Intro: how to use this booklet What you have in your hands could be a powerful tool. What you have in your hands could help guide you this week in drawing closer to God and help you hear what He may want you to hear about yourself, your world and God. In understanding God and yourself more your sense of purpose may become stronger, your self reflection may become clearer, and your love for others may grow. Or you could through it in the recycling bin. The choice is yours. But if you do choose to use this booklet to draw closer to God here is what you need to do:
Set aside 10-30 minutes each day. I recommend the morning. Schedule it in your day timer or cell phone. Set reminders so you don’t forget and be consistent.
Remove anything that could distract you during that time. Shut off your phone. Turn off the TV. Maybe even try to be alone.
Start by praying. Not sure what to pray? Try this “God, as I take this time with you now, help me to hear you. Help me to focus on you. Help me to listen to you. Please speak to me God, I want to listen. Amen”
Reflect on and answer the questions asked each day.
End your time praying again. Not sure what to pray? Try this “God thank you for your grace in my life. Help me to apply what I reflected on today. Help me to love you and others more with my thoughts and actions today. Amen”
The Parable of the Sower Mark 4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, 10
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any 14 parable? The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” 13
Monday: Getting dirty While today we probably don’t hear many people speak in parables, in the first century it was not all that uncommon. 1) Why do you think Jesus chose to speak to this crowd in the form of telling them a story (parable)?
2) Reread Mark 4:1-9. Before reading any further, and imagining you don’t know the text that follows, what do you think Jesus is trying to say with this parable?
3) Why do you think Jesus wants you to hear this parable?
4) Why do you think Jesus thought that his followers would not understand other parables if they did not understand this one (verse 13)?
5) Reread the entire passage again three times slowly. After each time you read what words or ideas stand out to you? Why do you think they are standing out to you? What do you think Jesus wants to teach you with this passage?
6) Imagine yourself into the story. Imagine being part of the crowd hearing this. Imagine the smell of the sea air and the echo of Jesus’ voice. When he shares this parable what feels like he is talking right into your life?
Tuesday: Smooth paths and concrete hearts In the story Jesus tells, he speaks about four different areas the seed fell. Over the next four days we are going to look at those four areas. 1) In this story, what do you think is the significance of the farmer putting seed everywhere? Wouldn’t a good farmer want to conserve his seed and only plant it where he knew the grain would grow?
2) Often when we hear the term ‘word of God’ we think of the Bible. Read John 1:1. Does this give you a different understanding/perspective on the word of God? What might it mean to this story if we understand the term the word of God in light of John 1:1?
3) If the seed is the word of God as Jesus says, what does this story tell us about God? What does it tell us about us?
4) In the sermon on Sunday, the idea of the smooth path was compared to a concrete heart that is hard to God. Do you agree with this parallel? Why or Why not? What do you think makes a heart hard?
5) Spend some time in prayer with God. In the quiet, ask Him if your heart has grown hard to Him. Ask Him to show you what has made your heart hard to Him. What do you think has made your heart hard to God?
6) What do you think you need to do to make your heart less hard towards God?
Go and practice what you think will soften your heart to God.
Wednesday: Little room for water storage When planting a garden, the condition of the soil is crucial. If the soil is too shallow roots can’t grow deep, there is nowhere to store the water and the soil is easily affected by the weather and other natural elements and only making it worse for planting. 1) Have you ever tried to grow plant or garden? What conditions needed to be present for it to flourish? Did it live a long life, or die quickly? Was it frustrating if it died too soon? Or was it appreciated for its long life?
2) Have you ever had an experience that seemed to grow your faith but it was short lived (such as a retreat or mission trip, you had a spiritual high but it faded away)? Why do you think that initial excitement of the experience faded away?
3) If soil can be an analogy for our own spiritual life, what can we do to move it from being shallow to being deep, so that faith can grow in us better?
4) In the sermon on Sunday, the idea was shared that sometimes we struggle at self-reflecting and knowing which type of “soil� we really might be. What do you think you can do to help yourself be more self aware about the state of your spiritual life?
5) Spend some time in prayer with God. In quiet ask Him if your faith is more shallow than you realize. Bring to Him any doubts you might have about Him and what you believe. Do you think God can handle your doubts and disbeliefs? Does it feel strange to be bringing them to Him?
Go and practice what you think will deepen your love for and experience of God today.
Thursday: Chocking Hazard Anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. Anxiety is a very natural reaction by our bodies when there is something that we should fear. But for many of us, this potentially good warning of danger can cripple our lives. Sending us into a panic over things we should not be fearful of, paralyzing our life. 1) Can you remember a time when you felt overwhelmed in life? What did it feel like? How did you overcome it?
2) Has fear or worry every prevented you from doing something you were initially excited to do? What did that feel like? If you haven’t had that experience, do you know anyone who has? Were you able to help them with their worry?
3) Jesus says in Mark 4:19 that our worries, our desires and the deceit of wealth can render our faith unfruitful, or meaningless. Do you think this has happened in your life at any time? Why or why not?
4)I n the sermon on Sunday, was anything said about how we can make the soil of our life healthier in this scenario? How do you think you can apply that this week?
5) Spend some time in prayer with God. In the quiet, ask Him to help you trust Him with your worries. Bring to Him any fears and concerns you might have. Do you think God can handle your anxieties? Imagine He was next to you as you shared your concerns, what do you think He would do?
Try to spend sometime today in solitude and silence. Away from everything that distracts you for at least half an hour. Ask God to speak to you and just listen.
Friday: The Sweet Spot Sometimes we seem to get things just right. Maybe it’s the perfect golf swing, the perfect recipe, the best vacation plan or the great book we are reading. Sometimes we just get in a sweet spot and things just seem to be working perfectly. We need to be looking for the sweet spot in our spiritual life, becoming soil ready for seed to grow. 1) Can you remember a time when you felt like everything was going perfect? What were you doing, or what were you not doing, that made it feel that way?
2) Have you had a time in your life where it seemed like you were growing spiritually and you were excited about your relationship with God? Describe that time.
3) Today which type of soil do you most relate your spiritual life to? A stone path? A shallow rocky ground? A thorn covered soil? Or well fertilized and optimal soil? Which do you want to be?
4) In the sermon on Sunday, what suggestions were made about becoming healthy soil? Have you tried any of them this week? Are there any you need to try?
5) Spend some time in prayer with God. In quiet ask Him to show you what you need to do to be healthy soil where his fruit will grow. What do you need to do? What do you need to stop? What is your plan to follow His guidance?
Tomorrow (Saturday), try to carve out a day of Sabbath rest. Spend the day doing some things you love, playing games with loved ones, reading, listening to music, going for a walk— anything that energizes you and gives you rest. God gave you the gift of rest, take it! It is a sign of His love for you.
CONTACT US: Senior Pastor | Rob@bromleyroadbaptist. org Kids’ Pastor | Christina@bromleyroadbaptist. org Youth Pastor | Sarah@bromleyroadbaptist. org Office | info@bromleyroadbaptist. org
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