Jesus told a parable about 4 different types of soil. This story is very helpful to us in understanding what it means to love, learn and do God’s word. The story is told not so that we can judge one another as to who is good, better, best Christians! No! It’s told so as to urge us to avoid being poor soil and seek to be good soil that learns and obeys Jesus’ teachings. Let’s all seek to be good soil that is very fruitful - the choice is available for all of us!
Readings and reflections
1. All Christians are good soil. However, this does not make fruitfulness automatic. Jesus told us this parable in order to urge us to be those who receive the seeds of His teaching.
“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:15-20)
What are the things that stop the three poor soils from bearing fruit? Does the Holy Spirit want to warn and correct you in any way?
How does the good soil treat the seed of God’s word and what is the result?
2. Our memory verse for this week teaches us much about being ‘good soil’ for God’s word.
‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.’ (2 Timothy 2:15)
We are told to ‘do our best’. This speaks of using all of our ability to grow in knowledge and skill with God’s word. We all have different capacities, but we can all do our best. What does the Holy Spirit want to say to you about your approach to His word?
Our efforts to know God’s word are so that we become and do what?
Let’s pray today for our hearts to receive
1. Pray for your church out of 1 Timothy 2:15, that we would be a community of effective workers for God.
2. Pray for the church in the nations, that she would be good, fruitful soil.
3. Pray for yourself, that you would have the attributes of the good soil
To memorise this week
‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.’ (2 Timothy 2:15)
To consider this week
What are your current habits of taking in God’s word? Do you have a balanced diet of:
1. Reading - Getting an overview of the whole story of the bible.
2. Meditation - Reading a passage slowly and repeatedly, leading to prayer, worship and obedience. Writing/journaling is a helpful tool in this.
3. Study - Studying a book, chapter, passage, character, word… using study aids such as a study bible.
4. Memorisation - Only those who regularly memorise scripture will be able to effectively use ‘the sword of the Spirit’!
5. Hearing it taught - Devotion to seriously listening to the bible being taught by leaders you trust.
Maybe you’d like to pick one or two areas to work on this week.
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY - GOOD SOIL RECEIVES, GROWS AND SOWS
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
Have you ever said something that you wish you hadn't or not said something that you wish you had?
Introduction - please share in your group
On Sunday we saw how Jesus' Great Commission involves learning, doing and passing on what Jesus teaches. Jesus tells us,
‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
We saw how The Parable of the soils helps to illustrate this idea that disciples are those who receive the seed of Jesus' teaching, grow in doing/obeying, and then go on on to sow truth into other's lives. Jesus describes the good soil thus,
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.’ (Luke 8:15)
Disciples of Jesus are to:
i) Receive- they have a devotion to learning God's word
ii) Grow - As they read or hear teaching, they ask the Spirit, "How do you want me to respond?"
ii) Sow - Disciples want to help their brothers and sisters to grow; they have a passion for Jesus to be known by the community that God has put them into.
We all need to regularly reflect on our receptivity to learning and doing what Jesus' teaches. Finally, let's pray for ourselves using the words of Hosea,
“Break up your unplowed ground…” (Hosea 10:12)