INTRODUCTION

The parable of the “Sower and the Seed” is one that applies anytime God’s Word goes forth. The sower sows the seed, the seed is God’s Word, and the ground is the soul in whom the seed is sown. Within the four classes of ground discussed in this lesson, each person can be found.

THEME THOUGHTS

Old Testament history paints a colorful picture of God’s dealing with man, but the New Testament brings us to the climax of God’s redemptive work—the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

“Who is Jesus?” is the thought-provoking question which establishes our theme for this quarter. Looking into the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we trace the story of Jesus’ time on earth, including His birth and some of the major events of His life.

We find, as we delve into this story, that the incidents and occurrences recorded in a biographical sketch of Jesus hold many important lessons relevant to our lives today.

Some of the highlights of Jesus’ ministry and His personal example to us are brought out in such lessons as His calling of the twelve disciples, His example in resisting temptation, and His formula for happiness as found in the Beatitudes. The quarter concludes with one of Jesus’ parables which emphasizes the importance of being firmly grounded so that we might be able to grow as Christians.

The purpose of this quarter is to learn about Jesus Christ, not just as a personage of Biblical history, but as a living Savior who wants to be directly and personally involved in our lives.

SUPPLEMENTAL SCRIPTURES

Matthew 13:1-9; Luke 8:4-15; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

QUESTION

1. What is a parable?
2. Why do you think Jesus sometimes used parables when teaching?
3. Jesus often said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” What do you think that means?
4. What happened to the seed that fell by the wayside? How does that describe the spiritual awareness of some people?
5. What happened to the seed that fell upon stony ground? What spiritual characteristics does the stony ground describe?
6. What happened to the seed that fell among the thorns? How does thorny ground parallel with the spiritual life of some?
7. How can we prepare ourselves to be good ground? Make a list of suggestions.
8. Do you think it is better to produce thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold?
9. Look up the references for the following Bible characters and write down what type of ground you think they represented. Be prepared to explain your answers.
   • Saul — 1 Samuel 28:15
   • Solomon — 1 Kings 11:4
   • Belshazzar — Daniel 5:22-23
   • Zacchaeus — Luke 19:6,8
   • Judas — John 6:70-71
   • Felix — Acts 24:25
   • Paul — 2 Timothy 4:7-8
   • Demas — Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:10