of his revelation in the final book of the NewSong Testament. But each one of those letters ends with something similar to Revelation 2:7 that says to him who has an ear, let him hear. And it's interesting to see that phrase over and over and how that's similar to what we see here with Jesus talking about us needing to be receptive to the gospel message. And people have different responses and as a result have a different level of fruitfulness. this passage is so powerful in the sense that it comes from Jesus himself, with his disciples, with an audience right at the setting of, the Sea of Galilee. And it comes to this kind of a climax at the end of the story after verse nine, where you get the reason for the parables because the story ends and then the disciples came to him and asked, why do you speak to the people in parables? And then we get an entirely new section that talks about Jesus responding that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you, but not to them. I think that's so interesting and that you can talk about this some as well, Alex, but this idea that not everybody gets the gospel message when we share it with them, there's like this spiritual blindness or sometimes a hardness of heart where people hear the words you're saying, but it's not connecting. And I can relate because before I knew Christ, I was the same way. I could go to church and I can hear the sermon, but it didn't have any impact. And then somewhere along the way, God opened my heart and light flooded in. And there's a forgiveness and a new life that you experience that is unexplainable. But it is a powerful part of the situation, isn't it, that we're not only talking about the communication of the gospel, but our heart being open and receptive to the message that Jesus brings.
Alex McFarland Well, amen. Amen. And that's why, folks, Bird and I say this a lot. Dillon and I say, is important, I mean, vitally important, to respond to the amount of light you've got. the Bible says that, in Luke 12, to whom much is given, much will be required, and the one who receives more will be entrusted. And so these parables, it's really kind of. Well, it's a fulfillment of Isaiah, chapter 6 and several other passages that Christ would come speaking in parables. This is one of the realities of Jesus, the Messiah. Not that God is trying to stay hidden from people. He isn't. But Christianity is about a relationship, and it's not that, Well, I've often shared this, G.K. chesterton quote. G.K. chesterton, he was, over 100 years ago, very influential in the life of C.S. lewis, great British apologist. He said, it's not that Christianity has been tried and found lacking. It's that Christianity has been found difficult and left untried. And so these parables, these realities of the kingdom, it's an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly truth. And verse 13, again, therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they do not see. Hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand. And so it goes on and it talks about the hearts of the people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing. This verse 15, their eyes are closed. So you've got hearts, ears, eyes. okay, with the eye you see, with the ears you hear. But it really coalesces in the heart. And the Greek word is cardia, you know, cardiac. But what does it mean? Biblically, the heart, the real you, your mind, your will, your attitudes, your priorities, your, either humility or lack thereof, your teachableness or hard hearted stubbornness. I really do think, Dillon the ability to see and comprehend a parable, it doesn't say so much about the difficulty level of the parable, but the receptivity level or lack thereof of the human heart. And so lest they should understand with their hearts in turn, if you understand the gospel and if you are humble and willing, you should, and with the Spirit's help will turn so that I should heal them and that healing is salvation. So, anyway, Christ is here. And Dillon one last thing, and I suppose this could be a whole, nother topic. You've got the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, the religious hierarchy. They have the highest amount of God's revelation of any group in history. And I'll tell you why. I believe that for one, they intimately knew the Old Testament scriptures and here, right in their very presence, is the, the embodiment, the incarnation of God and truth, Jesus. Right in front of them. They saw the miracles, they heard the words of Christ. If any group had every responsibility to turn to Christ in belief and faith, it would have been these people then. And of course in verse 17 it says many prophets wanted to see what they're seeing, and yet not all, but many rejected. I mean, you've got Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, There were religious leaders that did believe in Jesus, but many m of the professional religious hierarchy, they had all this revelation and they hardened their hearts and they rejected. And so let us not be like that. Let us be receptive, believing, not rejecting and unbelieving.
Alex writes a powerful summary of Isaiah on what this passage means today
Dillon What a powerful summary, Alex, on what this passage really brings to us today. And I wanted to mention in verse 14 you referred to this prophecy of Isaiah that you will be ever hearing, but never understand, and you'll be ever seen, but never perceiving. most people miss that. These verses come right after that important verse in Isaiah, chapter 6, verse 8, where the voice of the Lord says, whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And I said, here am I, send me the response by Isaiah. And of course that's being, popularized now. You see in billboards or online or various places in response to words that were said by Charlie Kirk himself, the famous words that he left behind before his passing almost a year ago this week. So, and it resonates in a powerful way still today and a way that we can apply in our lives. That phrase here Am I Send me, resonates with the followers of Jesus throughout time. And for each of us, there's an application that we need to take from that and use as God directs us to fulfill his calling, whether it's. And simply sharing the gospel with a neighbor, or it's going to the nations to share with those who have never heard the gospel at all.
Matthew tells the parable of the Sower in chapter 19
So a very important insight I want to make sure we mention before we move on to, other parts of this passage.
Alex McFarland I've always heard that scripture interprets scripture. And here we've got the words of Christ explaining the parable of the Sower. therefore hear the parable of the Sower, verse 19. Anyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the wayside, not gives it enough attention for it to really click and the eyes be open. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles. Now, he who received the seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word and the cares of this world. And I think we all know what those can be in our lives. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received the seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some hundredfold some 60 and some 30. Dillon I've got to tell a brief account, folks, of a Mormon man that Angie and I led to Christ. And Dillon you've been to our house there in Pleasant Garden. We had a gentleman that we knew, and he was an older. He was a veteran. And, he was just kind of hyper. We love this guy. His name is James. And. But he came and he was always wanting to know what I was doing preaching. And he had Bible questions. But whenever I would get to the gospel, he would change the subject or talk about Mormonism. And he just was kind of all over the map. And so I prayed about it. And one day he came by very randomly. In fact, it was about an hour before exploring the Word. And if I'm out of school here, you can feel free to correct me. But I said, james, James, listen, listen. I said, I want you to do me a favor. Be quiet. Don't talk. And he smiled. he said, okay. And I said, don't talk. I said, do you believe that Angie and I care about you? He said, yes. I said, do you believe I, tell you the truth? I wouldn't lie to you. He said, yes. I said, okay, so don't talk for the next 10 minutes. Please let me talk. Listen to me, Listen to me. And I began to explain the gospel. And every time that he was about to talk, I would say, just listen, don't talk. because it was like the shallow ground and he would always get diverted. Well, long story short, I could see just by the countenance of his face that he was softening. And we looked eye to eye and I said, jesus Christ loves you. He died for you. You don't earn it. You don't have to work for it. There's no other Bible. There's Jesus. Long story short, and this was probably 20 minutes before exploring the Word. One day James prayed and accepted Christ. And he began to weep and we embrace. But now I felt close enough to him that I got kind of bold, but I said, shh, shh, James, don't talk. Just listen. Don't talk. But I had to get through to that thin veneer of religion and see if we could get the seed of the gospel into his heart. And God did that. But I'm not saying everybody should do that and tell their neighbor to be quiet. But he was so much diverted and I kind of had to get his attention. But he came to Christ.
