InterVarsity

*Mark 4:1-10 and 13-20

A Story about a Farmer

4 The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:

3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.

9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”

Why Jesus Used Stories

10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories.

Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer

13 Jesus told them:

If you don’t understand this story, you won’t understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. 17 But they don’t have any roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message.19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was planted.

THE PATH: Birds came and ate all the seed. Business wise- it is best to advertise everywhere and anywhere (flyers, TV ads, shirts, toys, social media-Facebook/Twitter/YouTube, coupons, etc.). As a business owner, you have to remember that some people get distracted very easily, so figure out ways to capture the people who loses attention easily. Church wise- When you preaching... know your audience and know what will keep them from being distracted. Personal wise- Try your hardest not to easily get distracted when seeking God. Taking notes while the preacher is speaking helps not get distracted.

ROCKY SOIL: Not enough dirt. Sun rose and all was burnt. Business wise- Have great customer service that way nobody talks bad about your business. Do not ever advertise that your business might not be the greatest, but advertise that your business is super healthy for customers. Church wise- Make sure the leaders are making everyone feel welcome. Personal wise- do not allow people to ever make you feel like you need to hide that you're a Christian. When someone persecutes you about being a Christian, rejoice- because it is proof that people reject God and God will not ever reject people.

THE THORNY SOIL: Thorny weeds stop good plants from growing. Business wise- Understanding that many people will bring up all kinds of excuses of why not to give a business.. business. Use coupons to persuade the ones that worry about  money. Use commercial ads that show why they will be more stress free if they give you business. Church wise- Again, it's important to get to know your church members and find out what they are struggling with and start small groups that will help them (single parents group, marriage group, finance group, bible study group, etc.) and make sure the people who attend these groups feel connected. Personal wise- Be ready to throw away wordly things and seek after Christian materials. The more you worship God in reading, listening to music, putting clothes on, praying, etc. the less you will worry about the world.. you will be more concern with God improving your soul, your families souls, fellowshipping with your your brothers and sisters in Christ and finding people who are unfairly in the darkness (for example, they have never been invited to a church). 

GOOD SOIL:  30, 60, 100 times more grain. Business wise- If you lead your business correctly and do everything you can to help it to grow, then it will bloom with many committed customers/fans. The more you glorify God in your business in anyway you can, the more God will be pleased with you. Church wise- If you pay attention to God and depend on God, God will give the leaders strength to deal with any church member problem. Then, more church members will committed to church problems and tithing. They will be "married" to the church through thick and thin. Personal wise- Every second you can ask yourself, "Am I seeking God with 30, 60 or 100% of my heart, soul and mind?" If you give 100% of every breath you take to God, then He will bless you 100% of your time.