Discuss It – Matthew 13:1-9
- Regarding house plants: Do you
- Talk and sing to them?
- Forget about them until the leaves fall?
- Hope no one gives you one?
- When was the last time you “tuned out” a speaker?
- What are some spiritual cliches or religious catch-phrases that people often use?
- What misconceptions do non-Christians have about Christianity?
- Into what various places did the seed fall? (13:4–5)
- What is the meaning of each?
- Dan talked about these points in the parable…
- Universality: the seed went onto every place, for everyone.
- Mystery: Jesus was not what we expected, the seed disappears to do its thing.
- Actuality: the sower just lets the seed go all over the place, the seed was never the problem.
- Hostility/Response: birds, sun, thorns, and the cross. The Word matters, not the response to it.
- Which soil are you these days?
- Which seed ended up sprouting and bearing fruit? Why? (13:8)
- To whom did Jesus direct His story about the four soils? (13:9)
Discuss It – Matthew 13:18-23
- Whom did Jesus liken to seed along the path? Why? (13:19)
- According to Christ, who is like the seed sown on rocky soil? Why? (13:20–21)
- What kind of people were compared to seed sown among the thorns? Why? (13:22)
- Of whom is the fruitful seed a picture? How? (13:23)
- Why do so many people today misunderstand the gospel?
- What deep roots help a believer to not fall away?
- What thorns, rocks, and worries of the day tend to choke your faith?
- What circumstances of life tend to scorch your faith?
Apply It
- What one action could you do this week to improve the way you listen to God’s Word?
- How could you become a more effective sower of God’s Word over the next month?
- How can you show gratitude to God today for opening your eyes to the truth of the gospel?
- Our response is fruit. What are you bearing these days?
- What or who nurtures your spiritual growth?
- The kingdom is not to earn, but to welcome. How do you see and hear Jesus working in the world today?