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THE CONDITION OF THE HEART — PART 6
Matthew 13:23
Bible Teaching with Pastor Tommy Pope Sr.
Watch the Teaching
Watch Part 6 of The Condition of the Heart as Pastor Tommy Pope Sr. teaches from Matthew 13:23 and examines what happens when God’s Word falls upon good ground—a heart that hears the Word, understands it, receives it, and allows it to produce lasting spiritual fruit.
About This Teaching
In Matthew 13:23, Jesus brings the Parable of the Sower to its fruitful conclusion. After describing the wayside, the stony ground, and the thorny ground, Jesus now turns our attention to the good ground—the heart that hears the Word, understands it, and allows it to produce fruit.
The difference is not in the seed. The same Word was sown in every heart. The difference is what happened after the Word was received.
Jesus teaches that the good-ground hearer does more than listen. The Word takes root, transforms the life, and produces visible spiritual fruit—some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
In Part 6 of The Condition of the Heart, Pastor Tommy Pope Sr. challenges us to move beyond simply hearing God’s Word and ask a deeper question:
“What is God’s Word producing in my life?”
God is not calling every believer to produce the same amount of fruit, but He is calling every believer to be fruitful.
Key Scripture
Matthew 13:23
Matthew 13:23 — Passage Overview
Matthew 13:23
Jesus now describes the seed that falls upon good ground:
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it…”
This heart does more than hear the Word. The Word is received, understood, and given room to work within the life.
Jesus then reveals the result:
“…which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Notice that every fruitful life does not produce the same amount. Some produce a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. The quantity differs, but every good-ground heart produces fruit.
That is the evidence Jesus has been leading us toward throughout this entire parable.
The wayside heard the Word, but the seed never entered.
The stony ground received the Word, but there was no root.
The thorny ground allowed the Word to grow, but other things choked its fruitfulness.
But the good ground receives the Word, understands the Word, holds onto the Word, and allows the Word to produce something that remains.
Central Truth:
God’s goal is not simply for us to hear His Word. His desire is for His Word to transform our hearts and produce lasting fruit through our lives.
Fruit That Remains — Matthew 13:23
Movement 1 — He That Heareth the Word
Matthew 13:23
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word…”
Jesus begins His description of the good ground with something every soil had in common: the Word was heard.
Church, hearing matters. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. But throughout this parable Jesus has shown us that hearing the Word is only the beginning.
The wayside heard it.
The stony ground heard it.
The thorny ground heard it.
And now the good ground hears it.
So what makes the good ground different?
It is not simply that the Word reached their ears. It is what happened to the Word after they heard it.
There is a difference between being present when the Word is preached and allowing the Word to become present in your life.
We can hear sermons. We can read Scripture. We can attend Bible studies. We can even agree with what God says—and still fail to allow that Word to change us.
Good ground begins with a heart that says:
“Lord, I am not just listening for information. I am listening because I want You to transform me.”
Application:
Whenever you approach God’s Word, come with an open and responsive heart. Don’t only ask, “What did the preacher say?” Ask, “Lord, what are You saying to me, and what do You want me to do with what I have heard?”
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
Hearing God’s Word puts the seed in your hands. What you do with that Word determines whether it ever produces anything in your life.
Movement 2 — And Understandeth It
Matthew 13:23
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it…”
Jesus now shows us what begins to distinguish the good ground from the other soils. The good-ground heart does not merely hear the Word—it understands it.
Church, biblical understanding is more than knowing what the Bible says. It means allowing the truth of God’s Word to become clear enough in our hearts that we recognize what God is saying, why it matters, and how it should affect the way we live.
Remember what Jesus has already taught us in this parable. In Matthew 13:19, He described the person who “heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not.” The wicked one came and caught away what had been sown in the heart.
But now in verse 23, Jesus gives us the contrast.
This person hears the Word and understands it.
That means the seed is no longer simply lying on the surface. The truth is being received into the heart.
