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OQ: Share about how life is in villages?
Matthew 13:1-9
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "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.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 He who has ears, let him hear."
Matthew 13:18-23
18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
1. Path
Q: What comes to our mind when we think of a path?
Q: What happens to the seed that are thrown on the path?
Q: What are things that harden a persons heart.
2. Rocky
Q:Why would the seed on rocky soil spring up quickly?
Q: Why would no root cause the plant to wither and Die ? No nourishment
Q: What kind of heart is Jesus talking about?Shallow, superficial, emotional
Likes the idea of following Jesus, bud didn’t count the cost
Q: Have you ever made an emotional decision? When?
Q: Why do people make emotional decision?
Q: Verse 21 talks of trouble and persecution, how does this test your roots?
Q: What forms does trouble and persecution come in?
Jesus wants us to make a solid decision and sink deep roots
3.Thorny:
Q: Why do weeds choke out garden plants?
Q: Describe how weeds in a garden work?
Start small, hardly notice them, then too many to even try
Q: What are the weeds in our life that choke us out?Job, kids, hobbies, SSS, yard, sports, wife, family, job
Q: Are these bad things? NO
Q: How do these things make you unfruitful? Distract you, take up all your time, spend time on “worthless” pursuits
Q: What kind of heart is Jesus talking about? Jesus wants us to be sure to not miss the most important thing.
4. Good Soil:
Q: What kind of heart is Jesus talking about?
Q: What are ways that we can cultivate our heart situation?
Q: How could you be fruitful 30 or 60 or 100 times?
Everyone falls into one these categories:
1. You are hard towards God’s word
2. Your are excited about what you hear, but don’t have deep convictions
3. You have great intentions, but let many things distract you
4. You have a great heart, are focused, and are making disciples
We all fall into one of these soil types... one is good and three need work
Search you heart, which soil are you?
Q: When it comes down to it, who is responsible for you heart condition?
YOU ARE. You decide what kind of heart you will have.
Challenge
- Decide to be the good soil
- Start being soft and receptive to God’s word (start with tonight’s study)
- Decide to put down deep roots, study and pray every day
- Don’t let life’s activities distract you from God’s work
- Cultivate the soil of your heart to be useful to God
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