30 Days In The Gospel Of MarkSample

Thought:

In many books and movies, wise characters speak in riddles. We may often find ourselves wondering, why don’t they just simply state where to go and what to do? Jesus didn’t speak in riddles but He did speak in instructive stories called parables, which can sometimes seem confusing. Jesus explained to His disciples that the reason He spoke in parables is to conceal the truth from people who would waste it. Many people in Jesus’ time were farmers, so He talked about examples farmers would understand in His parables. In this passage, Jesus uses an analogy about seeds and soil to talk about people’s openness to the gospel.

1. What does the seed eaten by a bird represent?

2. What does the seed in rocky soil represent?

3. What does the seed in thorns represent?

4. What does the seed in good soil represent?

Engage:

When you’re planting a garden, you can’t force the plants to grow. Only God can make them grow. But you can make sure your garden is a good environment for things to grow in—you can get good soil, make sure there is lots of sunlight, and water the garden regularly. Similarly, we can’t force spiritual growth in ourselves, but we can do our best to make sure our hearts are good environments for growth. We want to be ready to hear and accept teachings about Jesus so they may produce spiritual growth in us. Write down one thing you can do this week to prepare your heart to receive Jesus’ teaching.

Deeper Waters:

Write down some obstacles or distractions in your life that may make you more likely to be unresponsive to the Word of God. Being aware of these things can help us avoid them.