What kind of soil are you?

Over the last month I have been teaching Sunday school for the 6-12 year old class in church. I started my month by looking online for what I wanted to teach. I came across a 4 week lesson on The Parable of the Sower found in
Matthew 13:3-9,18-23
He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

It has been an interesting journey going through a four week lesson on this parable. Each week we talked about the different types of soil and what that meant for people hearing about God. I mean it has been good to hear but today just kicked my butt. We talked about the seeds that fell among the good, fertile soil today and that the seed that falls here represents those who really hear and understand the word and produce a harvest.
This is where God hit me. I was talking to the kids about what it means to have fertile soil. I started talking about the fact that we need to really be choosing to spend time with God if we were really wanting to be this good, fertile soil that God can really move and work in. The only way we as his people are gonna be good soil is if we really seek after God and become more like him.
This was the conviction for me. I personally haven't been taking that time to seek out being more like God. I haven't been reading God's Word on a daily basis let alone applying it in my life. How then is my life suppose to be an example to others if I am not even doing what God asks of me to get to really know him. Here I am teaching these little people about how we as Christians should be doing this and I am not doing it myself.
I used an illustration with flowers. I had a fake rose and a real rose. We did comparisons and differences between them and then we applied it to our lives as Christians. If we are true believers we need to live our lives seeking after God and the way that he lived. I feel like a fake believer sometimes because I don't apply the things that I learn to my every day life. I don't give God the time he deserves. I lack in a huge way with this. It hit me in a huge way. HUGE!!
I want to make a change and not just say I want to make a change but I really truly want to change. I want to make a choice of spending time with God everyday. More than just reading his scripture but also applying it to my life.
Another area that really hit me was the verse that they were learning for the month. It was out of Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
For this area of the scripture I used an illustration with blueberries today. I used blueberries to show how if we apply ourselves to telling others about Christ. If I tell one person about Jesus and what he has done and can do for your life and that person goes and tells someone else about Jesus how it can spread. It was unbelievable the impact it had on the students and myself. I think telling others about Christ is one of the most difficult things to do in life. God is really calling us to reach out and tell others about Jesus. To live our lives worthy of the call God has placed on it.
As for this week I am hoping that I really take some time with God and really seek what he is trying to teach me through this time in my life. I am praying that God would continue to show me how to have an impact on others lives and how to show them Christ. But most importantly I want to seek how God wants to use me in teaching my own little boys about Christ and what he has done for them. That is my highest responsibility right now outside of making sure that I am seeking God and making him be known.