Utah's Hope

Why do some believers grow deep roots while others fade out fast? Jesus answered that question 2,000 years ago in the Parable of the Sower.

Turns out, spiritual growth isn’t one big decision—it’s thousands of small, daily choices. Bible or phone? Church or no church? Those choices add up, and they shape who you become.

Pastor Greg Laurie walks us through the four kinds of hearts Jesus describes: Hardened, shallow, crowded, and fruitful. And he shares the real “golden key” to lasting spiritual growth.

Notes:

Luke 8

 
The Christian life is more than praying a prayer and getting “fire insurance.”
 
It's following Jesus as your Savior and as your Lord.
 
Life is one long string of choices.
 
By not choosing spiritual growth, we choose spiritual decline.
 
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life.”
 
If you want to go forward as a Christian, you will.
 
God has given us everything we need for spiritual growth and progress.
2 Peter 1:3
 
Read Luke 8:11–15 (NLT)
 
Which of these four soils represents you best?
Only one out of four makes it.
 
The job of the Sower is to throw the seed out far and wide.
 
This type of sowing seed was known as “broadcasting.”
 
Our job is to sow the seed of the word of God.
 
God does the work of conversion.
 
The Apostle Paul shows us how we each have a role to play.
1 Corinthians 3:6–7
 
The only way to tell if someone is really a Christian is through the test of time.
 
1 John 2:19 (NLT)
These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
 
Prodigals come to faith, fall away, and return later.
 
Some people have a weak beginning but a strong finish.
That is better than a strong beginning and no finish.
 
The Hardened Heart
Luke 8:12
 
Mark 4:15 (NLT)
“Only to have Satan come at once and take it away.”
 
Whenever you share the gospel with people, expect satanic opposition.
 
Every time you hear the gospel, your heart can get softer or harder.
 
Shallow Hearts
Luke 8:13
 
These are the hearers who seem to be converted but never get grounded in the faith.
 
They are living on an emotional high and a state of spiritual euphoria.
 
Perhaps they have experienced a supernatural touch from God.
 
Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted.
 
Christianity is Christ!
 
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
—G.K. Chesterton
 
Some people are simply impulsive by nature.

Some people fall away because they have built their faith on the wrong foundation.
 
Some people fall away because of persecution.
 
Mark 4:17 (NLT)
But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.
 
2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
 
Some people fall away because unbelief set in, causing them to doubt God at the first emotional low.
 
Infested Hearts
Luke 8:14
 
Second best is often the worst enemy of the best.
 
Excessive worry can crowd out spiritual growth.
Mark 4:19
 
We live in a time when people are obsessed with extending their lives.
 
God determines the length of our lives.
Job 14:5
 
Fruitful Hearers
Luke 8:15
 
The golden key to spiritual growth is how you hear and respond to God’s word.
 
Mark 4:20 (NLT)
“Those who hear and acc

Don't Stop When Tears Start

The Joy of First Salvation — Psalm 126:1–3

Pain can deepen us. It can make us more compassionate, thoughtful, and ready to care for others walking through their own valleys.

In Part 1 of Greg Laurie's conversation with Chuck Swindoll, they talk candidly about grief, calling, preaching, and the lessons God teaches through it all. Watch the rest of this episode on The Greg Laurie Show.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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What’s the secret to a strong family? Author and mom Jessica Smartt says it’s not perfection – it’s connection. Drawing from her book Come On Home, Jessica shares powerful and practical ways to build a lasting family legacy, navigate technology with wisdom, and create meaningful memories as a family. You’ll be encouraged to create a home where your kids feel safe, seen, and deeply loved. Because as Jessica reminds us, “Your family doesn’t have to be perfect to be strong.”
Come on Home
Age and Stage eNewsletters
Parents' Guide to Technology 2026
BePresent – Plugged In App Review

Learn how to follow in King David's footsteps and serve the purposes of God.

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College students may be pros at pulling off last-minute study sessions, but when it comes to finances, cramming just doesn’t cut it. We often say that everyone needs a budget, and for college students, that might be even more crucial. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Dr. Kelly Rush share practical budgeting advice every college student should hear. Then, it’s your financial questions. That’s Faith & Finance Live, where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

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Topics: 

No News, Jesus/Rest, Breaking Animal News, Encouragement, Life Figured Out, Hurry, Flowy Pants, Worry, Fruit of the Spirit



BONUS CONTENT: Richard Dawson & Family Feud

Quotes:

"Encourage somebody. It will lift their mood, but it'll lift yours."

"Everybody's struggling, even if they don't know it."

"Ruthlessly get rid of hurry in your life... it allows you to be present."

"We're literally told to cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us."
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Moody Bible Institute president Mark Jobe and his wife, Dee, know that some legacies are inherited. Others are built. Mark and Dee share how they challenged generational sin patterns, embraced a new vision for their family, and discovered the power of faith to change a family's trajectory.

Show Notes and Resources

• Bold Steps with Dr Mark Jobe Ministry Program moodyradio.org/bold-steps

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College students may be experts at pulling off last-minute study sessions, but when it comes to managing money, cramming simply does not work.

The financial habits students develop during college can shape their decisions for years to come. Dr. Kelly Rush, a Finance Professor, Division Chair, and Financial Planning Program Coordinator at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, says this season offers students an important opportunity to build a strong financial foundation.

Rush, who also serves on the Board of Directors for Kingdom Advisors, encourages students and their parents to approach college finances with intentionality, clear communication, and biblical wisdom.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Although this verse applies broadly to a child’s spiritual formation, its wisdom can also inform the way parents teach financial responsibility. The habits students establish during college may either move them toward wise stewardship or create patterns they will need to overcome later.

Unfortunately, many college students rely on what Rush calls a “mental budget.” They may have a general idea of how much they should spend, but few have a written plan or consistently track where their money goes.

Without those practices, students may watch their bank balances fall more quickly than expected without understanding why. A written budget allows them to compare what they intended to spend with what they actually spent.

College expenses may feel irregular, but that makes budgeting more important—not less. Learning to plan, track, and adjust now can establish habits that continue long after graduation.

One of the most important financial concepts for college students is the time value of money.

When someone saves or invests, time can become a powerful advantage. Even modest amounts accumulated consistently may grow significantly over a long period. That means college students do not necessarily need large incomes to begin building healthy financial habits. They need to begin early.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Ephesians 5:15–16 similarly encourages believers to walk wisely and make the best use of their time.

Students can apply that wisdom by beginning to save, give, and manage money faithfully while they are young. The earlier those practices begin, the more time they have to shape a lifetime of stewardship.

However, time does not always work in a student’s favor.

Time benefits savers and investors, but it can work against borrowers. The longer the debt remains unpaid, the more interest it may accumulate. Avoiding unnecessary consumer debt during college can therefore be just as important as beginning to save.

Money moves quickly in college.

Students may understand major expenses such as tuition, transportation, or textbooks, yet underestimate the effect of frequent smaller purchases. Coffee, restaurant meals, streaming subscriptions, delivery fees, and spontaneous outings may not seem significant individually, but together they can consume a large portion of a student’s budget.

The problem is often not one unusually large purchase. It is the sheer number of transactions.

Tracking expenses helps students recognize this momentum before it overwhelms their finances. A budgeting app can be especially helpful for students who rarely use cash and manage most of their financial lives digitally.

The FaithFi app, for example, allows users to create a customized spen