The HEART of a SERVANT
“What It Means to Follow the Master”
Mark 4:1-34
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mk. 10:45
I. The Parable of the SOILS (Mk. 4:1-25)
Because the crowds were so great, Jesus began to teach in
___________. (vv. 1-2) cf. Mk. 3:7-8,20,23; Lk. 8:4
A parable was designed to _______ the hearer’s spiritual
responsiveness & the Parable of the Soils was the Parable
of parables! cf. Mt. 13:1-15; Lk. 8:4-10; Mk. 4:13
The “Seed” is the Word of God & the Soils represent the
condition of different people’s ________.
3 out of the 4 Soils were ____________ because of:
1) Spiritual Warfare; 2) Shallowness; 3) Worldly Stress
The “Good Soil” bore _______ of unbelievable proportion!
i.e. 30, 60, 100 fold
The ultimate purpose of parables was not to conceal Truth,
but to _________ Truth! (vv. 21-25)
FYI – Exposure to Truth is __________ – use it or lose it!
II. The Parables of the SEEDS (Mk. 4:26-34)
Seeds of “Sovereign Control”
NOTE – Each of these parables involving seeds tells us
something about God’s ____________. cf. Mk. 4:26,30
The man “goes to ______” and the seed still grows!
cf. Mk. 4:27-28 i.e. “produces crops by itself”
True spiritual growth is ______, steady & _________!
_____________ is one of the most destructive forces in
the Church today regarding the Kingdom & Discipleship!
Seeds of “Surprising Growth”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed teaches us that God’s
Kingdom begins very small but grows to have _______-
______ impact! cf. Ezek. 31:6; Dan. 4:12
Parables became a large part of Jesus’ teaching & yet He
always gave __________ to His 12 Disciples! (vv. 33-34)
Practical Application:
- The Seed – Lk. 8:11; Heb. 4:12; 1 Pt. 1:23-25; Is. 55:10-11
- “Bearing Fruit” – Mk. 4:20, 28; Gal. 5; Mt. 7:20-21
- “By Itself” – Mk. 4:28; 1 Cor. 3:6-9
Appointments with God
The HEART of a SERVANT
Mark 1:29-45
Monday, March 19th
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Mark 1:32-35
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
Tuesday, March 20th
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Mark 6:30-32
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
Wednesday, March 21st
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Mark 6:45-46
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
Thursday, March 22nd
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Mark 14:32-42
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
Friday, March 23rd
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Luke 5:15-16
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
Saturday/Sunday, March 24-25
Meditate upon the Priority of Prayer in Jesus’ Life:
- Luke 6:12-13; 9:18
What does this passage say about the Power and
Priority of Jesus’ Prayer Life? What can you
learn from Him? Practice it in prayer today!
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