Warning: You will have to remain focused on the TARGET as you walk through this study. In preparing my teaching plans, I kept struggling with the direction I should take versus the direction the curriculum was taking. We could spend a large amount of time talking about the parable and not about Jesus' explanation of why He used parables with regards to the Kingdom of Heaven. We could spend a lot of time explaining the Kingdom of Heaven and ignore the parables. We could even be tempted to expand and try to explain every parable in Jesus' discourse. I suggest you remain focused on this truth in these passages:
- TARGET: Access to understanding God's Kingdom is only available through a right relationship with Him.
- Matthew 13:1-2 - What kinds of viewpoints about Jesus were likely represented in the crowd? How are these viewpoints like different types of soil?
- Matthew 13:3-9 - What four types of soil did Jesus mention in the parable of the sower? Which of the soils would you say were productive, and which were unproductive? Was the problem with the sower, the seed, or the soil in this parable? (The soil)
- Matthew 13:10-13 - What criteria limited the access of some based on Jesus' explanation?
- How are you responding to the Word of God that you hear? The way you are responding reveals the type of soil that you are at this time. Access is only limited by how you respond to God's Word.
Suggested Learning Activities:
- Create a password visual of the top 10 worst passwords of 2015 (See TeamsID)
- Comparison activity for Matthew 13:3-9 - How could you tell this parable using one the following contexts? (choose those appropriate for your group) Reseeding a lawn? – Marketing and advertising? – Blogging? – Social networking? – Election campaign?
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HOW TO PRINT
After the Dropbox file opens choose DOWNLOAD and print once it is downloaded.
