In the parable of the sower, Jesus foretold all the ways the world would try to reject God s Word. Rocks will be thrown at the righteous, dirty birds will try to steal your peace and assurance, and briars will try to choke out the clear truth with noise and confusion. Today, the rocks are hardened hearts that have turned from God, the dirty birds are enemies of the Gospel dispelling negative influences, and the briars are the media channels seeking to distract, confuse, and alarm. Satan uses these threats to scorch out, choke out, and steal away God s Word. Yet God is unchangeable and infallible. His Word is the seed that produces truthfulness, holiness, and obedience and we are called to plant it, nurture it, and tend it in order to have a fruitful harvest.