I know this is a small group, but I am going to insist on having you raise Your hands. It's the only way I know of to make sure that we can hear the one person who is sharing and we owe them that much respect.

Matt 13:1-8, 18-23

Read aloud.

The facts:

Who went out to sow? and what did he sow? What does it stand for? seed = word

In what four places did the seed fall?

What does each one stand for? A person! Don't miss that!

path	hears but	doesn't understand

rocky	hears and	receives w/ joy but has no root and so gets withered in trial

weeds	hears, but	worries of world choke it out and it becomes unfruitful

good	hears	understands	bears fruit, in diff amounts

information	conviction	action

If we are to be the good soil, in what three ways should we (soil) relate to the word?

hear, understand, bear fruit.

Interpretation:

from the context, what evidence do we have that Jesus' hearers needed the message of the sower?

How is it possible to be hearing but not understanding? What are you hearing? -- just information, raw data

What aspect of our being is involved in each?

If you are hearing and understanding, what process is taking place? Who is laying an appropriate term on me? -- conviction

If you are bearing fruit, what has your conviction turned into? It's now moved beyond being a mental, internal process and become what? -- action

Alright, let's look back at the other types of soil. What are the different types of soil again? Diff people? Is it that simple? Where am I in this parable? dirt! --Brent and Anne Are we hearing this correctly? What really do these rep? Do they tell us only about others, or could I have some of the symptoms of the path in me? Really these describe different things that hinder the growth of the seed in soil.

Who here is hearing something profound about the comparison of the word to a seed?

Just as a seed must go through a process before its goal is reached, so the word must work a process in a life, before its work is done.

Who is the Word? What does that tell you about the only way for us to "bear fruit."? What is the only way for the Word to bear fruit? --Jesus the Word must come to life in us!-- Are you hearing that? Jesus wants to live in you and I. He seems to be in the business of incarnating himself in human flesh. Even in sinful human flesh! What a privilege! What a miracle! --It takes all three steps!

What is the seed? word what is soil, us

what does it mean if I am like a path to the word?

hard, not understanding

Rocky, no root? step 1 step 2 no step three why? what does root do? Nourish

Thorny choked? step1,2 no three? weeds allowed to squeeze it out?

Place	stands for	reason it hinders growth
Path	Not understanding--then the Evil one snatches it away from heart	If the word is not understood, it cannot convict the heart!
Rocky	Receives with joy but has no root and falls away when persecuted	The seed of the word is not being fed, its life cannot be sustained through persecution. Growth is necessary in order to continue in the Xian life!
thorns	thorns came up and choked out	The word lands in a fertile life, but other things in this life grow even faster!

Application:

Who was Jesus' audience for this parable? Was it people who were unacquainted with the Word? Can this then apply to us SDA's guardians of present truth?

Can you see how important it might be to set up a pattern of hearing the word regularly.

How could an SDA Christian go through life without ever understanding the word? What steps could one take to make sure that they are not this kind of soil? --are you so hardened that you cannot understand the Love of God?

Some of you here might be the rocky soil. You need to take steps to feed and anchor the Word in Your life, to ensure that it is growing. What are some actions that a person could take to feed the life of Jesus in them?--perhaps a good clue would be to take a look at what is hardening you below the surface.

Some of you might be the thorny soil. You are doing all the right things, but the cares of life are still choking out the life of the Word/Who? Jesus/ in your heart. You need to do some weeding. What are some actions a person could take if they are in this situation? --perhaps the place to start is to ask, who or what are the most oppressive, choking, painful thorns in my life?

Do you need to understand? Are you lacking conviction in your life? No conviction comes without hearing the Word. What is one thing you can do to

Do you need feed? Weed?

Take out paper

If so, what is the first thing you could do?

What about this group?

When will you do it?--don't bother writing this down unless you are going to go clear through to the action stage. The word cannot grow with only intellect and conviction, there must be action to be good soil.

Testify.