Book of Mark | Sower + the Seed Pt 2

Follow Along with the Message

1.) ”For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.“
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV

Peter reminds believers that everything in this life (possessions, accomplishments, people) will eventually fade away and disappear. Only God‘s will, word, and work are permanent we must stop grasping the temporary and begin focusing our time, money, and energy on the permanent: the word of God, and our eternal life in Christ. What are one or two ways/things that you can intentionally do to move your attention from the worldly to the heavenly?

2.) ”He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How have you seen the seeds of God’s Word miraculously produce fruit in your life and/or those around you?


3.) Galatians 5:22 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”

The Holy Spirit produces these traits in us because we are becoming more like Jesus, who perfectly modeled them. We cannot do this on our own. We must live in close union with Jesus. Which of these qualities do you most want the Spirit to produce in you? Was there a time in your past when you tried to produce these qualities on your own without Jesus? Reflect on that time and consider what could have gone differently had you invited Jesus in to do a good work in you.

4.) Mark 3:22: ”And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”“
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The teachers of the law began to bring a nonsensical accusation against Jesus, saying that Jesus was driving out demons by the power of Satan. They refuse to believe that his power was of God, because then they would have to accept him as the Messiah, and they were far too prideful for that. Knowing and stating that Jesus was the messiah would threaten their power, so they created accusations to sway people’s perception of Jesus and think of him as possessed. The more effective you are in your Christian life, the more extreme the attacks of the enemy will be on you. Even the most ridiculous accusation will be convincing to some people.

How can being in fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters help you in these challenging moments?

5.) Actions to have a fruitful heart:

      1.) Hard Soil- unbelief/distrust
      Action: repent

      2.) Shallow Soil-hard times
      Action: reflective/slow down

      3.) Weeded Soil-distracted
      Action: resist/replace

      4.) Good Soil-soft/fertile and fruitful
      Discuss this verse:

”But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