THE SEED, THE SOWER AND THE SOIL

DATE: 1^ST SEPTEMBER 2024

TOPIC: THE SEED, THE SOWER AND THE SOIL

TEXT: MARK 4:1– 20

Aims:

1. To teach that our hearts are the ground upon which the seed of the word of God is planted.
2. To teach that our spiritual growth depends on how we handle the words of God in our hearts.

Introduction:

If you have ever tried to garden, you know that each plant, each vegetable or flower, is a unique living thing. Each grows differently. And one growing season can differ greatly from the next. But you are always hoping for the best every season.

Jesus knew that parables from the land would find receptivity from an audience who understood gardening and farming. We, too, can learn how faith can grow and thrive, or shrink and die. We can see that there is more than one possible response to God (soil), more than one way that the seeds of faith can fare. As we study, each of us should consider what kind of soil we are. That is, how receptive are we to God’s seeds?

As the parable illustrates, not everyone who hears the Word of God receives it. Some forget what they hear almost immediately. Others receive it with joy but fall away when persecution comes. Some receive the Word but then let the attractions and wealth of this world crowd out God’s Word from their lives. A few, however, receive God’s Word and take it to heart, producing a good crop of righteousness.

Questions for discussions:

1. In your own words, describe the condition of every soil in the parable.
2. What are the hindrances to spiritual growth? (Mark 4:15 – 19, 1John 2:15-16, 2 Tim. 2:4)
3. How can we overcome and be fruitful? (Mark 4:20, Rom. 12:1-12, Rom. 8:1-2, Psm. 51:10)

Food for thought: the word of God is forever productive. Nevertheless, the condition of the heart can either hinder or foster its growth

Memory Verse: Mark 4:20 “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”