Dillon Yeah, it was clearly a spirit led moment. God used that in a special way. And it's fascinating to me to see how stories by Jesus changed the lives of so many and continue to change lives today. This parable of the sower is one of a list of seven different parables just in chapter 13 of Matthew that gives insights into how God has called us to live. And, maybe you're listening to this and you need prayer in some way. maybe you're listening to, to this and you know someone in your life. A loved one, a spouse, a child, a parent, a co worker, a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend. Someone in your life who needs a touch from God. Maybe they need to know Christ. Maybe they need healing. Maybe they need a special change in their life. They're a prodigal child who needs to turn back. we want to pray with you and for you today after our break. In a minute we're going to come back and pray over the requests that are called in and sent in over Facebook. You can go to facebook.com exploring the word. You can also call us toll free at 880, 858-98-8840. Again, that's triple 858-98840. To have Alex or I to pray with you and, share your request and intercede with all those who are listening today. So we really appreciate you giving us that privilege and honor, but we ask you to call now, 888-58-9884 and give us a chance to pray with you today. And Alex, I know you want to share just a brief word before we go into the break of how special this opportunity is. Every Tuesday that we take.
Alex McFarland Well, we do. And you know what, Dillon? In addition to the prayers, we get a lot of praises. It's always a great blessing. People call back in and they'll say, hey, two weeks ago I, had a situation, didn't begin to know how it was going to work out. And we prayed and it worked out. We've had people pray about employment and the need of a job, prodigals coming home, health issues and getting a bad diagnosis. And so God is in the business of answering our prayers, meeting our needs, and we just rejoice together in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
American Family Radio Network is raising funds for preborn babies
Well, we've got a break. It's Dillon Burroughs, Alex McFarland exploring the word here on the American Family Radio Network, 888-858-9-8840. Call us with your prayer requests or Bible questions on this Tuesday edition of Exploring the Word.
Bert Harper Right now, more mothers need that moment of hope. Just $28 sponsors one ultrasound and $140 helps rescue five babies. Your generous tax deductible gift also helps provide mothers who choose life with love and support and care for up to two years. Please don't wait. Help surround mothers and babies with compassion, truth and hope today. To donate, dial 250 and say the key word baby. That's 250baby. Or visit preborn.com that's preborn.com Bert Harper.
Let your knees wear out the floor. Don't stop believing.
There's a lot to pray about in regards to our nation this week
Welcome back to Exploring the Word. We're going to go to prayer requests. There's a lot to pray about, folks, in regards to our nation. I mean, we're at the one year anniversary since the death of Charlie Kirk. And it was really on this program live that Bert and I, we got, the news that Charlie Kirk had been killed. And two, two weeks and a day or so prior, he had been with me in one of our Conferences. And so we, we announced that on this show. The, the networks were saying that he was in critical condition but we had it from the White House that he had died a year ago and we announced it on this program. you know, be in prayer about that. I mean some are taking this time to remember that Christian brother and some are mocking the other thing. This is, we're coming up on the 25th anniversary of 911 and ah, maybe I'll share a bit about this on Friday. But I was about 26, 27 hours after 911 happened. I was there literally in the rubble of Ground Zero serving as a volunteer chaplain for the Billy Graham ministry. And I've got an article that I wrote about what it was like to minister in and around Ground Zero in the aftermath and pray for our nation folks. I think it's just kind of ironic that at the quarter century mark after 9 11, the Smithsonian says the tragedy of 911 is the rise of Islamophobia. And now NewSong York City has a Muslim Marxist mayor and a record number of Muslim candidates are running for and holding offices here in America. So there is a lot to pray for folks. And with that we're going to go to some of the prayer requests and all I thank God that our Savior does answer prayer. And we, it's our privilege to pray with all of you about many, many things. So Dillon we're going to let Brent Austin help us here to queue up some of these prayer requests. But Brent, where, where do we begin?
Brent asks for prayer for a man in surgery with a tumor
Brent Austin Let's go first to Jacqueline in Mississippi. Jacqueline, you're exploring the word.
Praise the Lord. And as always I always enjoy how God uses you all to help and touch each and every one. And like you say, we always get the reply back what God has done. And I know Bert is not there today but my prayer request is I have a son in law, that is what is really my daughter's brother. Let me get that right. He's in surgery as we speak and I'm asking for prayer. He was in a terrible car accident but they said there was a tumor. They went in, they didn't in for hours but they said he's have had a stroke in the midst of this surgery. And I want prayer for that, that God will you know, be done. And then I've called in the past where you all pray for my daughter which is a 28 year alcoholic and she comes out, she does well, recovery for four or five years. But today they got A call that she's missing in here in Mississippi. So I just ask for God will be done and to open our hearts and mind for others that's going through as well.
Alex McFarland Jacqueline, if I could ask the first name, please. First name only of the man in surgery.
His name is Court. Oh, Cordell.
Alex McFarland And your daughter's first name, if you don't mind.
Jimmalin.
Alex McFarland Okay. Amen. I'm going to pray and then Brent will give us the next one. Thank you, Jacqueline. Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray for Cordell. He was in a terrible car wreck. Please, guide the doctors as they operate. Please let him heal. They found a tumor. Lord, we ask for recovery. I pray for health in his body that it wouldn't be cancerous. And Lord, for Jimmerlin, that, Lord, they would locate her. Father, in the name of Jesus, deliver her from alcoholism and Lord, take away the desire for alcohol or any substances. Please keep her safe. I pray she would know you, Lord. Keep her alive physically and you'll do a work in her spiritually. And thank you for Jacqueline making us aware of these things. We pray for your will, safety and deliverance and your plan for both Cordell and Jimmerlyn. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Brent, what next?
Ethan's mom had very late stage cancer and underwent surgery
Brent Austin Let's go next to Ethan in Tennessee. Ethan, you're on with, Alex and Dillon
Yes, sir. Thank you all very much. I've called several times over the past year. Prayer, request from my mom that, had very late stage cancer. it was an ovarian type cancer that had spread into the lining of her stomach. She also had a large tumor beside her liver. But she went into treatment. She had nine chemo treatments and then they did surgery. And when they went in to do surgery, the cancer had just melted away. And they basically spent five hours removing the scar tissue. And she's doing great. she went ahead and had three more treatments after the surgery and she went for scans last week and she was completely cancer free. And I just want to thank everybody for the prayers and encouragement, to anybody out there that, that is sick or have loved ones that are sick that God does these miracles. And I've seen one person like with my mom and, we just, we love everybody for the prayers. Thank you all very much.
Alex McFarland Wow, Dillon that's powerful, isn't it?
Dillon Oh, that's great. I love it. Ethan, thank you so much for calling and sharing. For, those of you listening who've prayed for Ethan's mom over the past several months, be blessed today. God's answered some major prayers. We want to pray a quick prayer of praise today for Ethan's mother and just lift up, to the Lord, our thankfulness for his response in this situation. Father, we thank you so much for this day and a chance to hear from Ethan talking about his mom's cancer that is now gone and that she can say that she's cancer free as the result of your work and the prayers of your people. we thank you for what you've done in her life. We thank you for how you've responded to Ethan's prayer prayer and the prayers of so many others. And pray you continue to use this response, this answer, this testimony as a way for her to share her faith and her love for you with those around her for years to come. In Jesus name, amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Okay, Brent.
