How do we hear the Lord? What do we need to do to hear? What does the parable of the Sower have to teach us about hearing God? What can I do to hear the Lord better?

1. T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D A N D T H E W O R K O F
G O D
Word

2. P S A L M 1 1 9 : 1 0 5
Y O U R W O R D I S A L A M P T O M Y F E E T A N D A
L I G H T T O M Y P A T H .
In Acts, the disciples interacted
with the “word” and the Kingdom
came.

3. “Word” in Acts
 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and
that day there were added about three thousand souls.
 4:29 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your
bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,
 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered
together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
 6:2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and
said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to
serve tables.
 6:4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of
the word."
 6:7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the
disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great
many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

4. Basic Foundational Teaching
Mar 4:11-13 NASB
11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been
given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those
who are outside get everything in parables,
12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND
NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY
MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE
THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."
13 And He *said to them, "Do you not understand
this parable? How will you understand all the
parables?

5. Sower, Seed and Soil
 Sower = God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and others
 Seed = Word of God
 Soil = People

6. Ways that God sows His word
 Nature
 Through music, singing,
thankfulness
 Colossians 3:16
 Listening to others
 1 Thes. 2:13
 Scriptures
 Meditation
 Abiding In God
 Preaching
 Science, truth
 Life experience
 Study
 Discipleship, Spiritual
disciplines
 Prophecy
 Teaching
 Counsel

7. What can you do?
 Can we do anything about the soil?
 Can we do anything to preserve the seed?
 Can we do anything to get a seed planted in us?
 Can we do anything to change our present condition,
our soil or circumstance?

8. The Ways God
is Speaking
The Soil of
My Life
My
Intentions to
Obey
Mark 4:25

9. Discipleship
 What are the ways God is speaking to you?
 What are the conditions of the soil of your life?
 The soil of our lives varies from day to day and situation to
situation.
 Think in terms of busyness, personal issues, care of life and
obedience to the Lord when you meditate.
 Obedience is a condition of the heart that effects God
speaking to us.
 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever
does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from
him." Mar 4:25 NASB

10. The Ways God is
Speaking
The Soil of My
Life
My
Intentions to
Obey

11. Soil Conditions
 Pathway
 Packed Soil, busy,
 Not open
 Rocky
 Hindrances below the surface, hidden
 Personal issues
 Thorny
 Cares, worries, issues of life growing
 Matthew 13:25 tares sown by the enemy
 Good
 Fruitful, abiding, productive,

12. Scriptures to Ponder
 Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within
you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
 2Ki 20:16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the
word of the LORD.
 Joh 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for
you.

13. Scriptures to Ponder
 Joh 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had
believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you
are truly disciples of Mine;
 Jas 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all
that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the
word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
 2Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to
God as a workman who does not need to be
ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

14. Scriptures to Ponder
 Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN
SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY
WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF
GOD.'"
 Amo 8:11 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord
GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a
famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for
hearing the words of the LORD.
 Luk 9:26 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes
in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy
angels.