• Psalms 1:3, 1-2 – To be blessed like this man, we must delight in the law of the Lord and avoid sin.
  • Review: parables
    • Earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.
    • Figurative language (extended metaphor)
      • Luke 18:1-8, 9 – Parable of the persistent widow.
      • Illustrates a point, should not be erroneously or over-applied.
    • Told to many, understood by few.
  • The parable, explained
    • Luke 8:11 – Seed is the word of God.
    • Emphasis is on the hearts of men and how they interact with the word of God.
    • Hearing the word is common in all four scenarios.
  • The path
    • Matthew 13:18-19
    • Path: hardened heart
    • Hears, but no understanding.
    • No possibility of faith developing (Luke 8:12)
    • Application:
      • Personal Bible study
      • Bible class this morning
      • Words in the songs we sang
    • Is your heart closed and incapable of accepting God’s word?
  • The rocky ground
  • The thorns
    • Mark 4:18-19
      • YLT: “cares of the world” translated as “anxiety of this age”
    • Competition for limited resources (time, energy, etc.)
      • Example: Demas (II Timothy 4:10)
      • Example: growing grass under a shade tree
    • Stunted growth » no fruit
    • Importance of regular pruning
      • Example: cutting cable bill or streaming service
      • Example: taking a less demanding job
    • Application:
  • The good soil
  • Matthew 13:9