Victoria from North Carolina requests prayers for her family after husband gives life to Christ
Brent Austin All right, we go next to Victoria and North Carolina. Victoria, you're on.
Hello.
Dillon Hi.
I was listening in on the radio and I got the, the number for calling in. I wanted to first thank the Lord Jesus for all that he is doing in our life. Of course.
Alex McFarland Amen.
but my husband has recently decided to give his life to Christ. I've been praying for that for a long time. It is an answered prayer. And, as soon as he did, it was like we started getting spiritual attacks from every corner. And the children have been very sick. I've been sick, he's now sick. And financial things are coming up, and it's just one thing after another, it seems. And he's fighting to not fall back into the slump. And I, would really like to also get my family, my children, my parents, my sister is more involved with following Christ. And I've been fighting that good fight for some years now, too. So I wanted to request some prayers over that.
Alex McFarland Amen. Victoria, sounds like kind of you've been really the spiritual, role model in your family. Is that kind of the case?
Yes.
Alex McFarland God bless you. God bless you. You know, First Corinthians 15:58. Your labor in the Lord is. Thank you for sharing that. And we're absolutely going to pray. In fact, I want to do that right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for, Victoria's testimony. Her husband has given his life to Christ. And, Lord, I pray that they would be united as a couple, that they would have the commitment to bring the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And so, Lord, give this husband of Victoria just a passion in his heart to be the spiritual leader of his home. Give him just an unshakable commitment to be a Christian husband, a Christian father. Lord, I pray against these spiritual attacks, Lord, I pray for health and the children would be healthy. I pray for financial blessing. And Lord, I know sometimes when people, walk with Jesus, that's when things get a little complicated. And Satan wants to rock the boat, and Satan wants to shake people's faith. In the name of Jesus, Lord, we pray for stability and just, a real peace. And your favor, your blessing. Grow this up to be a mighty, mighty family for the gospel. And bless Victoria for all these years being faithful, interceding and praying, prayer. And Lord, she's beginning to see the fruit of all of her waiting on you. So bless this family in every way. In every way. And we pray it in Christ's name. Amen. Praise God. Brenda Austin. Where to?
Susan calls with prayer requests for her grandson and her job search
Brent Austin All right, we go next to Susan in Virginia. Susan, thank you for calling.
Oh, hi, Alex and Dillon. So nice to talk to you. I like to feel as though I know you. I love your spirit. I, I told the screener one prayer, but I have two once. My grandson, five year old, who is very sick. And I've been praying that God will completely heal him for his glory and for, my grandson's take. I know there's healing out there there, so I pray for his complete healing, from autism. It can be done. And then I was laid off for my job about three months ago, and I am over 65. I love to work and I want to keep working. My age is again worse because they can. Anybody can look up your age. And so I've tried, you know, I've submitted applications, I get ghosted. And, right now I'm just praying for that the Lord will give those may open those doors that no one can close and that he will just keep me from getting too depressed because it's, it is a, it is right now. And in some valleys with this, it's, very discouraging and I feel pretty alone right now. So I, I thank you for your, for your ministry and for your blessings, people, and for their praises. So those are my prayers.
Alex McFarland Oh, wow, Dillon Susan's prayer requests, they, they really, they touch our heart for sure. Dillon what do you say, brother?
Dillon Yeah, this is such a heavy one with, your grandson as well as your job search. And then of course, just loneliness in general can be so difficult. So let's lift these needs up to the Lord in prayer right now. Father, we thank you for Susan and her willingness to call in and ask for help for, these needs. And we do lift her up today. We want to pray for her grandson and the sickness that he's going through. We pray your healing upon his life that, you would work in him in a special way and show your, power strongly within him to bring him to full health again quickly. Do pray also for this job search. You would provide just the right job at just the right time for Susan's needs and also lift up her, concern about just feeling lonely. It's something we can all relate to at times. And she's especially feeling the need right now for you to remove this loneliness. So through a connection with you, through connection with other believers, that you would encourage her and strengthen her and help her with your righteous right hand. And we love you. And pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you, Susan, so much for calling in. We appreciate it.
Alex McFarland Amen.
Herman from Texas calls in with prayer request for his sister
Brother Brent.
Brent Austin All right, let's go. Next to Herman in Texas.
Much for calling in. I appreciate it.
Brent Austin If you will turn your radio off for us, please.
Hello?
Alex McFarland Yeah. Welcome, Herman.
Hello. How you doing?
Good.
Alex McFarland What's on your heart today, my friend?
I'm calling in for my sister Maria. She's, in the hospital right now. She. They found a tumor on her brain, and they're gonna do surgery tomorrow. And I was wondering if you guys can cover in prayer.
Alex McFarland Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, we sure will. And Herman, maybe it'll be next Tuesday when we do prayer again, but if you would call back again and give us an update on how she's doing. But I'm going to pray right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, we lift up Maria, Herman's, sister, for one thing. Lord, bless this dear man for calling in for his sister. And, Lord, in the name of Jesus, we pray for health. Lord, that this tumor, I pray it would be benign and it would not be a terrible, terrible, malignant cancer. And, Lord, give her the strength to get through this surgery. And, Lord, guide the doctor's hands and let them do the best, best job ever. And, Lord, as she. As Maria goes through this surgery, Lord, I pray that she would turn to you and just, deeply, deeply lean on you. Jesus, I pray this would, cause all the family to draw closer to each other and closer to you. And, Lord, I want to praise you in advance for the healing and, the help and the restoration that you're going to do in the life of Maria, and that she would be just a trophy of your power to heal and restore lives. We lift her up to you, in Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. Brent, where to?
Brent Austin Got a few from social media for you. And remember, you can always email us at [email protected] or you can, message us anytime on Facebook. this one's from Mike in Florida. He's asking for prayers for his son Randy, who's having complications from surgery. And then Nicole, simply asks on Facebook. She says, pray. Pray that I can be a godly wife and also be of service in this world for God.
Alex McFarland Amen.
Brent Austin Ah, Nancy, this is my last one. She says, she's, still looking for a job and, she needs healing in her body.
Wow.
Alex McFarland Mike and his son Randy for surgery. Nicole to be a godly wife. Nancy, a job and many others. I, know a lot of people that are looking for employment right now. Also one last name. Dillon I'm going to ask you to pray. There's a young lady that was at our retreat in Montana, godly young lady, trying to figure out where to go for Christian school. And many, many young people, I'm going to say, 18 to 25, they want to know God's will for their life. We've only got a few seconds. Dillon would you just tie a bow on it and pray, would you, brother?
