And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 'Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.'

And He said to them, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. and He said to them, 'To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.

And He said to them. 'Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Now there are the ones sown among thorns, they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.'"
Mark 4:1-20 (NKJV)

1. WAYSIDE
   A path or road that went through or by the field and was packed hard by feet of many people, animals and carts passing by, and in which roots could not take hold.
2. STONY GROUND
   Ground which is full of rocks or has an underlayment of solid rock which roots could not penetrate.
3. THORNY GROUND
   Ground which was not cultivated and contained many weed and thistles which would choke-out any seeds.
4. GOOD GROUND
   Ground in which the seeds would take root and grow to full maturity.