Today we return to one of Jesus’ most familiar teachings; the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. To begin with, we consider why familiarity with Scripture can sometimes dull our hearing rather than deepen it. Then, moving through the sower, the seed, the soils, and the fruit, we find that this Gospel story invites the hearer to examine the condition of their heart by how it responds to the word of the kingdom. Is the heart hardened, shallow, distracted, or truly receptive? Listen as Pastor Kurt Settles teaches the congregation of TRC Chattanooga from Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 on the 6th Sunday of Trinity Season, July 12, 2026.