The King Tells a Parable

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Mark 4:1-20 NASB

¹ He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. ² And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, ³ “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. ⁸ Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” ⁹ And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. ¹¹ And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, ¹² so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”

¹³ And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. ¹⁶ In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. ¹⁸ And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 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.”

OUTLINE

• The Parable (4:1-13)
• The Parable Explained (4:14-20)

QUESTIONS

God does not Change. (Hebrews 13:8)

Sin creates slaves.

The Gospel infuses Truth that transforms us to be more like Him!

1. 4:1-12 Jesus’ New Teaching Style

• The four types of soil:

1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________

What kind of soil is your heart today? How have you experienced in your heart the different types of soil? (Hard, shallow, crowded, or good)? In v10, the disciples lean in and seek Jesus’ heart in the teaching of the parable.  In what ways do you seek the heart of Jesus when life is confusing or doesn’t make sense?  Who helps you keep growing as a disciple rather than just someone who has simply made a decision?

2. 4:13-20 Jesus’ explanation 

How is the Sower (v14) placing the word in your heart? How is He growing the seed (or word) in your heart to produce fruit? (1 Cor. 3:1-6) Who speaks into your life to help you see what kind of soil your heart is? What does a firmly rooted, fruit bearing disciple of Jesus (v20) look like today?

REVIEW OF LAST SUNDAY

Mark 3:7-12 “Jesus is Lord!”

1. Jesus was given many names, labels and titles from the crowds and even His family.  What do you call Him? Savior and Lord?
2. How has being included into the family of God (3:35) change the way that you live your life?

NEXT SUNDAY

Mark 4:21-25 NASB

²¹ And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? ²² For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. ²⁵ For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”