Lesson Three

LESSON 3: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: MARK 4:1-20

17:38

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LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will discuss the meaning of the parable of the sower.

Students will discover that those who believe the message of Jesus are like the good soil.

SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

Why did Jesus Speak in Parables?

Jesus spoke in parables as a way to teach about the kingdom of God. He used parables to teach large crowds. Then, when he was alone with his disciples, Jesus explained the parables (Mark 4:11, 34). Thus, only those who committed their lives to Jesus and became a disciple would receive understanding about the kingdom of God.

INSTRUCTION

WELCOME & REVIEW

Welcome! It is great to have you back. Today, we shall focus on Mark 4:1-20.
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In our last session, we talked about Jesus being God. Can you name what he did to show that he is indeed God?
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(Allow students to respond. Answers: He healed the paralytic man and others. He forgave the paralytic man’s sins.)

We also talked about the kind of people that are welcome into God’s kingdom. What qualifications do you need to enter his kingdom?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Nothing apart from believing in his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus accepts everyone no matter how they have lived their lives.)

INTRODUCTION

Many communities in Africa have proverbs, riddles, and stories as part of their communication. These usually have moral lessons that help the listeners relate the story to their daily lives. Perhaps, some of you have heard your grandparents give you counsel using a story without going directly to the point.

Who can tell us a short story and the lessons that came from it?

(Allow students to respond.)

Stories fascinate us. They are an effective form of communication. Jesus used many stories (parables) to teach about God’s kingdom and its characteristics. It is recorded that he spoke around fifty parables and about a third of all his teachings were made up of parables. He was a master storyteller who told parables that people found amazing and intriguing. Today, we shall look at one of his parables: The Parable of the Sower.

To be fruitful in God’s kingdom, what kind of soil should your heart resemble?

(Students do not need to answer at this point.)

As you watch the video, keep that question in mind and see if you can find an answer by the end of the lesson.

VIDEO CLIP

Let us watch the video clip entitled “The Parable of the Sower.” Listen keenly to the parable of the sower and its meaning.

(After the video clip, release the students to sit together in their small groups for group discussion.)

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SMALL GROUPS

What is a parable?
(Allow students to answer. Possible answer: A short story with a moral lesson.)

How does Jesus describe the four kinds of soil and the harvest each produced? (Hint: look at Mark 4:3-8 for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Answers: Soil along the path: birds ate up the seed. Soil on the rocks: seed sprang up quickly, but withered when the sun came up. Soil among the thorns: plants choked up so that they could not produce. Fertile/good soil: plants produced a bountiful harvest.)

With what does Jesus compare the seed? (Hint: look at Mark 4:14 for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: The seed is the Word of God, the message of the gospel, the good news, and/or the Scriptures.)

Those are great answers! Yet the seed is even more specific and more profound than that. It is the message that God’s kingdom is here in Christ.

In what ways do people receive the message of the gospel?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Sermons, Bible study, listening to sermons on radio or podcasts, watching preachers on TV, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram, and doing personal devotions.)

Jesus explained to the disciples what the Parable of the Sower meant. How can you describe the four kinds of soil in your own words? (Hint: look at Mark 4:13-20 for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Soil on the pathway refers to people who get tempted by the devil and forget that they are Christians. Soil on the rocks refers to people who accept the message of the gospel with joy, but when they face problems in life, they turn their backs on God. Such people expect a trouble-free life. Soil with the thorny bushes refers to people who want to be Christians, but are distracted by behaviours that do not please God. By engaging in sin, they fall away and stop following God. Good soil refers to those who believe God’s Word and keep following him no matter the challenges they face in life. Their faith in God positively affects others and their surroundings.)

Read about the good soil in Mark 4:20. What does the Parable of the Sower teach about those who believe the message of God’s kingdom?(Allow students to respond. Answer: The kingdom of God belongs to anyone who believes and accepts Jesus’ message and thereafter follows him daily no matter what. Those who accept Jesus’ message are like the good soil that produces fruit.)

Thank you for all your responses. Let us join the other groups and conclude together.

APPLICATION

Of the four types of soil described in the parable, only the seed that fell on the good soil produced much fruit. The state of our hearts determines whether the message of God will thrive or not. This message is about God’s kingdom that comes to us by believing in Jesus Christ.

From the parable, it is clear that only the good soil produced a great harvest. Does your heart allow the Word of God to grow, mature, and produce fruit?
(Students do not need to answer in class.)

REFLECTION

Throughout this week, think about the four kinds of soil. How can the good news of God’s kingdom take root in your hearts?

PRAYER

(In your own words, pray for the students, so that their hearts can be like the good soil
that receives a seed and gives it an environment to mature and produce fruit. Similarly, our hearts should receive God’s Word and have it mature into a great harvest.)

Lesson 2

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Introduction

Alexis: Hey everyone, it's Alexis. Last session, Eli talked about how Jesus gave his life to restore us to God. But he did more than that. Jesus established a kingdom that is still going today. And that's what I'm talking about, the Kingdom of Heaven in the Here and Now. After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent about 40 days with his followers. After that, he gathered his closest friends and said this to them before ascending back into heaven:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and 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 28:19-20)

Jesus’ final words to his followers are what we know today as the “Great Commission”. With those words, the followers of Jesus knew exactly what to do, and they went straight to work. Just kidding. No, they didn't. They kinda just stood there looking up. Take a minute to put yourself in their shoes - What would you do? God shows up and does something amazing; now it's your turn. What is your first reaction? Are you excited? Scared? A little bit of both? Describe how you think you might feel.

Empowered by the Spirit for Kingdom Living

I think one question Jesus' followers asked was, "What are we supposed to do?" Which is fair. It might be a question you’re asking. Maybe you're wrestling with something God’s doing in you, and you can't quite figure out what to do next. You're in good company. Jesus' followers went back to the place where they had been staying, and they waited for days. Imagine how that felt. Waiting on God can be tricky. It’s hard to tell if you're waiting in faith or hiding in fear. I'm sure many followers have prayed for God to give them a sign. Well, they got one. Listen to this:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4)

The Holy Spirit came and filled the people in that room, and crowds from all over came running. And what happened next is really cool. The followers of Jesus emerged and began speaking to people from every nation in their heart language. In Acts 2, we read that about 3000 people joined God's kingdom that day!

So what does it look like to live in God's kingdom on Earth? Well, it means following the way of Jesus, our King. Think about that for a moment. Read Galatians 5:16-26. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? Can you relate to the tension between your flesh and the Spirit that this passage describes? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life to produce the fruits listed in verses 22-23? Write down your thoughts.

Being the Church

Living in this freedom to follow Jesus, we are able to be what Jesus called “His Church.” The Church is the embodiment of God’s kingdom on Earth. Imperfect, but becoming more like Jesus every day. The Church isn’t a building or institution - it’s millions of followers of Jesus who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do two things: They love God, and they love others. That’s simple to say, difficult to do, trust me. But we’re not alone. The Holy Spirit is working through us to build God’s kingdom on Earth and make us more like Jesus every day. I trust in God’s big mission, and I hope you do too. See you next time.

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