Garden Basics

26 / Sun – Read Mark 4:1-10 and 13-20

Overview: Jesus tells a parable about planting, and the disciples are like, “Huh?” So Jesus explains it: Good seeds + good soil = good growth, and an abundant harvest

27 / Mon – Parables  |  Read Mark 4:33-34

Jesus taught people using familiar things to illustrate God’s truth. Some of his stories were more relatable to some than others because of varied life experiences. You can pick your favorite from this list: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/parables-of-jesus/ What truth did Jesus highlight in your parable? Could you retell that story, using a modern day setting, so someone else could better understand it? Don’t be intimidated. Just be thoughtful.

28 / Tue – Packed down solid  |  Read Luke 8:5 / Exodus 3:10-11 and 8:15

Spring is the time for planting flowers or a vegetable garden. The first thing is to determine what kind of soil you have. In this familiar parable, Jesus mentioned the seed (word of God) falling on a path where the soil had been packed down. What makes a heart so hard that truth can’t take root? Think of Pharaoh. God gave him 10 chances but he repeatedly closed his ears to what God said. Is there something God is telling you to do but you keep saying ‘no’? There is a difference between a ‘no’ born out of fear (Moses) and a ‘no’ born out of rebellion (Pharaoh). Which one is yours?

29 / Wed – Have you met Rocky?  |  Read Matthew 13:20-21 / Joshua 4:4-7

Glaciers picked up all kinds of rocks and stones as they slowly moved south. Where they melted, that load was deposited in piles on the ground. Seeds blew into the crevices between the rocks and sprouted but without enough soil to grow a healthy root system, they died. If a farmer wanted to plant crops in that ground, they had to take out the rocks. Are there some rocks in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to remove them. Afterwards you can pile them up on the side to remind you of the work God has done in your life.

30 / Thu – A thorny problem  |  Read Matt 13:22 / Matt 27:28-29 / 2nd Cor 12:6-10

Many thorny plants are wild and undesirable but if left unchecked, they can ruin a good crop. Jesus mentioned a couple of examples in 13:22. How do these kinds of thorns choke out what God has planted?  Have you experienced a few of these in your life? Then remember Jesus’ crown of thorns. What message do they send? Finally, what did Paul have to say about his thorny experience? And what helps you deal with your own ‘thorns’ of life? How can you prevent them from choking out God’s word?

01 / Fri – Good soil needs tending  |  Read Luke 8:15 / Jeremiah 4:3

How does Jesus describe the kind of soil in which to plant the seed of God’s word? Does having good soil mean no weeds or thorns will appear? No. It means that when you clear and cultivate the ground by breaking up the hard soil before sowing seeds, the plants will grow and it will be easier to see and remove any weeds that pop up. Where have you seen this in your own life? What helps you recognize when the soil is getting packed down or things are growing that don’t belong there?

02 / Sat – Maturing into a farmer  |  Read Luke 8:11-15 / 1st Corinthians 3:6-9

As you read this parable about gardening basics, which soil did you relate to? What can you do to make your soil, or heart, more receptive to what God is planting in you? Good news. Take the harvest and use that seed to become a farmer too. Take that good news wherever you go. The Holy Spirit will give you a nudge when opportunities arise. Someday you will look back with joy to see a harvest that came from the seed you planted, that others watered and that God made grow