Rocky Soil

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away – Mark 4:16-17.

The second type of soil in this parable represents the dramatic conversion that does not last. Jesus says “immediately it sprang up,” but the resulting plant does not have a root system that is able to support any fruit.

This type of “conversion” is scary because it is often the one that looks the most promising at first. The lack of depth in the soil forces the plant to grow upward before it has the necessary root system in place to support such growth. Their joy is an outward sign of a real experience, but there is no depth to the experience. As soon as persecution comes, they fall away.

This is why we should not rush new “converts” into leadership positions. We must give them time to grow in their faith. We must also allow time to measure their fruit, so that we can see if anything comes of their ministry. This type of soil also reminds the Christian that conversion is not about a quick one-time experience, but true conversion results in fruit and fruit is not produced in a day.