13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Matthew 13: 1-9

This week we are kicking off a new sermon series based on the Parables of Jesus. We are in some unprecedented times, and I think we can all agree we need some hope in our world. So, we are going to be taking a journey through the Parables of Jesus and taking a look at how they provide a window into God’s Kingdom here on earth. While we might not be fully living in the Kingdom yet, Jesus provides us a glimpse of hope with each story that he tells.

For our first Parable, we hear from Andee with a fresh take on the Parable of the Sower. Usually, we hear this passage taught with specific reference to the soils and how each soil represents the different hearts that he Gospel lands on. However, Andee provides a new perspective by focusing on the Sower instead of the soil and how when we shift our focus to the person sowing the seeds in abundance we get a picture of how generous and gracious our God is. What an amazing gift to serve a God who freely gives.

Next Step Questions:

  1. Listen to the thorns in your life.
  2. Receive God’s grace and recognize those unknown limits – He is FOR US
  3. Prepare for change and persevere in it with patience