THE HEART THAT DESERVES THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Matthew 13:1-23
Key Verse: 13:8

     Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a
     crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 

 
1. Where was Jesus preaching? Why? What was his teaching device?  (3a)
   What is the common theme of the parables?
   (11,19,24,31,33,44,45,47,52)

2. Read the first parable in verses 3-9. What do the farmer and seed
   represent?  What are the 4 kinds of soil on which the seed falls?
   What happens to the seed that falls in each kind of soil?

3. What does it mean to have a heart like the path? (4) What might make
   one become like this?  What does it mean to be like rocky soil?
   (5-6) Like thorny soil? (7)

4. How are the good-soil people different from the others? (8) What can
   we learn about God's purpose in creating mankind? About what pleases
   him? About our attitude toward God's word? How can we have good
   heart soil?

5. Read verses 10-13. What did the disciples ask Jesus? Why? How did he
   respond? What did he mean? Read verses 14-17. How was Isaiah's
   prophecy fulfiloled? What does Jesus teach abaout God's work and
   history?