And church, this is why we must never be satisfied simply because we have heard a sermon.
We must stay with the Word.
Study the Word.
Meditate on the Word.
Pray over the Word.
Ask questions of the Word.
And allow the Holy Spirit to help us understand how that Word applies to our lives.
Understanding moves us from simply saying, “I heard what God said,” to saying, “Now I understand what God is requiring of me.”
Application:
When you read or hear God’s Word, don’t rush away from it. Take time to ask: “What is God teaching me? What does this reveal about Him? What does this reveal about me? And what needs to change in my life because of what I now understand?”
The goal is not merely to finish reading the Scripture. The goal is to allow the Scripture to begin working in you.
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
The Word you understand is the Word you can begin to live. Don’t just hear what God says—stay with His Word until His truth begins shaping the way you think, the choices you make, and the life you live.
Movement 3 — Which Also Beareth Fruit
Matthew 13:23
“…which also beareth fruit…”
Now Jesus shows us the evidence of good ground: it produces fruit.
Church, the purpose of the seed was never simply to remain in the soil. The seed was planted because the sower expected a harvest.
And God’s Word works the same way in our lives.
God does not give us His Word merely so that we can know more Scripture. He gives us His Word so that His truth will change us, mature us, correct us, strengthen us, and produce something through us.
Fruit is the outward evidence of what has been happening inwardly.
When the Word takes root in our hearts, eventually something should begin to change.
Our attitudes begin to change.
Our decisions begin to change.
The way we treat people begins to change.
Our priorities begin to change.
Our character begins to change.
Our obedience begins to grow.
Our love for God begins to deepen.
Fruit is evidence that the seed did not simply enter the heart—it was allowed to do its work.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
Church, anybody can say they received the Word. But Jesus teaches us to look for what the Word is producing.
And fruit does not appear overnight.
There is a process.
First the seed is planted.
Then roots begin developing.
Then growth takes place.
And eventually fruit appears.
That means we should not become discouraged because God is still developing us. Spiritual maturity is a process—but there should be evidence that the process is happening.
Application:
Take an honest look at your life and ask:
“What is God’s Word producing in me?”
Am I becoming more loving?
More forgiving?
More patient?
More obedient?
More faithful?
More Christlike?
Don’t measure your spiritual growth only by how much Scripture you know. Look at what the Scripture you know is producing in the way you live.
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
God did not plant His Word in you simply so you could carry the seed. He planted His Word in you so your life could produce a harvest. When the Word takes root in the heart, sooner or later fruit ought to show up.
The next movement is the natural conclusion of Jesus’ statement:
Movement 4 — Some an Hundredfold, Some Sixty, Some Thirty
Matthew 13:23
“…and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Jesus closes His explanation of the good ground by showing us something important: every fruitful life will not produce the same amount of fruit.
Some produce a hundredfold.
Some sixty.
Some thirty.
But church, notice what all three have in common:
They produced something.
Jesus does not condemn the thirtyfold because it was not a hundredfold. He does not compare the sixtyfold with the hundredfold and call it unsuccessful.
The amount of the harvest was different, but every good-ground heart was fruitful.
That teaches us something important about our walk with God.
We must be careful not to measure our spiritual lives by comparing ourselves with somebody else.
God may give one person a large public ministry while another faithfully serves where very few people ever see them.
One person may reach thousands.
Another may disciple a family.
Another may encourage one hurting person.
Another may faithfully pray, serve, give, teach, or demonstrate the love of Christ in their community.
The size of the harvest does not determine the value of the obedience.
God knows what He planted in you. He knows the opportunities He has given you. He knows your assignment. And He knows what fruit He desires your life to produce.
Church, our responsibility is not to produce somebody else’s harvest.
Our responsibility is to be faithful with the seed God has placed in us.
And there is another powerful truth here.
The seed that was once small eventually produced more than itself.
That is what spiritual fruitfulness does.
