“The enemy is after the Word of God in your life. If he can choke out the Word, he can choke out your breath and your fruit.” – Chad Everett
The Word and the Soil
In Mark 4, Jesus explains that the Word of God is like seed, full of life and power. The seed itself never changes—but the soil it lands in determines whether it bears fruit or not. In this message, Thorns That Choke the Word, Chad Everett teaches that the condition of our heart is what decides whether God’s Word will multiply or be strangled before it ever grows.
The Three Thorns
Jesus names three specific thorns that compete for our attention and choke the Word:
-
The cares of this world—worry, stress, and anxiety that overwhelm our faith.
-
The deceitfulness of riches—trusting in money or possessions rather than God.
-
The desires for other things—chasing distractions that steal our focus from Him.
These thorns don’t just sit on the surface—they move in, take root, and begin to suffocate the Word of God. When the thorns win, the Word becomes unfruitful.
The Counter Moves
The good news is that God gives us counter moves to uproot every thorn. Casting our cares on Jesus, living in generosity, and seeking first the kingdom of God are practical ways to guard our soil. Chad challenges us to take inventory of our hearts and clear out the thorns so that the Word has room to breathe, grow, and multiply.
Choosing Good Soil
In Thorns That Choke the Word, you’ll be encouraged to let the Holy Spirit examine your heart. What’s choking out God’s Word in your life? What’s competing for your time, attention, and faith? When we hear the Word, accept it, and respond in obedience, we position ourselves as good soil—ready for a harvest of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
Key Scriptures:
Mark 4: 3–20, Philippians 4: 6–7, 1 Peter 5: 7, 1 Timothy 6: 6–19, Matthew 6: 33
“The seed is good, but the condition of the soil determines the production. God is coming for our stony ground so our roots can go deeper.” – Chad Everett
Soil & Seed – The Keys to the Kingdom and the Parable of the Sower
Mark 4: 1–20 tells the parable of the sower. Jesus described four types of soil. The seed represents the Word of God, but the soil shows the condition of the heart. In Soil & Seed – The Keys to the Kingdom, Chad Everett focuses on the stony ground. This soil looks good on the surface, but hidden stones prevent roots from growing deep and lasting.
Hidden Stones and Shallow Roots
God calls His people to be rooted so they can endure trials. Hidden stones like offense, bitterness, unforgiveness, and sin block the Word. Chad explains that God reveals these stones so we can remove them. Once gone, the Word grows strong roots and produces fruit that lasts.
Enduring the Heat in the Soil & Seed Series
Jeremiah 17: 7–8 says a tree planted by water will not fear heat. The heat of life will come, but deep roots endure. Shallow roots wither, but those planted in Christ remain stable and fruitful.
Rooted in Christ for Lasting Growth
True stability does not come from politics, news, or opinion. It comes only from Christ. Colossians 2: 6–7 calls us to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him. John 7: 38 promises rivers of living water flowing from within. With Jesus as our root, we endure trials, grow deeper, and bear fruit in every season.
This message from Soil & Seed – The Keys to the Kingdom challenges us to examine the soil of our hearts, remove the stones, and let God’s Word take root.
Key Scriptures:
Mark 4: 1–20, Jeremiah 17: 7–8, Colossians 2: 6–7, John 7: 38, John 14: 17
In this message – The Holy Spirit Our Helper – William Wood shares a powerful teaching from John 16:5–11.
William explains that Jesus told His disciples it was to their advantage that He go away, because the Holy Spirit would come as a Helper, not a controller. This truth is central to the Christian life — the Spirit’s presence is God’s gift, dwelling within every believer, guiding, convicting, and empowering us to live for Him.
Living in the Advantage of the Spirit
When Jesus walked the earth in His physical body, He was present in only one place at a time. Through the Spirit, His presence now fills every believer. The Holy Spirit Our Helper means we are never left alone. He convicts the world of sin (unbelief in Christ), righteousness (the visible standard of God’s people), and judgment (the verdict already declared against Satan).
William challenges us to realize that we are God’s temple. The Helper lives within us, not to control us, but to partner with our surrender. This perspective changes how we pray, how we live, and how we represent Christ to the world.
