Tuesday - The Sower & the Seed - Luke 8:4-15 - 2/21/17

Jesus often communicated spiritual truth through parables - short stories or descriptions that take a familiar object or situation & give it a starting new twist. By linking the known with the hidden & forcing listeners to think, parables can point to spiritual truths. A parable compels listeners to discover the truth for themselves, & it conceals the truth for themselves, & it conceals the truth from those too lazy or prejudiced to look for it. In reading Jesus' parables, we must be careful not to, read too much into them.


Why would a farmer allow precious seed to land "by the way side," upon rocks, or among thorns? He is using the acceptance method of hand-seeding a large field - casting it by handfuls as he walks through the field. That some of the seed produced no crop was not the fault of the faithful farmer or the seed. The yield depended on the condition of the soil where the seed fell. It is our responsibility to spread the seed (God's message), but we should not give up when some of our efforts fail. Remember, not every seed falls on good soil.


God told Isaiah that people would hear without understanding & see without perceiving, & this is what happened to Jesus. The parable of the soil was an accurate picture of the people's reaction to the rest of his parables.


Wayside people, like many of the religious leaders, refused to believe God's message. Hard-rock people, like many in the crowds who followed Jesus, believed his message but never got around to doing anything about it. Thorn-patch people, overcome by materialism, left no room in their lives for God. Good-soil people, in contrast to all the other groups, followed no matter what the cost.

Reference summary used from the Life Application Bible KJV, Tyndale House Publishing, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois

More than Words ... June 16, 2013 Sunday School Lesson

Genuine Worship . Worship . Cliches . Words . Prayer . Parable . Fasting . Isaiah . Jeremiah . Zechariah . Gospel of Luke . Warnings . Prophecies . Sunday School Lesson


The lesson for June 16, 2013 is shared from Isaiah 29:9-16a (Devotional Reading Luke 8:9-14). Unit I. The Prophet and Praise.

My Sunday School Lesson is coming from the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Isaiah for the week of June 16, 2013. I am sharing it early this week for I am in Vacation Bible School this week.

Isaiah 28-33 are a group of prophecies against Samaria & Judah, in which the prophet condemns the policy of relying on Egypt for help, and describes the overthrow of Sennacherib and the deliverance of Jerusalem.

The Assyrians and Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-12)

The certainty of God's plans (Isaiah 29:13-24)


Isaiah 29:9-10

"Genuine Worship" vs "Words/Cliches"

Verses 9,10 ... Works Of God; The Purposes Of God; Reprobation

Reprobation ... a person who is condemned by God, hardened in sin

(Isaiah 29:1-8; Isaiah 51:21 - Reference Scripture in Sunday School Book)





Verses 11-14

Verses 11,12 ... Works Of God; The Purposes Of God; Reprobation

Verses 13,14 ... Duties To God; Prayer; Conditions of Acceptable Prayer, In Sincerity .... Fallen Man; Sins Against Our Neighbor; Hypocrisy

Worship . Integrity . Obey God

"Genuine Worship" vs "Words/Cliches"

Worship to God alone (Exouds 20:1; Deuteronomy 5:7; Luke 4:8; Revelation 19:10)

(John 4:24; Psalm/Tehillim 139:3; Psalm/Tehillim 139:1-4)


Verses 15,16 ... Fallen Man; Sins Against God; Impeaching His Attributes, His Knowledge

(Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 45:9)


Luke 8:9-14 (The parable of the sower)

Luke's later ministry (Luke 8:1-9:50)

Luke (Lucas/Lucilius/Lucanus) the beloved physician, companion of the apostle Paul. Luke was probably a Syrian and Gentile of Antioch, and may have been converted by the apostle Paul.

Luke 8:9-14

Verses 9,10 ... Works Of God; The Purposes Of God; Individuals Elected

Verses 11,12,13,14 ... Scripture; Duty To Know & Obey Scripture; Hearers Cautioned

Verse 11 ... Scripture; Promulgation of Scripture; Instruction in Scripture

Promulgation ... decree, news, make known to the public


Monday - June 10, 2013 - Fruitless Worship - Isaiah 1:10-17

Jerusalem. present and future (Isaiah 1:!-5:30)

Judah's sickness (Isaiah 1:2-31)


Tuesday - June 11, 2013 - Worshipping Our Own Achievements - Isaiah 2:5-17

The day of judgment (Isaiah 2:1-22)


Wednesday - June 12, 2013 - Lives Untouched by Religious Observances - Isaiah 58:1-7

Judah after the return (Isaiah 56:1-66:24)

The Return of the Exiles (Isaiah 40:1-66:24)


Thursday - June 13, 2013 - Refusing to Listen - Jeremiah 13:1-11

Enacted Warnings (Jeremiah 13:1-27)

Prophecies Concerning God's Actions At Home & Aboard (Jeremiah 1:1-45:5)


Friday - June 14, 2013 - Tuning Out God - Zechariah 7:8-14

Questions about fasting, and answers (Zechariah 7:1-14)


Saturday - June 15, 2013 - Receiving the Word - Luke 8:9-15


Sunday - June 16, 2013 - Hearts Far from God - Isaiah 29:9-16a


Scripture reference used/taken from: KJV Topical Reference Edition Bible, The International Teacher's Handy Bible Encyclopedia/Concordance KJV Precious Promise Bible, Zondervan Bible Commentary, & Reader's Digest Oxford Complete WordFinder