God’s Word changes you—and then what God has produced in you begins blessing somebody else.
Your faith strengthens somebody.
Your testimony encourages somebody.
Your obedience influences somebody.
Your love reaches somebody.
Your service helps somebody.
Your life begins producing fruit that reaches beyond you.
That is when we understand that God never intended the seed to stop with us.
Application:
Stop comparing your harvest with someone else’s.
Instead, ask:
“Lord, am I faithfully producing what You planted me to produce?”
Use what God has given you.
Serve where God has placed you.
Obey what God has spoken to you.
And trust Him with the size of the harvest.
Whether it is thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold, let your life produce fruit for the glory of God.
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
God is not asking you to produce somebody else’s harvest. He is asking you to be faithful with the seed He planted in you. Don’t spend your life comparing fruit—keep growing, keep obeying, keep serving, and let God determine the increase.
How to Cultivate a Fruitful Heart
Jesus describes the good ground as the person who hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit. But spiritual fruit does not develop by accident. A fruitful life grows as we continually receive God’s Word, remain connected to Christ, walk in obedience, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us.
The goal is not simply to hear more sermons, learn more Scripture, or gain more biblical knowledge.
The goal is for what God has planted in us to become visible through the life we live.
A fruitful heart continually asks:
“Lord, what are You producing in me—and how can my life produce something that blesses others?
1. Remain Connected to Christ
Scripture: John 15:4–5
Teaching:
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you.” A branch cannot produce fruit by itself. It must remain connected to the vine because the vine is the source of its life, strength, and ability to produce.
Church, this is one of the most important truths about spiritual fruitfulness: we cannot produce lasting spiritual fruit apart from Christ.
We can stay busy. We can have talent. We can have knowledge. We can even look productive on the outside. But Jesus makes it clear: “Without me ye can do nothing.”
The fruitful Christian life does not begin with trying harder. It begins with abiding deeper.
The more we remain connected to Christ through His Word, prayer, worship, obedience, and fellowship with Him, the more His life begins to produce something through ours.
Application:
Examine your daily relationship with Christ. Are you only reaching for Him when something goes wrong, or are you consistently abiding in His presence?
Make time every day to pray, study His Word, listen for His direction, and obey what He speaks. Fruit grows naturally when the branch remains connected to the Vine.
Heart Check:
Am I truly abiding in Christ every day, or am I trying to produce spiritual fruit in my own strength?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
You don’t have to struggle to manufacture fruit. Stay connected to Jesus. When the branch remains connected to the Vine, the life of the Vine will produce fruit through the branch.
2. Let God’s Word Remain in You
Scripture: John 15:7
Teaching:
Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you…” Notice that Jesus does not simply tell us to hear His Word. He tells us to allow His Word to abide in us.
Church, there is a difference between hearing the Word and having the Word living within you.
We can hear a sermon and forget it. We can read a Scripture and move on with our day. But when the Word abides in us, it begins shaping how we think, how we speak, how we respond, and how we live.
That brings us right back to Matthew 13:23. The good-ground hearer hears the Word, understands it, and then bears fruit. The Word does not merely pass through the heart—it takes up residence there.
When God’s Word remains in us, it becomes something we can stand on when trouble comes, something that corrects us when we are going the wrong direction, and something that guides us when we do not know what to do.
The Word that remains in you is the Word that can continue working through you.
Application:
Don’t allow God’s Word to end when the sermon ends. Take what God has spoken and carry it into your week.
Read it again. Meditate on it. Pray over it. Obey it. Ask God to show you how to live it.
Heart Check:
Is God’s Word simply something I hear, or is His Word becoming something I live?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
Don’t just visit the Word—let the Word live in you. When God’s Word takes root in your heart, it will begin producing fruit through your life.
3. Allow God to Prune What Hinders Growth
Scripture: John 15:2
Teaching:
Jesus said that every branch that bears fruit, the Father “purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Notice something important, church: God does not only work on the branches that are unfruitful. He also works on the branches that are already producing fruit.
