Below is the same spoken content, no new ideas added, no interpretations introduced.
I have only added headings and structure and lightly adjusted wording for flow and readability while preserving sequence, illustrations, and emphasis exactly as spoken.
Introduction
Praise the Lord, everyone. I want to thank God for allowing me to be here with you today. It is truly a blessing to be with you. We have been traveling and doing many things, so it is especially good to see all of you and spend this time together.
I want to share a few thoughts that God placed on my heart, and I hope they will be a blessing to you as well.
The Parable of the Sower
Let us turn to Matthew chapter 13, verses 1 to 8.
The same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
The disciples later asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, and He replied that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven had been given to them.
Understanding the Soil
What I love about this passage is that it talks about different types of soil. The farmer scatters the seed broadly, and it falls in many places: on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil.
If you grew up in India, this example becomes very real. When I was growing up with my grandparents, we had a paddy field where we planted rice. The farmer would scatter seed, hoping most of it would land on good soil, but knowing some would fall along pathways and edges.
In this parable, the seed represents the Word of God. Some of it is trampled. Some falls on rocky ground. Some falls among thorns. But the hope is that it falls on good soil and produces fruit.
What I love about this story is that every field has the potential to become good soil.
A Picture of Transformation
Think about the terraced paddy fields in the mountains, such as those in Vietnam. These fields are layered upon layered, holding water so crops can grow. They did not form naturally. They required removing debris, clearing thorns, reshaping pathways, and careful planning.
What was once a mountain became fertile ground.
This is how God works with the human heart.
Peter’s Story Begins
To understand this transformation more deeply, let us look at the life of Peter, found in Luke chapter 5, verses 1 to 11.
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
This moment was not accidental. Jesus could have arrived at any time, any place, or any boat. But He showed up exactly where Simon was.
A Carefully Orchestrated Moment
Jesus asked Simon to pull the boat slightly away from shore. Boats in those days had no anchors. Without someone actively rowing, the boat would drift.
This meant Simon could not walk away. He could not fall asleep. He had to stay alert. He had to stay present. He had to listen.
Everything about this moment was designed to capture Peter’s attention. Every word Jesus spoke to the crowd was also being spoken to Peter.
When God intends to reach someone, He orchestrates the exact scenario they need.
Obedience Before Understanding
After Jesus finished teaching, He turned to Simon and said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon responded:
“Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”
Something had already changed in Peter. Jesus was no longer just a stranger. Peter called Him “Master.”
If anyone else had said this, Peter would have refused. But something about what Jesus spoke had already begun to penetrate his heart.
The Miracle and the Revelation
When Peter let down the nets, the catch was overwhelming. The nets began to tear. The boats began to sink. Other fishermen rushed to help.
This could have been the greatest financial breakthrough of Peter’s life. But Peter was not impressed by the miracle itself.
Instead, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said:
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”
Peter was not transformed by the miracle. He was transformed by who Jesus was.
Conviction and Calling
Whenever there is a true encounter with God, there is conviction. Peter recognized his sinfulness immediately.
Yet heaven’s response was not rejection.
Jesus said:
“Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.”
At the moment Peter felt most unworthy, God gave him purpose, calling, and destiny.
Leaving Everything Behind
The passage ends by saying that Peter and the others pulled their boats onto shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.
They left behind financial breakthrough, skill, craft, and livelihood. They laid everything aside to run after Him.
This is what God desires—a heart that surrenders completely.
Peter’s Growing Revelation of Jesus
Peter’s understanding of Jesus unfolds step by step:
First, Jesus is a stranger
Then, a teacher
Then, a master
Then, Lord
Finally, in Matthew 16, Peter declares:
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
This is the completion of his transformation.
Conclusion
God asks us to trust Him with the impossible, to be obedient even when it does not make sense, and to allow His Word to soften our hearts into good soil.
When God captures a heart, He gives it purpose, direction, and destiny.
This is what God does—slowly removing stones, clearing thorns, and transforming hearts until they are ready to bear fruit.