Dillon Sure, Father. We thank you so much for these requests and praises. We pray for Randy's surgery complications, Nicole and her request about being a better wife and for Nancy's job and for healing. We lift up all these prayers to you in this show. In Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland amen. What a good day. What a good day. Dillon Burrs, I want to thank you for, for being with us. whether Bert's out or I'm out, you're so faithful to fill in, and we get much, much good feedback on you. Brent Austin, thank you for running the board. Hey, folks, read on the remainder of Matthew chapter 13. We'll pick it up again tomorrow. Tell somebody about the American Family Radio Network and exploring the Word. But most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. Blessings to you all. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
Brent Austin The Bible.
It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Exploring the Word comes from Matthew 13:3
Welcome to Exploring the Word. If you ever have the great, privilege of going to the COVID the Billy Graham Conference center in Asheville, North Carolina. It's been my joy to be there a number of times. there's a painting of Billy Graham. He's out in a big field and he's got kind of a sack over his shoulder and he's sowing seed. And this painting of Billy Graham was done by Russian Christians as a gift to he and his wife Billy and Ruth Graham. And at the bottom it says a sower went forth to sow. And of course it was in honor of Billy Graham being a sower of the gospel. But really that line comes from Matthew 13:3. And we're going to get into one of the well known parables of Jesus and I really, it stirs my heart. I think it's a beautiful thing because we are to be sowers of the seed of the gospel that there would be a harvest of souls, those who come to faith in Christ.
Tuesday is our day of prayer. So you want to share prayer requests
And with that we welcome you to this edition of Exploring the Word. Very special edition of Exploring the word today. Alex McFarland here along with one of our co hosts, Dillon Burrows. And Bert is out today, but Dillon is with us. And in addition to getting into Matthew chapter 13, we are gonna take prayer requests Tuesday. per Brent Austin's suggestion a couple years ago, Tuesdays are our day of prayer. So you want to share prayer requests and we will get together, we will agree together and pray. It's gonna be a great day on the program. My dear friend, Dillon Burroughs. Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Sir.
Dillon Well, thank you Alex. Always a pleasure to be with you and with all of the listeners out there today. Looking forward to sharing from God's Word together as well as praying with some of you today. And even if you don' don't call in to pray, you can pray with us with the needs of those who do call in. As we join together across the nation and worldwide to lift up needs, to praise the Lord and to intercede on behalf of one another as God calls us to do. So that the power of a righteous person or the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. So let's not forget that as we lift one Another up today.
Alex McFarland Amen. You know, I mentioned that picture, of Billy Graham at the Cove And you're going to be with us next summer at the COVID along with Lauren Greene of Fox News. And, and we'll talk about that later.
Alex : Matthew 13 addresses four types of soil and how gospel affects people
But right now I want to get in and I want to read some of Matthew 13. I just have loved this gospel and our time to go through it. But it says in Matthew 13, on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to him. So that he got into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, behold, a sower went out to sow. And as, he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some seed fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. Verse 8 of Matthew 13. But others fell upon good ground and yielded a crop some hundredfold, some 60, some 30. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Dillon Beloved, beloved parable. there's songs. Tell me the stories of Jesus. And it says, songs, by the tales by the wayside, songs by the sea. I've seen paintings of Jesus in a small boat there at the edge of the shore, the people listening. this brings so many beautiful images to mind. But, Dillon hasn't it been said by many a commentator that the four types of soil are really indicative of, four kinds of receptivity of the human heart. The heart receiving the gospel. Nothing wrong with the seed, but the eventual outcome is due to the soil it falls in when, or really the, state of the heart.
Dillon Yeah, that's so true. And it's important that we set the scene as well. Most people overlook this, but when you start at the beginning of chapter 13, it says Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Where are we talking about in this passage? Well, historically we believe this is the house of Simon Peter. He was the only apostle, we are told, who was married at the time that he came as a follower of Jesus. He's in Capernaum. He comes out of his house. And the lake they're talking about right there is the Sea of Galilee. And so a very well known historical site that you can go to still Today as an. As a tourist and see the archaeological remains. but then it says Jesus sat on in a boat on the seashore and along the sea. And it's significant because Jesus does this on multiple occasions. And there's an acoustic reason for this. Right, as well, that you can hear the sound come off the water up onto the land may have been a safety issue as well. So he separated from the people a little bit. But for whatever the reasons, he's sitting in this boat, given the teaching. And he addresses what you mentioned, these four different types of soil and how they resonate or respond or connect with the hearts of people. And you shared a little bit about this. Let's look at these one by one. First, we have, the hard heart, you know, the path, the seed on the rocky soil. This one's pretty clear. It says the evil one snatches it away. We know the evil one is Satan. So those who are on this kind of seed are those who are very clearly not responsive to the word in a way that Jesus Christ wants. But it's these other three that are often, debated and discussed among commentators and Christian leaders and pastors about what do they mean? What is the focus? Because you have the rocky ground, you have the thorny ground, and then you have the good soil. So I want you to comment on this first, Alex, and then I'll jump in about what are we talking about? These three other types of soil. How do they relate as, this referring to a person who's a follower of Christ. And all three occasions, two occasions, one occasion, how do we know? And let's talk a little bit about how it applies to us today.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen, Dillon
Dillon: Sometimes people procrastinate before the gospel can bear fruit
Great, great setup there. So. So you've got the. The first seed that falls, by the way. then you've got the second seed that falls on stony places, and the third falls among thorns, verse seven. And then the fourth seed. Seed falls on good ground. whenever I'm sharing the gospel with people, and even over the weekend in Montana, we were at an event and there were Christians, there were those that did come to Christ, and there were several that were having some real struggles. And I always try to. Dillon whenever I'm trying to minister the gospel and see people come to Christ, if they are, not receptive, I always try to want to kind of find out why. And in these four contexts, I think those of us that have been, you know, Christians or tried to be a witness, maybe we've seen examples of this. Okay, first of all, there in Verse four, it says some seed fell by the wayside or by the footpath, and birds came and ate it. You know, it's almost like, maybe people momentarily comprehend the gospel, but they procrastinate. they don't really understand. And before the gospel can bear fruit in their life, either they've forgotten it or moved on, or Satan has diverted their attention. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 4 that Satan tries to keep men in darkness. So I think, Dillon a lot of people, they don't ever give a serious, consideration to where they stand with the Lord or getting their family in church or beginning to really build a Christian life. They're just so busy, they don't give it any attention. And like the birds snatching seed away before it can germinate, people's attention is diverted. I think it's maybe even a little easier to comprehend. The stony places or the thorns. Five and six. The seed falls on stony places. Okay, Right now, even this morning, my wife is trying to share the Gospel with a woman that is spiritual. And she talks about. This lady talks about, you know, she's a very, very spiritual person. But it's a thin, thin. There's no soil, and the seed might germinate a little bit, but withers and dies. I think about this, that you begin to engage people in a gospel conversation, and they present that they are kind of spiritual, they're interested. But when it comes to commitment, when it comes to enduring the tribulation or really the price that comes with saying yes to Jesus and Jesus alone, their enthusiasm ebbs away. The ground of their heart is stony with not much topsoil at all. Then in verse seven, the seed among the thorns, okay, this seed begins to grow. and some translations talk about grain growing, but choked out by thorny weeds. Now, I think there's probably no end to the thorns of life that would, supplant the first place in life that Jesus deserves. And I'm just going to say this, and Dillon I'll throw it back to you in life. Listen, folks, lots of things are competing for your loyalty and your attention. I mean, the spirit of God is calling. But then you're thinking about goals, responsibilities. You're thinking about looking upstanding and respectable around people. Maybe you're thinking about, you know, the Bible talks about the deceitfulness of riches. I mean, the thorns that will get the upper hand and choke down the fruit of Jesus. In your life, there's no limit. And that's why you've Got to make a decision, folks. You have got to make that decision that no, nothing is more important than my relationship with Christ. And, my heart will be. There was a book many years ago, my heart, Christ's Home. and you want your heart to have sufficient soil or receptivity that the gospel can bear fruit. Whatever, whether it's popular opinion, priorities, temptations, besetting sins, you gotta dig up those thorns, get them gone so the gospel can bear fruit.
