Conversation Starters

1. Read Mark 4:1–41.

2. Why did Jesus teach in parables? Why do you think he only explained the parables to his disciples?

3. From the Parable of the Sower, why do people reject Jesus? Where have you seen people reject Jesus for these reasons? Which of the bad soils do you relate to at times?

4. How do the kingdom parables in 4:21–34 relate to the Parable of the Sower? How are they meant to be an encouragement to the disciples and to us?

Title: Jesus Teaches
Reference: Mark 4:1-9
Speaker: Bill Gorman, BillG@cckc.church

Jesus won’t give you more than you want. First, pray for yourself.

First, pray for yourself.
Second, pray for the people sitting around you or in your life
Finally, pray for me

At this moment they don't seem ready to hear or see. [But if Jesus tells] them a story about a woman who searched her entire house for one lost coin, they will be able to see and hear that kind of thing… Jesus was aware… They didn't want to hear. They didn't want to understand. So the question became, "Should we just give up on them?" And Jesus' answer is, "No, we will give them what they can receive. ~ Dallas Willard, The Scandal of the Kingdom

– Hard soil–

– Rocky soil

– Thorny soil

– Fruitful soil

If someone's desire for God resembles any of the first three soils in the parable, that doesn't mean they'll stay there forever. Jesus didn't say the heart never changes. There is good reason to have hope for ourselves and others. What a person couldn't hear yesterday, they may be very open to hear today. ~ Dallas Willard, The Scandal of the Kingdom

How do you welcome the word?
1. Hang onto the word
2. Deepen the roots
3. Pull the weeds
4. Get in the boat