Why?
Because God sees greater fruitfulness in us than what we are producing right now.
Pruning means God may begin removing things that consume our strength, distract our attention, or interfere with what He is trying to produce through our lives.
Sometimes what God removes is sinful and clearly needs to go. But sometimes He may remove something that is not necessarily wrong—it simply no longer belongs in the season He is taking us into.
And pruning can be uncomfortable.
We may ask, “Lord, why are You allowing this to change? Why did this door close? Why are You asking me to release this?”
But the Gardener sees what the branch cannot see.
God is not pruning you because He wants less from your life. He is pruning you because He intends to produce more through your life.
Application:
Ask God to reveal anything that is interfering with your spiritual growth. It may be a habit, distraction, attitude, relationship, priority, or commitment that is taking energy away from what God has called you to become.
Then be willing to surrender it.
Don’t fight the pruning when the Gardener knows what needs to be removed.
Heart Check:
Is there something God has been asking me to release so that I can become more fruitful?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
Don’t mistake God’s pruning for God’s punishment. Sometimes God removes what is hindering you because He knows there is greater fruit still waiting to come from your life.
4. Produce Fruit That Remains
Scripture: John 15:16
Teaching:
Jesus said, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
Church, Jesus did not save us simply so that we could receive something from Him. He chose us so that our lives could produce something for His Kingdom.
That brings us to the heart of Part 6 — Fruit That Remains.
In Matthew 13:23, the good ground receives the seed and produces a harvest. In John 15:16, Jesus takes us even deeper. He tells us that the fruit produced through our lives should remain.
That means God is interested in more than temporary spiritual excitement. He desires lasting transformation, lasting obedience, lasting faith, and lasting Kingdom impact.
The fruit of your life may be seen in the people you encourage, the family you influence, the ministry you serve, the love you demonstrate, the truth you teach, or the lives that are drawn closer to Christ because you faithfully obeyed God.
You may never see everything God produces from the seed He planted in you.
But when your life is surrendered to Christ, God can use your fruit to plant seeds in somebody else’s life.
That is fruit that remains.
Application:
Ask yourself what your relationship with Christ is producing beyond you.
Look for opportunities to serve, encourage, disciple, give, forgive, share God’s Word, and demonstrate the character of Christ.
Don’t live only asking, “What can God do for me?”
Begin asking, “Lord, what do You want to produce through me?”
Heart Check:
If someone examined the fruit of my life, would they be able to see the influence of Jesus Christ?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
God did not plant His Word in you just to change your life. He planted His Word in you so that through your changed life, somebody else’s life could be changed too. That is fruit that remains.
Living a Life That Continues to Bear Fruit
Fruitfulness is not a one-time spiritual experience. Jesus calls us to a life that continues growing, maturing, and producing fruit for the Kingdom of God. The good ground of Matthew 13:23 did not simply receive the seed—it continued until that seed produced a harvest.
As we remain connected to Christ, allow His Word to live within us, submit to the Father’s pruning, and walk in obedience, our lives can continue producing fruit season after season.
1. Keep Growing in God’s Word
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18
Teaching:
Peter closes his letter with this instruction: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Notice the word grow.
Church, spiritual growth is not supposed to stop after we receive Christ. It is not supposed to stop after we learn a few Scriptures, finish a Bible study, or become comfortable in our faith.
God expects what He has planted in us to continue growing.
Think again about the good ground in Matthew 13:23. The seed was received, but the goal was never simply for the seed to remain beneath the soil. The seed was planted so that something could grow from it.
The same is true in our lives.
Every time we open God’s Word, He is developing our understanding, correcting our thinking, strengthening our faith, and preparing us to become more like Christ.
And church, we never reach a place where we have learned everything God wants to teach us.
A fruitful believer remains a growing believer.
Application:
Develop a consistent habit of studying God’s Word. Don’t depend only upon what you hear during a sermon or Bible teaching.
