Mark 4:1-20
Key Verse: 4:20

"Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-- thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

1. Read verses 1-2 How and why was Jesus teaching the word of God to the people? What was their response?

2. Read verses 3-8. In the parable of the sower, what does the seed represent? What do the four different kinds of soil specifically represent?

3. Read verses 9-13. Who came to Jesus to ask about the parable again? Why? What is Jesus' point in teaching parables? Why does Jesus use parables?

4. Read verses 4,14-15. How can a person's heart be like a path? Why does this person not produce fruit?

5. Read verses 5-6,16-17. How can a person's heart be like rocky soil? What happens to this kind of person? Why does this person not produce fruit?

6. Read verses 7,18-19. How can a person's heart be like thorny soil? What happens to this kind of person? Why is he unfruitful?

7. Read verses 8,20. What does the good soil represent? What happened to the seed planted in the good soil? How can you be good soil which produces fruit?