Dillon: The thorns choked the plants, as you well elaborated
Dillon comment so far and take us to verse eight, if you would.
Dillon Sure, that's well said. One thing it brought to mind for me is as a child we had a large garden out in our yard. And one of my early chores as a child was to pull weeds during the summer months, you know, from our way, from the tomato plants or the corn stalks. And those thorns and those weeds would not go away. It didn't matter how many you pulled, there seemed to be more and more and more. And it was a never ending battle. And if you're a gardener of any type, farmer of any type, you could probably relate. There's something about those things, thorns or those weeds that just keep coming back. And spiritually that's the case too. It just seems like we constantly face battles of some kind. But the emphasis in this passage is that the thorns, choked the plants. So the plants were unable to flourish and be fruitful as they were intended because of the distractions around them, as you well elaborated.
Jesus says out of these four, you want to be the fourth group
And that's what brings us to this fourth section, the seed that falls on good soil. And I want people to understand that even though there might be some debate about which of these four groups are really Christians and which ones aren't, the focus is on the fourth group. The focus is not on the second group or the third group. And whether those people are really Christians or not. Jesus is saying, out of these four, you want to be the fourth group. And that is the group that I'm calling you to live by, to be 160 or 30 times what was sown, to multiply, just like fruit, just like vegetables are supposed to do, just like seed is designed to do. And that's what we see in the passage, is that there's this emphasis that if you're fruitful, you're doing what God has called you to do. And you'll know that you are my followers by your fruit. Okay, we're told we're be known as his followers by our love for one another, but also by being fruitful and talks much about the fruit of the Spirit. We'll come back and talk more about this here in just a moment on exploring the word and look forward to talking about this more with all of you in just a moment.
80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing baby on ultrasound
Bert Harper Friend. We're living in a defining moment today. A woman facing an unexpected pregnancy can order the abortion pill online, often before anyone has the chance to tell her she is loved, she's not alone, or that there is hope. That's why you are needed right now. You were made for this moment. At preborn network clinics, mothers are welcomed with compassion, practical support and a free ultrasound. And when she sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat for the very first time, fear often gives way to hope. In fact, more than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound at a preborn network work clinic. That one moment can save a baby's life and open a mother's heart to the hope of Jesus Christ. This is our moment to stand. For those who cannot speak for themselves, just $28 provides one life saving ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies. Please don't wait. Dial 250. That's dial pound 250 and say the key word baby. That's pound 250 baby or gifts securely. Preborn.com Bert Harper that's preborn.com Bert Harper together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time.
Fill this land with the father's glory. Set our hearts on fire.
On Tuesdays we take prayer requests on our Facebook page
Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland along with Dillon Burroughs. We're in Matthew chapter 13, listening to some of the parables of Jesus. Hey, you know, on Tuesdays we take prayer requests and we will open up the, phones in the next segment. But you can go ahead and begin to post prayer requests if you want to, on our Facebook page. We have a very active, Facebook page. It's just exploring the word super easy to find. And Brent, Austin looks after that for us. Bert and I post articles and I've got an article that I'm going to be sending to Brent. My most recent article in the American Family Journal, stand on, why we need to speak against antisemitism and stand up for, the rights of Israel and Jewish people. I'm going to send that to Brent, but on Facebook, if you want to go ahead and begin to post some of your prayer requests, and there are a lot of them, we just come together in prayer on Tuesdays and we would love to hear from you in that regard. I'm going to give the number to. You might want to Write this down. The toll free number if you want to call in in the next segment is 8885-8988-4088-8589-8840. And we will get to prayer request in the next segment.
Dillon: Your reception of the Gospel can make salvation actual
Dillon before the break, we were talking about the soils. And you well said in verse eight, the fourth seed fell on good ground, brought forth a good crop of grain, and it says some hundredfold, 60 and 30. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And in, the next we'll talk about some of the purposes of the parables. But the thing about it, there's nothing wrong with the seed, certainly nothing wrong with the sower. But the soil, that's where it is. And I want to say this, I'll throw it to Dillon Jesus's death, burial and resurrection makes salvation possible. But your reception of the Gospel can make salvation actual. You see, God offers himself, but he doesn't force himself. Because Christianity is about a relationship with Christ. And we know God does the saving. All the work was done by Christ on Calvary. But we do have to respond. And just like that, good ground can cause the seed to grow and a crop to happen. our hearts have to be the soil receptive, and then we turn to Christ and we are saved. we have to make that decision and respond to the gospel, don't we, Dillon?
Dillon Yes, you're exactly right. And it reminds me also, if you're familiar with Revelation chapters two and three, there are letters to seven churches that existed during the first century century. The apostle Jon wrote instructions to each of them as part of his revelation in the final book of the NewSong Testament. But each one of those letters ends with something similar to Revelation 2:7 that says to him who has an ear, let him hear. And it's interesting to see that phrase over and over and how that's similar to what we see here with Jesus talking about us needing to be receptive to the gospel message. And people have different responses and as a result have a different level of fruitfulness. this passage is so powerful in the sense that it comes from Jesus himself, with his disciples, with an audience right at the setting of, the Sea of Galilee. And it comes to this kind of a climax at the end of the story after verse nine, where you get the reason for the parables because the story ends and then the disciples came to him and asked, why do you speak to the people in parables? And then we get an entirely new section that talks about Jesus responding that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you, but not to them. I think that's so interesting and that you can talk about this some as well, Alex, but this idea that not everybody gets the gospel message when we share it with them, there's like this spiritual blindness or sometimes a hardness of heart where people hear the words you're saying, but it's not connecting. And I can relate because before I knew Christ, I was the same way. I could go to church and I can hear the sermon, but it didn't have any impact. And then somewhere along the way, God opened my heart and light flooded in. And there's a forgiveness and a new life that you experience that is unexplainable. But it is a powerful part of the situation, isn't it, that we're not only talking about the communication of the gospel, but our heart being open and receptive to the message that Jesus brings.
