"The Good Soil"

Lesson Text:

Mark 4:3–10 KJV 1900

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Mark 14:13–20 KJV 1900

And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

Focus Verses:

Mark 4:8 KJV 1900

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:20 KJV 1900

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Culture Connection

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is a modern marvel . It is possible to sit in a radio station in one city and broadcast a signal of songs to another . One Oklahoma station employee from KOMA recalls getting requests from listeners in South Australia . That is not even on the same continent . Now that we have internet access and online streaming, people who have never been to our church can be a part of our services . But as broadcasters understand, those who broadcast give up control of who receives the signal . That is the same method Jesus referred to in the Parable of the Sower . But Jesus was not referring to radio stations; He was referring to seed . When the sower sowed his seed for a harvest, he broadcast the seed all over the field . There was no way to control where the seed fell, which is why some fell on wayside ground, some on stony ground, some on thorny ground, and thankfully, some fell on good ground . It would be safer and more economical to drop each seed carefully into the plowed soil . Less seed would be lost, but the sower would also reap less harvest . We are not called to inspect the soil; we are called to sow the seed . It is up to God and the hearers where the seed falls and how it grows .

Contemplating the Topic

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an effective gardener? How many of us have set out to grow something, whether a full garden or simply a small houseplant? We quickly learn that cultivating a plant is not simple work . One source describes part of the challenge of effective growing by saying, “Some people might think that weeds are the most troublesome element to deal with in a garden . It is probably more accurate to say this: the number one thing that will disappoint and dishearten a gardener is working with soil that is difficult to manage or just plain unproductive” (http://www .garden-counselor-lawn-care .com/ why-is-soil-so-important .html) . Soil quality and condition are vital to successful growing, whether it is a potted plant or one’s spiritual life . Jesus revealed the importance of soil in the Parable of the Sower and the Seed . As disciples of Jesus, our great desire is to produce spiritual fruit .

I have taught extensive lessons on these soils.

Going to focus on the Good soil.

What it’s not:

Trodden

Shallow

Hard

Thorny

How to have good soil:

Break it up

Fertilize it

Water it

Closing

4. Trust God.

God gives the increase.