[Jesus speaking]
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Anxiety is one of the leading challenges for our nation, especially among our youth. At my church, I lead some middle school boys as a small group co-leader, and at camp this past year, anxiety was the main challenge, among a group of 10 or so.

Many of the things we worry about are not things that God says we need, or what we need to focus on. Some go into debt to look well-off or successful, only to be burdened down by the debt creating stress. They live at a level of spending that they cannot maintain, but they expect God to provide for their wants.

Some work all the time, to earn money to buy more things or save more. All the while, the eternal wealth of investing in people passes them right by.

Some want to control everything in life themselves, but they find they cannot handle this challenging life by themselves, and they become paralyzed by anxiety. They do not depend on God, and instead become co-dependent on others to get through life.

In today's passage, Jesus says these sinf ways — pursuit of wealth or trying to control everything — are like thorn bushes that choke the goodness out of us and cause us to turn away from God. We are to cast aside these pursuits and seek God first and foremost.

Lord, thank you for this warning about these ways of greed and control that are selfish and lead me away from you. Help me to get rid of the short-term pleasure pursuits in my life and fully dedicate all my energy and efforts to you and your causes.