Sermon Based Curriculum
Sermon Date: Nov. 21, 2010
Sermon Title: Turning The Knife On Yourself
Sermon Text: Mark 4:1-20
Small Group Text: Mark 4:1-20
Introduction
There are seasons when our hearts are open to God – when we are receptive to His word. This is when we have the greatest impact. But, there are other times when we’re less willing to receive His word. We stop listening to His voice. We don’t want to hear it and we neglect our relationship with the Lord. At other times, we’re too busy to allow God to work in our lives. But, Jesus is always looking for a receptive heart. Look back over your life. How was it different when you were receptive to God’s word? What happened when you were not?
Discussion
Read Mark 4:1-20
1. According to Jesus, what does the seed represent? How is God’s 2. 3. 4. 5.
Application
word sown/planted in people’s lives? Who sows it? Describe the lives of people who are disinterested in God’s word – the hard soil? Describe the lives of people who are disillusioned by God’s word – the shallow soil? Describe the lives of people who are distracted from God’s word – the thorny soil? Describe the life of someone you know who is doing well because of God’s word – good soil (productive, thriving, multilplying)?
1. When, if ever, were you hard soil; not listening at all to God? What contributed to your being that way? 2. When, if ever, have you been disillusioned by God’s word; where you may have thought, “this doesn’t work?” What brought you to that point? 3. When, if ever, did you allow the busyness of life to interfere with hearing from God through His word? What impact, did it have on your spiritual life?
4. When, if ever, were you open to God’s Word working in your life? During those times, what was your spiritual life like? 5. To what kind of soil would you naturally default if you were not attentive to God’s word? Hard, rocky, or thorny soil? 6. If you were to be honest, which soil best characterizes your spiritual life presently? Out of the four soils, which one would you want to characterize your life? If your desire is to be good soil, what can you do to make your heart more receptive to God’s word?
Sermon-Based Curriculum