Day 36

36 - 4 Chairs ~ 4 Fruits ~ 4 Soils 

“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!” Mathew 13:23

When was the last time you were stuck? A math problem. A work projects. A crossword puzzle; An overheated engine; A frozen computer screen; A toxic relationship; A financial crisis;...

We’ve seen the stories of 9/11 survivors trapped in the rubble of the crumbling Twin Towers, or thousands of people in impoverished Haiti buried under the crumpled, twisted concrete and steel following the earthquake that rocked Port Au Prince, or the 33 Chilean miners stuck deep beneath the surface of the earth awaiting their rescue that would come 69 agonizing days later, or Baby Jessica from Odessa, Texas trapped for three days after falling into a collapsing well.

While our experiences of being stuck are probably not as literal as any of these stories stolen from the headlines, they are no less real. There are those times we feel powerless, trapped, hopeless, or deterred. Being stuck, regardless of whether you got yourself into the situation or someone else put you there, is incredibly frustrating and discouraging.

Have you ever been stuck, but you didn’t know it? This is the dangerous place many of us find ourselves at spiritually. We’re not moving, but we don’t know it. We’re complacent. Luke-warm. Blind. Distracted. So how do we avoid getting stuck on our disciple-making journey?



Jesus uses two different illustrations to help us understand where we might get stuck in our disciple-making journey and how we can move past those sticking points.

Read John 15:1-8.

• What are the four different levels of fruitfulness that Jesus describes here? 

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Do you see any similarities between these four levels of fruitfulness and the discipling process as we’ve described it with the 4 Chair Discipling study?

No Fruit. Fruit. More Fruit. Much Fruit.

God’s desire is that we bring Him glory and show ourselves to be His Son’s disciples by bearing much fruit, but sometimes we might be stuck with bearing no fruit or little fruit. Have you ever felt stuck, like your relationship with God was going nowhere, or even worse, going in reverse?

• What is one thought from Jesus’ words in John 15:1-8 that could keep you from getting stuck?

Read Matthew 13:18-23.

• What are the four different kinds of soil that Jesus describes here? 

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Do you see any similarities between these four kinds of soil and the discipling process as we’ve described it with the 4 Chair Discipling study?

Hard Path. Rocky Soil. Thorny Soil. Good Soil.

God’s desire is that our spiritual lives be good soil that produces a strong crop, yielding one hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. His desire is that our lives multiply disciples who make disciples.

What are some common spiritual sticking points that Jesus highlights in Matthew 13:18-23? Which of these, if any, serves as a warning for you right now?

We all get stuck. The ultimate sticking point is sin. Isn’t this the agonizing truth the Apostle Paul speaks of in Romans 7:19 when he says, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing.” Thankfully, by God’s grace, we can be free, “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death.” 

Apart From Him…

• Thank the Father that regardless of when, how or why you get stuck, your situation is not a life sentence. Ask the Father for the grace you need to keep from getting stuck and to keep moving forward in your disciple-making journey. 

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Walking As Jesus…

• Take a blank sheet of paper and divide it in thirds. Write 30, 60 and 100 at the top of each third. Write down what you think 30 times the fruit would look like in your life, and then do the same for 60 and 100 times the fruit. Use this page as a reminder of your vision of a fruitful life. 

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• My Personal Disciple-Making Plan: