Tag Archives: Matthew 13:18-23

What The Parable Of The Sower Means

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 245 - Matthew 13:18-23 - What The Parable Of The Sower Means- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 245 – Matthew 13:18-23 – What The Parable Of The Sower Means- Growing As Disciples

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

Abundant Fruit

That is sort of the bottom line. What is the bottom line? I want to bear abundant fruit for your kingdom. I want to live a life that is good and right and pleasing to you. I don’t want my life in you to be choked off by the worries and cares of this world. I don’t want to wilt under heat of the troubles and trials of this life. I want to be able to fight against every evil and withstand all temptation. I want to be able to endure any persecution. I don’t want to get caught up and entrapped by wealth and the pleasures of this life. I want my heart and mind and life to be entirely focused on you. I want to be able to know and do your will. I want to go where you guide me. I want to do what you ask of me. You have good and right and pure desires in you. Well, they did not originate in me. Any good and right and pure desires in me certainly come from you. Yes, they do.

How will you be able to live a faithful and fruitful life that is good and right and pleasing to me? How will you be able to know and do my will? How will my good and right and pure desires that are in you, be fulfilled? Not by my own strength, that is for sure. Not by my trying harder, of that I am certain. What then? Only you can make me faithful. Only you can make me fruitful. How will I make you both faithful and fruitful? You will use your word to make me both faithful and fruitful. I meet with you daily in your word. Then and there, you will plant your word deeply into my heart and mind and life. Yes, I will. You will use your word to change my heart, transform my mind, and guide my life. Your word will accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans in and through my life. I will allow you to use your word to do your work in me. That will be very good. Then your life will bear abundant fruit for my kingdom and glory. Thank you, Lord. 

Heavenly Father, I will meet with you daily in your word. I will listen carefully and make myself attentive to what you want to teach me. Plant your word deeply in my heart, mind and life. Allow your word to flourish in me so I can bear abundant fruit for you. Amen

Key Question… How has the growth of God’s word in you made you able to bear abundant fruit for Him?

Living It Out… Meet with God in His word on a daily basis so He can plant His word deeply in your heart and mind and life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your life will bear abundant fruit for God as you take it deep into your heart and mind and life.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are allowing God’s word to be planted deeply in you.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow your Heavenly Father to plant His word deep into your heart and mind and life.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 245 – Matthew 13-18-23 – What The Parable Of The Sower Means – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Hears The Word

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 56 - Matthew 13:18-23 - Hears The Word - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 56 – Matthew 13:18-23 – Hears The Word – Growing As Disciples

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

Bear Fruit

Do you want your life to bear fruit for my kingdom? Do you want to bring glory to my name? Do you want to live the life that I have called you to live? Yes, to all three of your questions. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. I want to live the life you have called me to live. What will you be sure to do if you want these to be the certain outcomes of your life? I will listen attentively to your word. How will you do that? I will meet daily with you in your word. I will take your word deep into my heart and mind and life. I will allow your word to change my heart. I will allow your word to transform my mind. I will allow your word to guard and guide the entire course of my life. That will be very good. Yes, it will. You will help me to understand your word as I daily come to meet with you in it. You will teach and train me by your word. You will mold and shape me by your word. Yes, I will. Even the thoughts of my mind, words of my mouth and the deeds of my life will be formed by your word. Your word will bring my life into alignment with your will. Your word will help me to walk in your ways. As I hear and understand and put your word into practice, I will certainly bear fruit for your kingdom, bring glory to your name, and live the life you have called me to live. I could have no higher desire. I could have no more fervent prayer. That is very good. That is a prayer I will hear and answer. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I will meet with you daily in your word. I will make hearing and understanding and putting your word into practice the priority of my life. Teach and train me with your word. Use your word to help me to bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 56 – Matthew 13-18-23 – Hears The Word – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Parable Of The Sower

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 245 - Matthew 13:18-23 - Parable Of The Sower - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 245 – Matthew 13:18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – Growing As Disciples

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

Abundant Fruit

That is sort of the bottom line. What is the bottom line? I want to bear abundant fruit for your kingdom. I want to live a life that is good and right and pleasing to you. I don’t want my life in you to be choked off by the worries and cares of this world. I don’t want to wilt under heat of the troubles and trials of this life. I want to be able to fight against every evil and withstand all temptation. I want to be able to endure any persecution. I don’t want to get caught up and entrapped by wealth and the pleasures of this life. I want my heart and mind and life to be entirely focused on you. I want to be able to know and do your will. I want to go where you guide me. I want to do what you ask of me. You have good and right and pure desires in you. Well, they did not originate in me. Any good and right and pure desires in me certainly come from you. Yes, they do.

How will you be able to live a faithful and fruitful life that is good and right and pleasing to me? How will you be able to know and do my will? How will my good and right and pure desires that are in you, be fulfilled? Not by my own strength, that is for sure. Not by my trying harder, of that I am certain. What then? Only you can make me faithful. Only you can make me fruitful. How will I make you both faithful and fruitful? You will use your word to make me both faithful and fruitful. I meet with you daily in your word. Then and there, you will plant your word deeply into my heart and mind and life. Yes, I will. You will use your word to change my heart, transform my mind, and guide my life. Your word will accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans in and through my life. I will allow you to use your word to do your work in me. That will be very good. Then your life will bear abundant fruit for my kingdom and glory. Thank you, Lord. 

Heavenly Father, I will meet with you daily in your word. I will listen carefully and make myself attentive to what you want to teach me. Plant your word deeply in my heart, mind and life. Allow your word to flourish in me so I can bear abundant fruit for you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 245 – Matthew 13-18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Parable Of The Sower

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - Matthew 13:18-23 - Parable Of The Sower - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – Matthew 13:18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – Growing As Disciples

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

Good Soil

Do you want your heart and mind and life to be like good soil in which my word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit? That’s quite a question. Why do you say that? I’m sure that the entire course of my life will be guided by how I answer that question. This is not one of those questions that can be answered by words alone. Whatever words I give as my answer had better be backed with action. What do you mean by that? If I say that I want my heart and mind and life to be like good soil in which your word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit, then surely, I must make a commitment to meet with you in your word. Is this what you are saying to me? Is this what you want? Yes, I want to give that answer and back it up with a commitment to meet with you every day in your word. That’s good.

Why do you think making a commitment to meet daily with me in my word is so important? My heart and mind and life do not start out as soft, rich, fertile back dirt. Just the opposite is true. I need you to soften my hard heart. I need you to transform my worldly mind. I need to you to guide the course of my life. Without your word working in me every day, my life will never bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom. Apart from you I can do nothing that will last. The work of my life will be in vain. Beyond that, there are so many pitfalls in life. Without meeting with you daily in your word my life could easily be carried away by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Day by day my heart and mind and life are being bombarded by the thoughts and opinions and values of this world. I don’t want to conform to this world. I want to be transformed by your word. I need your word working in my life every day. If I don’t meet with you daily in your word, I don’t think your word will ever take deep root in me. That would be such a travesty. That would be such a loss. No, the opportunity to meet with you daily in your word is not an obligation. The opportunity to meet with you daily in your word is a great gift. I want to sit at your feet. I want to hear everything you want to say to me. Do your work in me. Make my life like soft, rich, fertile black dirt in which your word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit. That is the desire of my heart. That is very good. 

Lord, make my heart like good soil that is ready to receive your word. Help me to not allow anything to hinder your word from taking root and growing in me. Help me to hear, understand and put your word into practice. Use your word to bear fruit in my life. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Discipleship – Matthew 13-18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com