Keys to the Kingdom (Week 2)
In our series Keys to the Kingdom: The Secret Language of the Parables, we’re exploring Jesus’s teachings—hidden in story form—found in the gospel according to Mark.
Ice-Breaker: Who is someone (other than a family member) who had a significant impact on your life, and what did they do that made such a difference?
1. Gordon began his sermon with examples of warnings that were ignored. Why do you think people often fail to listen to important warnings—including God's warnings? What are some distractions that make it difficult for us to hear Jesus today?
Read the parable of the sower in Mark 4: 3-20.
2. The sower scatters seed everywhere, regardless of the condition of the soil. What does this teach us about God's heart for people? How does it challenge the way we think about sharing our faith?
3. In the sermon, Gordon described the shallow heart as one that struggles when difficulties come. How have trials or disappointments affected your faith? What has helped you develop deeper roots in Christ?
4. Jesus warns that the cares of life, wealth, and other desires can choke out our experience of God's word. What "thorns" are most likely to compete for your attention and affection? How can you guard against them?
5. God often uses ordinary acts of faithfulness to produce extraordinary fruit. Who has "sown seed" into your life? How might God be calling you to sow seed in someone else's life right now?
6. Gordon emphasized that only Jesus can truly change our hearts. What is one area of your heart that you need Jesus to transform? What practical step can you take this week to invite Him into that process?
(*Video available after Sunday services)