Walking in Victory With the Helper
The message of The Holy Spirit Our Helper is not just about knowledge — it is about practice. William shares personal testimonies of how living surrendered to the Spirit sets the spiritual atmosphere in workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. Believers are called to bring conviction of truth by living visibly for Christ.
This is a reminder that Jesus already defeated the enemy at the cross. The Spirit empowers us to enforce that victory in daily life. Instead of magnifying darkness, we magnify Christ. The Helper equips us to walk in freedom, boldness, and obedience so that the world can see Jesus through us.
Listen to this full message and discover how The Holy Spirit Our Helper empowers you to live surrendered and victorious in every part of life.
Key Scriptures:
John 16:5–11, John 14:12, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2:15
“The problem is not the seed. The problem is the heart the seed is sown into.” — Chad Everett
The Seed and the Soil
In Mark 4, Jesus shares one of His most important parables—the parable of the sower and the soils. The seed, which represents the Word of God, never changes. It is always good, always powerful, and always capable of producing fruit. But the outcome of the seed does not depend on the seed itself—it depends on the condition of your soil. In this message, Chad Everett of The Roads Church calls us to examine the true state of our hearts and to make room for God’s Word to grow.
What Kind of Soil Are You?
Through this passage, Jesus shows that some seed falls on the wayside, where it is quickly stolen. Some falls on rocky ground, where it springs up with excitement but withers because it has no root. Some seed falls among thorns, where the cares of this life choke it out. But some seed falls on good soil, and in that soil it produces a harvest thirty, sixty, or even a hundredfold. Chad challenges us to consider: Which soil best represents my heart today? Am I too busy, distracted, or shallow to let God’s Word take root? Or am I intentionally cultivating a heart that is open, humble, and ready to receive? The condition of your soil determines the harvest.
The Call to Repentance
This sermon also emphasizes the necessity of repentance. Forgiveness is available through Christ, but Jesus makes clear that without turning—without repentance—there is no transformation. Repentance is not condemnation; it is an invitation into freedom and life. Chad reminds us that repentance is not legalism, but the way we receive and apply the free gift of salvation.
Preparing Good Soil
Whether you are new to faith, growing as a disciple, or seeking to deepen your walk with Jesus, this message is a call to slow down, open your Bible, and prepare your heart as good soil. The Word is alive, the seed is ready—what will the condition of your soil be?
Key Scriptures:
Genesis 1:11–12, Mark 4:1–20, Acts 3:19, Galatians 6:8–9, Psalm 139:23–24
Why Humility Matters
In this powerful message, guest speaker Paul Johnson brings us back to the foundation of Christian living: humility. We have been studying the truth that “Everything you need is in the seed,” but Paul asks the piercing question: What if the soil of your heart is bad? Pride can harden the soil of our hearts and choke out the fruit that God desires. Humility, on the other hand, makes our hearts soft and open, ready for the Word of God to take root.
The Deceptive Nature of Pride
Paul reminds us that much of the opposition we face in the church isn’t from demons or principalities—it’s from pride. Pride blinds us to our own weaknesses while magnifying the flaws of others. Pride convinces us that life is about “me,” when in reality, apart from God there is no good thing in us. Humility breaks this cycle by cutting us low, teaching us dependence on Christ, and restoring our unity as the body of Christ.
The Attitude of Christ
Drawing from Philippians 2;1–13, Paul shows us that Jesus Himself modeled humility. Though He existed in the form of God, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. This is the true attitude of humility—laying down privilege, rejecting pride, and serving others in love.
Walking in Humility Today
Humility is not weakness, self-pity, or insecurity. It is strength under surrender. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, He lifts us up (James 4;10). The call to humility is not optional for believers—it is essential. As Paul Johnson emphasizes, humility prepares the soil of our hearts so God’s Word can grow and bear lasting fruit.
If you are ready to uproot pride and embrace the power of humility, this message will both challenge and encourage you. Let God shape your heart today into good soil, where His truth can flourish and bring glory to the name of Jesus.
Key Scriptures: Philippians 2:1–11, James 4:10, James 4:6, Matthew 7:21–23, Isaiah 53:8