Alex McFarland Well, amen. Amen. And that's why, folks, Bird and I say this a lot. Dillon and I say, is important, I mean, vitally important, to respond to the amount of light you've got. the Bible says that, in Luke 12, to whom much is given, much will be required, and the one who receives more will be entrusted. And so these parables, it's really kind of. Well, it's a fulfillment of Isaiah, chapter 6 and several other passages that Christ would come speaking in parables. This is one of the realities of Jesus, the Messiah. Not that God is trying to stay hidden from people. He isn't. But Christianity is about a relationship, and it's not that, Well, I've often shared this, G.K. chesterton quote. G.K. chesterton, he was, over 100 years ago, very influential in the life of C.S. lewis, great British apologist. He said, it's not that Christianity has been tried and found lacking. It's that Christianity has been found difficult and left untried. And so these parables, these realities of the kingdom, it's an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly truth. And verse 13, again, therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they do not see. Hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand. And so it goes on and it talks about the hearts of the people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing. This verse 15, their eyes are closed. So you've got hearts, ears, eyes. okay, with the eye you see, with the ears you hear. But it really coalesces in the heart. And the Greek word is cardia, you know, cardiac. But what does it mean? Biblically, the heart, the real you, your mind, your will, your attitudes, your priorities, your, either humility or lack thereof, your teachableness or hard hearted stubbornness. I really do think, Dillon the ability to see and comprehend a parable, it doesn't say so much about the difficulty level of the parable, but the receptivity level or lack thereof of the human heart. And so lest they should understand with their hearts in turn, if you understand the gospel and if you are humble and willing, you should, and with the Spirit's help will turn so that I should heal them and that healing is salvation. So, anyway, Christ is here. And Dillon one last thing, and I suppose this could be a whole, nother topic. You've got the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, the religious hierarchy. They have the highest amount of God's revelation of any group in history. And I'll tell you why. I believe that for one, they intimately knew the Old Testament scriptures and here, right in their very presence, is the, the embodiment, the incarnation of God and truth, Jesus. Right in front of them. They saw the miracles, they heard the words of Christ. If any group had every responsibility to turn to Christ in belief and faith, it would have been these people then. And of course in verse 17 it says many prophets wanted to see what they're seeing, and yet not all, but many rejected. I mean, you've got Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, There were religious leaders that did believe in Jesus, but many m of the professional religious hierarchy, they had all this revelation and they hardened their hearts and they rejected. And so let us not be like that. Let us be receptive, believing, not rejecting and unbelieving.
Alex writes a powerful summary of Isaiah on what this passage means today
Dillon What a powerful summary, Alex, on what this passage really brings to us today. And I wanted to mention in verse 14 you referred to this prophecy of Isaiah that you will be ever hearing, but never understand, and you'll be ever seen, but never perceiving. most people miss that. These verses come right after that important verse in Isaiah, chapter 6, verse 8, where the voice of the Lord says, whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And I said, here am I, send me the response by Isaiah. And of course that's being, popularized now. You see in billboards or online or various places in response to words that were said by Charlie Kirk himself, the famous words that he left behind before his passing almost a year ago this week. So, and it resonates in a powerful way still today and a way that we can apply in our lives. That phrase here Am I Send me, resonates with the followers of Jesus throughout time. And for each of us, there's an application that we need to take from that and use as God directs us to fulfill his calling, whether it's. And simply sharing the gospel with a neighbor, or it's going to the nations to share with those who have never heard the gospel at all.
Matthew tells the parable of the Sower in chapter 19
So a very important insight I want to make sure we mention before we move on to, other parts of this passage.
Alex McFarland I've always heard that scripture interprets scripture. And here we've got the words of Christ explaining the parable of the Sower. therefore hear the parable of the Sower, verse 19. Anyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the wayside, not gives it enough attention for it to really click and the eyes be open. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles. Now, he who received the seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word and the cares of this world. And I think we all know what those can be in our lives. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received the seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some hundredfold some 60 and some 30. Dillon I've got to tell a brief account, folks, of a Mormon man that Angie and I led to Christ. And Dillon you've been to our house there in Pleasant Garden. We had a gentleman that we knew, and he was an older. He was a veteran. And, he was just kind of hyper. We love this guy. His name is James. And. But he came and he was always wanting to know what I was doing preaching. And he had Bible questions. But whenever I would get to the gospel, he would change the subject or talk about Mormonism. And he just was kind of all over the map. And so I prayed about it. And one day he came by very randomly. In fact, it was about an hour before exploring the Word. And if I'm out of school here, you can feel free to correct me. But I said, james, James, listen, listen. I said, I want you to do me a favor. Be quiet. Don't talk. And he smiled. he said, okay. And I said, don't talk. I said, do you believe that Angie and I care about you? He said, yes. I said, do you believe I, tell you the truth? I wouldn't lie to you. He said, yes. I said, okay, so don't talk for the next 10 minutes. Please let me talk. Listen to me, Listen to me. And I began to explain the gospel. And every time that he was about to talk, I would say, just listen, don't talk. because it was like the shallow ground and he would always get diverted. Well, long story short, I could see just by the countenance of his face that he was softening. And we looked eye to eye and I said, jesus Christ loves you. He died for you. You don't earn it. You don't have to work for it. There's no other Bible. There's Jesus. Long story short, and this was probably 20 minutes before exploring the Word. One day James prayed and accepted Christ. And he began to weep and we embrace. But now I felt close enough to him that I got kind of bold, but I said, shh, shh, James, don't talk. Just listen. Don't talk. But I had to get through to that thin veneer of religion and see if we could get the seed of the gospel into his heart. And God did that. But I'm not saying everybody should do that and tell their neighbor to be quiet. But he was so much diverted and I kind of had to get his attention. But he came to Christ.
Dillon Yeah, it was clearly a spirit led moment. God used that in a special way. And it's fascinating to me to see how stories by Jesus changed the lives of so many and continue to change lives today. This parable of the sower is one of a list of seven different parables just in chapter 13 of Matthew that gives insights into how God has called us to live. And, maybe you're listening to this and you need prayer in some way. maybe you're listening to, to this and you know someone in your life. A loved one, a spouse, a child, a parent, a co worker, a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend. Someone in your life who needs a touch from God. Maybe they need to know Christ. Maybe they need healing. Maybe they need a special change in their life. They're a prodigal child who needs to turn back. we want to pray with you and for you today after our break. In a minute we're going to come back and pray over the requests that are called in and sent in over Facebook. You can go to facebook.com exploring the word. You can also call us toll free at 880, 858-98-8840. Again, that's triple 858-98840. To have Alex or I to pray with you and, share your request and intercede with all those who are listening today. So we really appreciate you giving us that privilege and honor, but we ask you to call now, 888-58-9884 and give us a chance to pray with you today. And Alex, I know you want to share just a brief word before we go into the break of how special this opportunity is. Every Tuesday that we take.
