Narrate the parable of the Sower and state two lessons that could be drawn from it.

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Mark 4; Luke 8)

Jesus told the crowd that a sower went out to sow his seed. As he scattered the seed, it fell on four kinds of ground:

• By the wayside (path): Some seed fell on the beaten path, and the birds came and devoured it.
• On rocky ground: Some fell on stony ground with little soil. It sprang up quickly, but because it had no depth of root, the sun scorched it and it withered away.
• Among thorns: Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it so that it yielded no fruit.
• On good ground: Some fell on good soil and brought forth a rich harvest, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Jesus later explained the meaning: the seed is the word of God, and the soils are types of hearers. The wayside stands for those who hear but Satan snatches the word away; the rocky ground for those who receive it with joy but fall away under trials; the thorny ground for those choked by the cares and riches of the world; and the good ground for those who hear, understand, keep the word and bear fruit.

Two lessons from the parable

1. The condition of the heart determines the fruitfulness of God's word: The same word produces different results depending on how it is received, so we must prepare our hearts to receive and obey it.
2. We must guard against distractions that kill spiritual growth: Persecution, worldly cares, riches and pleasures can choke the word, so believers must remain steadfast and bear lasting fruit.