Creekside Church, Sunday, June 1, 2025
Ears to Hear
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 8:25 AM
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday 11:15 AM
Jesus invites us to listen with open hearts to His message of the Kingdom, allowing it to take root and produce fruit in our lives. The condition of our hearts determines how we receive and respond to His call.
1. Jesus’ Invitation to the Kingdom
Key Verse: Mark 1:15 (ESV) – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus’ message is an invitation to a new way of seeing the world, ourselves, and God.
Are you captivated by Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom? Are you ready to follow Him fully?
2. The Challenge of Listening
Key Verse: Matthew 13:9 (NET) – “The one who has ears had better listen."
Listening to Jesus is hard in a distracted world.
Jesus begins His parable with “Listen!” and ends with a call to truly hear.
To hear Jesus requires trust and heart-level engagement, not just head knowledge.
Do you have “ears to hear”? Are you fully present when Jesus speaks?
3. The Parable of the Sower
Text: Matthew 13:3-8 (NET) – *“A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
Jesus later explains the parable (Matthew 13:18-23), emphasizing that the seed is the message of the Kingdom, and the soils represent the condition of our hearts.
Why This Parable?
It challenges us to reflect on our heart’s openness to Jesus’ message.
It shows that receiving the Kingdom leads to fruit: Christlike character, healthy relationships, service, evangelism, community-building, and perseverance.
4. Blessed Eyes and Ears
Key Verse: Matthew 13:16-17 (NET) – “16 “But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Jesus calls those who hear and understand the Kingdom message “blessed.”
Understanding requires:
Heart-level engagement, not just intellectual knowledge.
Personal commitment and practical application.
The Kingdom is a priceless treasure, worth surrendering everything to pursue.
Are you leaning in to hear Jesus, ready to let His message transform your heart and life?
5. The Four Soils – Conditions of the Heart
The Path (Matthew 13:19): Hardened hearts that don’t engage.
The seed (Kingdom message) is snatched away by the enemy.
Characteristics: Cynical, negative, closed to new or convicting truths.
Filtering out messages about giving, purity, or sacrifice because they’re uncomfortable.
Reflection: Are there areas where your heart is a hardened path, resistant to God’s Word?
The Rocky Soil (Matthew 13:20-21): Shallow, emotional response with no commitment.
The seed springs up quickly but withers under pressure due to lack of roots.
Excited at first but unwilling to surrender fully when challenges arise.
Enthusiasm for faith fades when it demands sacrifice (e.g., giving, serving, or enduring trials).
Reflection: Are you a “rocky soil” believer, drawn to Jesus but not rooted in commitment?
The Thorny Soil (Matthew 13:22): Distracted hearts choked by worldly concerns.
The seed is choked by worries, wealth, and competing desires.
Characteristics: Distracted by culture’s “thorns” (materialism, busyness, rival priorities).
Reflection: What distractions are choking your ability to hear and follow Jesus?
The Good Soil (Matthew 13:23): Receptive hearts that produce abundant fruit.
The seed takes root, yielding a harvest (30, 60, or 100 times what was sown).
Characteristics: Open, responsive, and obedient to Jesus’ message.
Like noise-canceling headphones, good soil hearts tune out distractions to focus on the Kingdom.
Fruit: Christlike character, loving relationships, service, sharing the gospel, building community, and enduring trials.
Reflection: Are you producing Kingdom fruit?
6. Reflection and Response
Examine the condition of your heart. Which soil are you?
Path: Closed off, cynical, filtering out God’s Word.
Rocky: Excited but uncommitted, unwilling to sacrifice.
Thorny: Distracted by worries, wealth, or rival priorities.
Good: Open, responsive, producing Kingdom fruit.
Listen to Jesus’ voice with “ears to hear.”
Be open to new, convicting, and hopeful truths.
Let His Kingdom message take root and produce fruit in your:
Character (becoming like Jesus)
Relationships (loving others, even enemies)
Service (using gifts to bless others)
Witness (sharing the gospel)
Endurance (persevering through trials)
1. Jesus’ Invitation to the Kingdom
Key Verse: Mark 1:15 (ESV) – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus’ message is an invitation to a new way of seeing the world, ourselves, and God.
Are you captivated by Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom? Are you ready to follow Him fully?
2. The Challenge of Listening
Key Verse: Matthew 13:9 (NET) – “The one who has ears had better listen."
Listening to Jesus is hard in a distracted world.
Jesus begins His parable with “Listen!” and ends with a call to truly hear.
To hear Jesus requires trust and heart-level engagement, not just head knowledge.
Do you have “ears to hear”? Are you fully present when Jesus speaks?
3. The Parable of the Sower
Text: Matthew 13:3-8 (NET) – *“A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
Jesus later explains the parable (Matthew 13:18-23), emphasizing that the seed is the message of the Kingdom, and the soils represent the condition of our hearts.
Why This Parable?
It challenges us to reflect on our heart’s openness to Jesus’ message.
It shows that receiving the Kingdom leads to fruit: Christlike character, healthy relationships, service, evangelism, community-building, and perseverance.
4. Blessed Eyes and Ears
Key Verse: Matthew 13:16-17 (NET) – “16 “But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Jesus calls those who hear and understand the Kingdom message “blessed.”
Understanding requires:
Heart-level engagement, not just intellectual knowledge.
Personal commitment and practical application.
The Kingdom is a priceless treasure, worth surrendering everything to pursue.
Are you leaning in to hear Jesus, ready to let His message transform your heart and life?
5. The Four Soils – Conditions of the Heart
The Path (Matthew 13:19): Hardened hearts that don’t engage.
The seed (Kingdom message) is snatched away by the enemy.
Characteristics: Cynical, negative, closed to new or convicting truths.
Filtering out messages about giving, purity, or sacrifice because they’re uncomfortable.
Reflection: Are there areas where your heart is a hardened path, resistant to God’s Word?
The Rocky Soil (Matthew 13:20-21): Shallow, emotional response with no commitment.
The seed springs up quickly but withers under pressure due to lack of roots.
Excited at first but unwilling to surrender fully when challenges arise.
Enthusiasm for faith fades when it demands sacrifice (e.g., giving, serving, or enduring trials).
Reflection: Are you a “rocky soil” believer, drawn to Jesus but not rooted in commitment?
The Thorny Soil (Matthew 13:22): Distracted hearts choked by worldly concerns.
The seed is choked by worries, wealth, and competing desires.
Characteristics: Distracted by culture’s “thorns” (materialism, busyness, rival priorities).
Reflection: What distractions are choking your ability to hear and follow Jesus?
The Good Soil (Matthew 13:23): Receptive hearts that produce abundant fruit.
The seed takes root, yielding a harvest (30, 60, or 100 times what was sown).
Characteristics: Open, responsive, and obedient to Jesus’ message.
Like noise-canceling headphones, good soil hearts tune out distractions to focus on the Kingdom.
Fruit: Christlike character, loving relationships, service, sharing the gospel, building community, and enduring trials.
Reflection: Are you producing Kingdom fruit?
6. Reflection and Response
Examine the condition of your heart. Which soil are you?
Path: Closed off, cynical, filtering out God’s Word.
Rocky: Excited but uncommitted, unwilling to sacrifice.
Thorny: Distracted by worries, wealth, or rival priorities.
Good: Open, responsive, producing Kingdom fruit.
Listen to Jesus’ voice with “ears to hear.”
Be open to new, convicting, and hopeful truths.
Let His Kingdom message take root and produce fruit in your:
Character (becoming like Jesus)
Relationships (loving others, even enemies)
Service (using gifts to bless others)
Witness (sharing the gospel)
Endurance (persevering through trials)