August 1, 2023

Here is the Stand on the Word reading for today:

Mark 4 ESV | NKJV | AUDIO

Reflection Questions:

1) In His Parable of the Sower (see v. 1-9), what interpretations did Jesus give to the different kinds of soils on which the seed, the Gospel of the Kingdom, fell, which represent different kinds of people and what they do with that word (see v. 10-20)?

1. Packed down path represents those who hear but Satan takes away the word before they can become followers
2. Rocky ground represents those who hear, start fast as followers, but when trouble comes they fall away
3. Thorny ground represents those who hear, get started as followers, but competing priorities keep them unfruitful
4. Good ground represents those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit as followers
5. All of the above

2) What is the main point of the Parable of the Growing Seed, unique to Mark's Gospel (v. 26-29)?