Alex McFarland Well, we do. And you know what, Dillon? In addition to the prayers, we get a lot of praises. It's always a great blessing. People call back in and they'll say, hey, two weeks ago I, had a situation, didn't begin to know how it was going to work out. And we prayed and it worked out. We've had people pray about employment and the need of a job, prodigals coming home, health issues and getting a bad diagnosis. And so God is in the business of answering our prayers, meeting our needs, and we just rejoice together in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
American Family Radio Network is raising funds for preborn babies
Well, we've got a break. It's Dillon Burroughs, Alex McFarland exploring the word here on the American Family Radio Network, 888-858-9-8840. Call us with your prayer requests or Bible questions on this Tuesday edition of Exploring the Word.
Bert Harper Right now, more mothers need that moment of hope. Just $28 sponsors one ultrasound and $140 helps rescue five babies. Your generous tax deductible gift also helps provide mothers who choose life with love and support and care for up to two years. Please don't wait. Help surround mothers and babies with compassion, truth and hope today. To donate, dial 250 and say the key word baby. That's 250baby. Or visit preborn.com that's preborn.com Bert Harper.
Let your knees wear out the floor. Don't stop believing.
There's a lot to pray about in regards to our nation this week
Welcome back to Exploring the Word. We're going to go to prayer requests. There's a lot to pray about, folks, in regards to our nation. I mean, we're at the one year anniversary since the death of Charlie Kirk. And it was really on this program live that Bert and I, we got, the news that Charlie Kirk had been killed. And two, two weeks and a day or so prior, he had been with me in one of our Conferences. And so we, we announced that on this show. The, the networks were saying that he was in critical condition but we had it from the White House that he had died a year ago and we announced it on this program. you know, be in prayer about that. I mean some are taking this time to remember that Christian brother and some are mocking the other thing. This is, we're coming up on the 25th anniversary of 911 and ah, maybe I'll share a bit about this on Friday. But I was about 26, 27 hours after 911 happened. I was there literally in the rubble of Ground Zero serving as a volunteer chaplain for the Billy Graham ministry. And I've got an article that I wrote about what it was like to minister in and around Ground Zero in the aftermath and pray for our nation folks. I think it's just kind of ironic that at the quarter century mark after 9 11, the Smithsonian says the tragedy of 911 is the rise of Islamophobia. And now NewSong York City has a Muslim Marxist mayor and a record number of Muslim candidates are running for and holding offices here in America. So there is a lot to pray for folks. And with that we're going to go to some of the prayer requests and all I thank God that our Savior does answer prayer. And we, it's our privilege to pray with all of you about many, many things. So Dillon we're going to let Brent Austin help us here to queue up some of these prayer requests. But Brent, where, where do we begin?
Brent asks for prayer for a man in surgery with a tumor
Brent Austin Let's go first to Jacqueline in Mississippi. Jacqueline, you're exploring the word.
Praise the Lord. And as always I always enjoy how God uses you all to help and touch each and every one. And like you say, we always get the reply back what God has done. And I know Bert is not there today but my prayer request is I have a son in law, that is what is really my daughter's brother. Let me get that right. He's in surgery as we speak and I'm asking for prayer. He was in a terrible car accident but they said there was a tumor. They went in, they didn't in for hours but they said he's have had a stroke in the midst of this surgery. And I want prayer for that, that God will you know, be done. And then I've called in the past where you all pray for my daughter which is a 28 year alcoholic and she comes out, she does well, recovery for four or five years. But today they got A call that she's missing in here in Mississippi. So I just ask for God will be done and to open our hearts and mind for others that's going through as well.
Alex McFarland Jacqueline, if I could ask the first name, please. First name only of the man in surgery.
His name is Court. Oh, Cordell.
Alex McFarland And your daughter's first name, if you don't mind.
Jimmalin.
Alex McFarland Okay. Amen. I'm going to pray and then Brent will give us the next one. Thank you, Jacqueline. Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray for Cordell. He was in a terrible car wreck. Please, guide the doctors as they operate. Please let him heal. They found a tumor. Lord, we ask for recovery. I pray for health in his body that it wouldn't be cancerous. And Lord, for Jimmerlin, that, Lord, they would locate her. Father, in the name of Jesus, deliver her from alcoholism and Lord, take away the desire for alcohol or any substances. Please keep her safe. I pray she would know you, Lord. Keep her alive physically and you'll do a work in her spiritually. And thank you for Jacqueline making us aware of these things. We pray for your will, safety and deliverance and your plan for both Cordell and Jimmerlyn. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Brent, what next?
Ethan's mom had very late stage cancer and underwent surgery
Brent Austin Let's go next to Ethan in Tennessee. Ethan, you're on with, Alex and Dillon
Yes, sir. Thank you all very much. I've called several times over the past year. Prayer, request from my mom that, had very late stage cancer. it was an ovarian type cancer that had spread into the lining of her stomach. She also had a large tumor beside her liver. But she went into treatment. She had nine chemo treatments and then they did surgery. And when they went in to do surgery, the cancer had just melted away. And they basically spent five hours removing the scar tissue. And she's doing great. she went ahead and had three more treatments after the surgery and she went for scans last week and she was completely cancer free. And I just want to thank everybody for the prayers and encouragement, to anybody out there that, that is sick or have loved ones that are sick that God does these miracles. And I've seen one person like with my mom and, we just, we love everybody for the prayers. Thank you all very much.
Alex McFarland Wow, Dillon that's powerful, isn't it?
Dillon Oh, that's great. I love it. Ethan, thank you so much for calling and sharing. For, those of you listening who've prayed for Ethan's mom over the past several months, be blessed today. God's answered some major prayers. We want to pray a quick prayer of praise today for Ethan's mother and just lift up, to the Lord, our thankfulness for his response in this situation. Father, we thank you so much for this day and a chance to hear from Ethan talking about his mom's cancer that is now gone and that she can say that she's cancer free as the result of your work and the prayers of your people. we thank you for what you've done in her life. We thank you for how you've responded to Ethan's prayer prayer and the prayers of so many others. And pray you continue to use this response, this answer, this testimony as a way for her to share her faith and her love for you with those around her for years to come. In Jesus name, amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Okay, Brent.
Victoria from North Carolina requests prayers for her family after husband gives life to Christ
Brent Austin All right, we go next to Victoria and North Carolina. Victoria, you're on.
Hello.
Dillon Hi.
I was listening in on the radio and I got the, the number for calling in. I wanted to first thank the Lord Jesus for all that he is doing in our life. Of course.
Alex McFarland Amen.
but my husband has recently decided to give his life to Christ. I've been praying for that for a long time. It is an answered prayer. And, as soon as he did, it was like we started getting spiritual attacks from every corner. And the children have been very sick. I've been sick, he's now sick. And financial things are coming up, and it's just one thing after another, it seems. And he's fighting to not fall back into the slump. And I, would really like to also get my family, my children, my parents, my sister is more involved with following Christ. And I've been fighting that good fight for some years now, too. So I wanted to request some prayers over that.
