This Week’s Experience – 8/2/2020

A farmer went out to sow seeds. As he cast his seeds some of it fell along the beaten path and soon the birds came and ate it. Other seeds fell onto gravel with no topsoil and the seeds quickly sprouted since the soil had no depth. But when the days grew hot, the sprouts were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. Other seeds fell among the thorns, so when the seeds sprouted so did the thorns, crowding out the young plants so that they could produce no grain. But some of the seeds fell onto good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty—and some even one hundred times as much as was planted! If you understand this, then you need to respond.”

-Mark 4:3-9

Let me explain: The farmer sows the Word as seed, and what falls on the beaten path represents those who hear the Word, but immediately Satan appears and snatches it from their hearts. The seed sown on gravel represents those who hear the Word and receive it joyfully, but because their hearts fail to sink a deep root into the Word, they don’t endure for long. For when trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, they immediately wilt and fall away. And the seed sown among thorns represents those who hear the Word, but they allow the cares of this life and the seduction of wealth and the desires for other things to crowd out and choke the Word so that it produces nothing. “But the seed sown on good soil represents those who open their hearts to receive the Word and their lives bear good fruit—some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times more than was sown!”

-Mark 4:14-20

If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our preaching is useless and your faith is worth nothing.

-1 Corinthians 15:14

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

-John 6:53-55

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

-John 6:66

Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have    given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ!

-Philippians 3:8

Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground and dies, it is never more than just a single grain of wheat.  But if it is dead and buried, it will spring to life reproducing itself many times over.

-John 12:24

LIFE APPLICATION
To discuss during the week with your family or Life Group

1. Have you ever planted anything? What was the result? How did the soil impact your results?

2. Which of the 4 soils would you say your spiritual heart is at right now? Why do you say that?

3. What is your next step as a result of this message?