We have a guest preacher this week – Pastor Phil – who comes to us all the way from Southeast Asia where is serving as a missionary.  He will continue our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark.

So no blog post this week but here are discussion questions he has written to accompany the sermon:

Discussion Questions

1. Jesus has been teaching all along in Mark’s gospel (1:21-27; 2:13). Why does Mark introduce the content of Jesus’ teaching ministry to his readers with this particular parable?
2. According to 4:11 what is the distinction Jesus draws between those who are inside and those who are outside?
3. According to 4:12, what is the point of the parable genre of teaching? Why didn’t Jesus just say 4:14-20 instead of 4:3-9?
4. Have you ever had the experience of listening to God’s Word but not really hearing?
5. This parable describes several conditions of failure. How would you summarize the single obstacle to fruitful hearing?
6. What does this parable teach is necessary in order to be fruitful (more than one thing)? Here’s a clue: One objective thing (outside of me) and one subjective thing (inside of me).
7. According to Genesis 3:17 what is the condition of the soil generally?
   For a farmer, is fruitfulness a luxury or a necessity? With what intent does “the sower sow the word” (4:14)?
8. What is the urgent message for me today? What must I do? What must I believe?