Read Scripture for yourself. Study it. Pray over it. Ask questions. Apply what you learn.
Then ask God:
“Lord, what are You teaching me today that will help me become more like Christ?”
Heart Check:
Am I still growing spiritually, or have I become comfortable with where I am?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
Never become satisfied simply because something is growing. Keep feeding what God planted in you. The deeper you grow in His Word, the more prepared your life becomes to produce fruit that remains.
2. Keep Walking in Obedience
Scripture: John 14:15
Teaching:
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Church, receiving God’s Word is only the beginning. Fruitfulness requires obedience to what we have received.
We can study Scripture, understand Scripture, memorize Scripture, and even teach Scripture—but if we refuse to obey what God has spoken, that knowledge will never produce the fruit God intended.
Remember Matthew 13:23. The good-ground hearer hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit. Something happens after the hearing. The Word begins changing the person’s life.
Obedience is where God’s Word moves from our ears into our actions.
Sometimes obedience will be easy. Other times God will ask us to forgive when we have been hurt, serve when it is inconvenient, give when it requires sacrifice, or trust Him when we cannot see what He is doing.
But every act of obedience gives the seed of God’s Word another opportunity to produce fruit.
Application:
When you read God’s Word, don’t only ask:
“What does this Scripture mean?”
Also ask:
“Lord, what do You want me to do because of what I have just read?”
Then obey what God shows you.
Heart Check:
Is there something God has already shown me in His Word that I know I need to obey?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
The Word was never given just to fill your mind with information. God gave you His Word to transform your life. When you obey what God has spoken, the seed becomes visible through the fruit of your life.
3. Let the Spirit Produce His Fruit in You
Scripture: Galatians 5:22–23
Teaching:
Paul tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”
Church, when God’s Word takes root in good ground, there should eventually be evidence that something is growing.
Fruit is evidence of what is happening on the inside.
A tree does not have to announce that it is an apple tree when apples are hanging from its branches. The fruit reveals the nature of the tree.
In the same way, when the Holy Spirit is working within us, His presence should increasingly become visible through our character.
We should begin loving differently. Responding differently. Forgiving differently. Handling difficulties differently.
That does not mean we become perfect overnight. Fruit develops through growth. But as we surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He continually transforms us into the character of Christ.
And church, this is important: we cannot manufacture the fruit of the Spirit through human effort.
We surrender. We abide in Christ. We obey His Word. And the Holy Spirit produces within us what we could never produce by ourselves.
Application:
Look carefully at the nine qualities Paul identifies in Galatians 5:22–23:
Love. Joy. Peace. Longsuffering. Gentleness. Goodness. Faith. Meekness. Temperance.
Ask God to show you where His fruit is growing strongly in your life and where you still need spiritual development.
Then pray:
“Holy Spirit, continue Your work in me. Produce the character of Christ in every area of my life.”
Heart Check:
When people encounter me, are they increasingly seeing the character of Jesus Christ?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
The greatest evidence that God’s Word has taken root is not how much Scripture you can quote—it is how much of Jesus people can see growing in your life.
4. Use Your Fruit to Bless Others
Scripture: Matthew 5:16
Teaching:
Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Church, the fruit God produces in our lives was never intended to stop with us.
Think about a fruit tree. The tree does not eat its own fruit. The fruit exists to provide something for somebody else.
And that is a powerful picture of the Christian life.
God strengthens you so you can strengthen somebody else.
God encourages you so you can encourage somebody else.
God teaches you so you can help somebody else understand.
God comforts you so you can comfort somebody walking through their own difficult season.
When Jesus transforms our lives, people should be able to see evidence of that transformation.
But notice what Jesus says: when people see our good works, the glory should go to our Father in heaven.
Our fruit is not about making people impressed with us.
Our fruit should cause people to recognize God working through us.
That is when our lives become more than blessed lives—they become Kingdom lives.
