The Parable of The Sower is a powerful framework that can lead us into a clearer perspective on how to overcome the problems that a lot of Christians experience in reaching their Spiritual maturity (being fruitful).

1. The Parable of The Sower
Part of Synoptic Gospel study

2. What Happened To The Seed
● Path
● Did nothing
● Birds took it
● Rocky soil
● No Root
● Withered away
● Good Soil
● Grew
● Produce grains
● Among Thorns
● Grew
● Choked

3. What it means
Sower : Witnessing The Gospel
Seed : The Word of God
Soil : Response
Birds : The Enemy
Withering Away : In the face of temptation
Thorns : The cares and riches of the world
Growth : Spiritual Growth
Fruit Bearing : The Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22)

4. What It Really Means
● There are four types of
hearts
– Unbelieving
– Shallow
– Worldly
– Spiritual
● There are four conditions
towards a receptive heart
– Unbelief
– Temptation/Tribulation
– World Influences
– Spiritual Growth

5. What It Really Means
● There are four types of
hearts
– Unbelieving
– Shallow
– Worldly
– Spiritual
1.So what?
2.What else would we do
beyond “Saved / Not
Saved” debate?
3.How is this beneficial to
us?

6. What It Really Means
1.We could examine our
own hearts
2.We start to see why others
responded the way they
did
3.We know what to watch
out for
● There are four conditions
towards a receptive heart
– Unbelief
– Temptation/Tribulation
– World Influences
– Spiritual Growth

7. Unbelief
“The first step toward getting somewhere is deciding
that you are not going to stay where you are.” - John
Morgan
Believing is an act of will, but it is not immune to
influences and perspectives
If you have more than one perspectives, then you truly
have a freedom to believe

8. Old Self vs New
Ephesians 4:17
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the
Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their
understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that
is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and
have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of
impurity.
20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have
heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put
off your old self,f which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness.

9. Temptations / Tribulations
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides
in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for
apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
Believing is to say yes to a person's statement.
Trusting is to say yes to a person's promise.

10. Temptations / Tribulations
“The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
What will guard our heart?

11. World Influences
“1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm
yourselves with the same way of thinking, for
whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no
longer for human passions but for the will of God.”
1 Peter 4:1-2
Loving the world is a way of thinking.
We as Christians, always have an alternative.

12. Spiritual Growth
Truth #1: We cannot grow without the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
10 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them?
In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of
God.

13. Spiritual Growth
Truth #2: We cannot grow without the Word of God
1 Corinthians 3:4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow
Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through
whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I
planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So
neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only
God, who makes things grow.

14. His Fruits Not Mine
“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is
no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:22
Who would not love a person bearing such fruits?
We Christians, are attractive because He is in us.

15. Now What?
● Belief involves will
● Witnessing is sharing
Perspective
● Christ is the vine
● Power Source
● Guard our hearts
● A Receptive Heart
● Holy Spirit + Word
● The Fruits of the Spirit
● Christ's Way of Thinking
● Not Passions for the world
● But it is God's will