Mark 4:1-9

1. Position yourself to hear God

 

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

 

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

 

4. Pose the question

 

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 4:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”


Paraphrase

• So many people crowded around Jesus that He had to get into a boat and speak from there
• Told a parable about a sower who sowed seeds
• Seed fell on a path and the birds took it
• Seed fell on rocky ground and couldn't grow properly and its roots were shallow.  The sun scorched the plants and so they withered and died
• Seed fell among thorns and they were choked so they did not produce grain
• Seed fell on good soil and they grew and produced a good crop
• Jesus said those those have ears listen to what I have to say

Principles

• God's word should go deep into our hearts so when the trials come the truths are not taken away from us
• Busyness should not hinder (choke) us from from being in His Word
• We should not allow other people to steal the joy of being in God's Word
• Being in God's Word should be our priority so that we might grow and live out a righteous life

Questions

• Do we make the time in God's Word a imporant part of our day?
• Do we put into practice the truths of God's Word or do they get pushed down and the problems and trials of the day take centre place?