Seeds of the Word of God are being sown in people's hearts. As is the receptivity of the heart, so is the productivity of the life.

1. THE PARABLE OF
THE SOWER

2. GRACIOUS JESUS
(MATTHEW’S PERSPECTIVE WITH GOSPEL PARALLELS)
1. Presenting the King (Matt 1-4)
2. True Blessedness (Matt 5:1-12)
3. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 1 (Matt 5:13-
48)
4. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 2 (Matt 6)
5. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 3 (Matt 7)
6. Master Strokes (Matt 8)
7. The King Calls (Matt 9)
8. The King Commissions (Matt 10)
9. Signs, Sinners and the Saviour (Matt
11)
10. Power Games and Names
(Matt 12)
11. Hidden Wisdom (Matt 13:1-43)
12. Hidden Treasures (Matt 13:44-14)
13. The Gall and the Glory (Matt 15-17:9)
14. Winning Others Over (Matt 17:10-
18:35)
15. Kingdom Values, Kingdom Wealth
(Matt 20)
16. The King Enters Jerusalem (Matt 21)
17. The Chosen Few (Matt 22)
18. The King’s Glorious Coming (Matt
24:1-44)
19. The Final Countdown (Matt 24:45 –
25:46)
20. The King’s last days (Matt 26)
21. Desertion (Matt 26:36-75)
22. God’s Lamb Sacrificed (Matt 27: 1-50)
23. The King Conquers (Matt 27:51-28)

3. GRACIOUS JESUS
HIDDEN WISDOM (MATT 13:1-43)
56. The parable of the sower
57. The Visionaries
58. Good and evil co-exist
59. The mustard seed
60. The parable of the leaven

4. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
BIBLE PASSAGE/S
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23; Mark 4:1-9; 13-23; Luke 8:4-8; 11-15
Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and
sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood
on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables,
saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was
scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds
came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did
not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil
was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were
scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced
a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9
Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

5. BIBLE PASSAGE –
CONT’D
Matthew 13:18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower
means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the
kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and
snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed
sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground
refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives
it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a
short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of
the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among
the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the
word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good
soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands
it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred,
sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

6. CONTEXT
This parable comes straight off the heals of Jesus
condemning the pharisees and religious leaders and makes
the comment -
“Who is my mother brother? – those who hear and
understand the word”.
Jesus then talks of different types of people who receive the
word differently.

7. PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW
Context
The sower
The seed
The soil
• Pathway – No receptivity
• Stony soil – Biased receptivity
• Thorny soil – Dispersed receptivity
• Good soil – Focussed receptivity
How about us?

8. THE SOWER
The sower, or farmer, scatters seeds everywhere. He does
not avoid certain places. He knows that where it does take
root it will be very productive and is very liberal with
scattering the seed.
Jesus was the first sower of the kingdom message. We are to
follow suit in His service.
As we sow Christ’s word, no prejudice should stop us. Jesus
sowed everywhere – even to the hard hearted religious
leaders.

9. THE SEED
The seed is the word of God. The word proclaiming the
message of the kingdom – the gospel. This is that little tidbit
that creates huge transformation.
• It stimulates faith
• It grows love
• It catapults a weak struggling life to a powerful impactful
one.

10. THE SEED
Jesus highlights that the seed is the
message of the kingdom. The seed is
not merely good works or social
initiatives.
This parable highlights the power of
the little seed which is nothing more,
nothing less than the message of
God’s kingdom.

11. THE SOIL
Pathway – unreceptive – unbelievers or
those who have rejected Christ. Non
Christians or religious Christians without
relationship.
Stony ground – partially receptive –
shallow faith
Thorny soil – receptive but unable to
sustain and grow the faith and love.
Good soil – receptive and productive.

12. SEED ON PATH – NO
RECEPTIVITY
Matthew 13:19 When
anyone hears the
message about the
kingdom and does
not understand it, the
evil one comes and
snatches away what
was sown in their
heart. This is the
seed sown along the
path.

13. SEED ON PATH - NO
RECEPTIVITY
The Word reaches them,
but they are tuned off.
They could be religious
Christians – focussed on
externals, good deeds
and tradition
Or they could be believers
in another faith
Result – No fruit

14. SEED ON ROCKY SOIL –
BIASED RECEPTIVITY
Matthew 13:20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers
to someone who hears the word and at once receives it
with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a
short time. When trouble or persecution comes because
of the word, they quickly fall away.

15. SEED ON ROCKY SOIL
BIASED RECEPTIVITY
They may be people with multiple
faiths including Christians
They may be Christians who are
only partially following God’s word
and path and resistant to changing
some aspects of their lives.
They may be following wrong
doctrines in line with their false
beliefs
Result – No fruit

16. SEED ON THORNY SOIL –
DISPERSED RECEPTIVITY
Matthew 13:22
The seed falling
among the thorns
refers to someone
who hears the
word, but the
worries of this life
and the
deceitfulness of
wealth choke the
word, making it
unfruitful.

17. SEED ON THORNY
GROUND
DISPERSED RECEPTIVITY
They want Christ and the
world. They may be often
too busy to give Christ
the time they need to.
They have lost their first
love.
They are unable to
prioritize what is
important.
Result – no fruit

18. Matthew 13:23 But the seed
falling on good soil refers to
someone who hears the word and
understands it. This is the one
who produces a crop, yielding a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what
was sown.”
SEED ON GOOD SOIL –
FOCUSED RECEPTIVITY

19. SEED ON GOOD SOIL
FOCUSSED RECEPTIVITY
The sower’s effort is
never wasted. The few
hearts who receive God’s
word are growing
believers.
They reproduce several
times what they receive.
They are highly
productive – 30-100 times
multiplied investment.

20. HOW ABOUT US?
Jesus gives a strong message here.
Those with shallow faith or mixed priorities have
NO fruit.
There is no place for compromise in the Christian
life.
There could be Christians in all four categories
But the true growing believers – the ones God in
God’s family, are only in the fourth category. The
others may not even realize that they are
unproductive in God’s sight.

21. HOW ABOUT US?
or ?

22. GOD’S WORD IS
ALWAYS PRODUCTIVE
Isaiah 55:10 For just as rain and snow
fall from heaven and do not return
without watering the earth, making it
bud and sprout, and providing seed to
sow and food to eat, 11so My word
that proceeds from My mouth will not
return to Me empty, but it will
accomplish what I please, and it will
prosper where I send it.

23. DISCUSSION
1. Discuss examples of works people
may do which appear to give fruit
but actually are fruitless?
2. How can we ensure that we are
fruitful?
3. How can we sow the right seed?