Application:
Look for someone you can bless with what God has developed in you.
Encourage someone who is discouraged. Serve someone who needs help. Share what God has taught you. Pray with someone who is struggling. Tell somebody what Christ has done in your life.
Don’t keep the harvest to yourself.
Allow the fruit God produces in you to become a seed of hope in somebody else’s life.
Heart Check:
Who is being blessed because of what God is producing in my life?
Pastor Tommy’s Life Lesson:
God never intended your fruit to end with you. When He produces something in your life, He wants to use it to touch somebody else’s life. Let your fruit point people back to the One who planted the seed.
Fruit That Remains Is the Evidence of Good Ground
Closing Teaching:
Jesus began this parable with a sower going into the field carrying seed. That seed fell upon different kinds of ground, and throughout this series we have watched what happened.
Some seed never entered the heart.
Some began growing but never developed roots.
Some grew but became surrounded by thorns and was eventually choked.
But then Jesus described good ground.
The good ground heard the Word.
The good ground understood the Word.
And the good ground produced fruit.
Church, that is where God wants every one of us to be.
God did not give us His Word merely so that we could hear another sermon. He did not give us His Word simply so that we could collect biblical information.
God planted His Word in us because He intends for His Word to produce something through us.
And the evidence of good ground is not how loudly we respond when the seed is planted.
The evidence is the fruit that remains after the sermon is over.
When God’s Word changes how we live, how we love, how we forgive, how we serve, how we respond to difficulty, and how we represent Jesus Christ to others, the seed is producing what the Sower intended.
Matthew 13:23 teaches us that the harvest may not look exactly the same in every person’s life. One produces a hundredfold, another sixty, and another thirty.
But every good-ground believer has something in common:
There is fruit.
And Jesus tells us in John 15:16 that He has chosen us to “go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
Church, don’t just receive the seed.
Let it take root. Let it grow. Let it change you. And let your life produce fruit that remains.
Key Takeaway:
The goal of God’s Word is not simply to reach your ears—it is to transform your heart and produce fruit through your life. Good ground receives the Word, understands the Word, obeys the Word, and continues producing fruit for the Kingdom of God.
The seed is still good. The Sower is still sowing. The question is: What is His Word producing in me?
Final Reflection:
As we come to the conclusion of The Condition of the Heart, there is one question each of us must answer:
What is God’s Word producing in my life?
It is possible to hear the Word without receiving it.
It is possible to receive the Word with excitement but never develop deep roots.
It is possible for the Word to begin growing and then allow the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to choke what God is producing.
But it is also possible to become good ground.
A heart that hears.
A heart that understands.
A heart that obeys.
A heart that remains connected to Christ.
A heart that continues producing fruit.
So don’t only ask, “Did I enjoy the teaching?”
Ask:
“What has God changed in me because I heard His Word?”
“What needs to be removed from my heart so that I can become more fruitful?”
“Where is God calling me to grow?”
“Who is being blessed because of the fruit God is producing through my life?”
And finally:
“If God continues planting His Word in me, am I willing to give Him the kind of heart where His Word can grow?”
Church, the Parable of the Sower began with a seed.
But God’s desire was always a harvest.
Let your heart be good ground. Let His Word take root. Let Christ transform your life.
And wherever God has planted you—
produce fruit that remains.
YOU’VE COMPLETED THE SERIES
The Condition of the Heart — Series Complete
Matthew 13:1–23
You have completed The Condition of the Heart, a six-part verse-by-verse journey through Jesus’ Parable of the Sower.
Throughout this series, we have discovered that the seed—God’s Word—is always good. The difference is found in the condition of the heart receiving it.
We have examined the hardened heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and finally the good ground that hears the Word, understands it, and produces lasting fruit.
But the journey does not end because the series has ended.
Continue allowing God to search your heart, deepen your roots, remove the thorns, and produce fruit through your life.
Keep hearing. Keep growing. Keep obeying. Keep producing fruit that remains.