Alex McFarland Amen. Victoria, sounds like kind of you've been really the spiritual, role model in your family. Is that kind of the case?
Yes.
Alex McFarland God bless you. God bless you. You know, First Corinthians 15:58. Your labor in the Lord is. Thank you for sharing that. And we're absolutely going to pray. In fact, I want to do that right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for, Victoria's testimony. Her husband has given his life to Christ. And, Lord, I pray that they would be united as a couple, that they would have the commitment to bring the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And so, Lord, give this husband of Victoria just a passion in his heart to be the spiritual leader of his home. Give him just an unshakable commitment to be a Christian husband, a Christian father. Lord, I pray against these spiritual attacks, Lord, I pray for health and the children would be healthy. I pray for financial blessing. And Lord, I know sometimes when people, walk with Jesus, that's when things get a little complicated. And Satan wants to rock the boat, and Satan wants to shake people's faith. In the name of Jesus, Lord, we pray for stability and just, a real peace. And your favor, your blessing. Grow this up to be a mighty, mighty family for the gospel. And bless Victoria for all these years being faithful, interceding and praying, prayer. And Lord, she's beginning to see the fruit of all of her waiting on you. So bless this family in every way. In every way. And we pray it in Christ's name. Amen. Praise God. Brenda Austin. Where to?
Susan calls with prayer requests for her grandson and her job search
Brent Austin All right, we go next to Susan in Virginia. Susan, thank you for calling.
Oh, hi, Alex and Dillon. So nice to talk to you. I like to feel as though I know you. I love your spirit. I, I told the screener one prayer, but I have two once. My grandson, five year old, who is very sick. And I've been praying that God will completely heal him for his glory and for, my grandson's take. I know there's healing out there there, so I pray for his complete healing, from autism. It can be done. And then I was laid off for my job about three months ago, and I am over 65. I love to work and I want to keep working. My age is again worse because they can. Anybody can look up your age. And so I've tried, you know, I've submitted applications, I get ghosted. And, right now I'm just praying for that the Lord will give those may open those doors that no one can close and that he will just keep me from getting too depressed because it's, it is a, it is right now. And in some valleys with this, it's, very discouraging and I feel pretty alone right now. So I, I thank you for your, for your ministry and for your blessings, people, and for their praises. So those are my prayers.
Alex McFarland Oh, wow, Dillon Susan's prayer requests, they, they really, they touch our heart for sure. Dillon what do you say, brother?
Dillon Yeah, this is such a heavy one with, your grandson as well as your job search. And then of course, just loneliness in general can be so difficult. So let's lift these needs up to the Lord in prayer right now. Father, we thank you for Susan and her willingness to call in and ask for help for, these needs. And we do lift her up today. We want to pray for her grandson and the sickness that he's going through. We pray your healing upon his life that, you would work in him in a special way and show your, power strongly within him to bring him to full health again quickly. Do pray also for this job search. You would provide just the right job at just the right time for Susan's needs and also lift up her, concern about just feeling lonely. It's something we can all relate to at times. And she's especially feeling the need right now for you to remove this loneliness. So through a connection with you, through connection with other believers, that you would encourage her and strengthen her and help her with your righteous right hand. And we love you. And pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you, Susan, so much for calling in. We appreciate it.
Alex McFarland Amen.
Herman from Texas calls in with prayer request for his sister
Brother Brent.
Brent Austin All right, let's go. Next to Herman in Texas.
Much for calling in. I appreciate it.
Brent Austin If you will turn your radio off for us, please.
Hello?
Alex McFarland Yeah. Welcome, Herman.
Hello. How you doing?
Good.
Alex McFarland What's on your heart today, my friend?
I'm calling in for my sister Maria. She's, in the hospital right now. She. They found a tumor on her brain, and they're gonna do surgery tomorrow. And I was wondering if you guys can cover in prayer.
Alex McFarland Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, we sure will. And Herman, maybe it'll be next Tuesday when we do prayer again, but if you would call back again and give us an update on how she's doing. But I'm going to pray right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, we lift up Maria, Herman's, sister, for one thing. Lord, bless this dear man for calling in for his sister. And, Lord, in the name of Jesus, we pray for health. Lord, that this tumor, I pray it would be benign and it would not be a terrible, terrible, malignant cancer. And, Lord, give her the strength to get through this surgery. And, Lord, guide the doctor's hands and let them do the best, best job ever. And, Lord, as she. As Maria goes through this surgery, Lord, I pray that she would turn to you and just, deeply, deeply lean on you. Jesus, I pray this would, cause all the family to draw closer to each other and closer to you. And, Lord, I want to praise you in advance for the healing and, the help and the restoration that you're going to do in the life of Maria, and that she would be just a trophy of your power to heal and restore lives. We lift her up to you, in Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. Brent, where to?
Brent Austin Got a few from social media for you. And remember, you can always email us at [email protected] or you can, message us anytime on Facebook. this one's from Mike in Florida. He's asking for prayers for his son Randy, who's having complications from surgery. And then Nicole, simply asks on Facebook. She says, pray. Pray that I can be a godly wife and also be of service in this world for God.
Alex McFarland Amen.
Brent Austin Ah, Nancy, this is my last one. She says, she's, still looking for a job and, she needs healing in her body.
Wow.
Alex McFarland Mike and his son Randy for surgery. Nicole to be a godly wife. Nancy, a job and many others. I, know a lot of people that are looking for employment right now. Also one last name. Dillon I'm going to ask you to pray. There's a young lady that was at our retreat in Montana, godly young lady, trying to figure out where to go for Christian school. And many, many young people, I'm going to say, 18 to 25, they want to know God's will for their life. We've only got a few seconds. Dillon would you just tie a bow on it and pray, would you, brother?
Dillon Sure, Father. We thank you so much for these requests and praises. We pray for Randy's surgery complications, Nicole and her request about being a better wife and for Nancy's job and for healing. We lift up all these prayers to you in this show. In Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland amen. What a good day. What a good day. Dillon Burrs, I want to thank you for, for being with us. whether Bert's out or I'm out, you're so faithful to fill in, and we get much, much good feedback on you. Brent Austin, thank you for running the board. Hey, folks, read on the remainder of Matthew chapter 13. We'll pick it up again tomorrow. Tell somebody about the American Family Radio Network and exploring the Word. But most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. Blessings to you all. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
In this episode of Exploring the Word, hosts Alex McFarland and Dillon Burrows delve into the profound parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. They explore the significance of the different types of soil representing the varied receptivity of human hearts to the Gospel. With heartfelt discussions and personal anecdotes, they emphasize the importance of being good soil to yield a fruitful harvest of faith. Join us as we also take prayer requests, sharing in the power of collective prayer and support.
Live
Did you know American Family Radio is listener-supported? Your monthly financial support will allow us to continue upholding Godly values through our numerous channels, like American Family Radio, One Million Moms, The Stand magazine, and many more.
Become a Great Commission Partner TODAY to help AFR transform culture by rebuilding the family. When you donate today, you’ll get access to:
