Bible Passages Bridge: ThoughtForWeek

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3rd Sunday in January
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Matthew 13:3-23

And He (Jesus) spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower
went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds
came and ate them up. And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not
have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they
withered away. And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked
them out. And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold,
some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear."

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has,
to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not
have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and
while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy
of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not
understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of
this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have
closed their eyes lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart and return, and I should heal them.' But blessed
are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I
say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and
did not see it and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom,
and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown
in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one
on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word,
and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is
only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word,
immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this
is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was
sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who
indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
Matthew 13:3-23 (NAS)
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Questions:

Jesus spoke to the multitudes a parable about someone who went out to sow or spread
some s______.

When Jesus' disciples asked him about why He spoke in parables...what explanation
did Jesus give?

The parable of the sower was talking about spreading the word of _____.
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Suggested Bible Reading for Month:

January 1-7:New Testament -- Matthew 1:1 - Matthew 6:15. Old Testament -- Genesis
1 - Genesis 18.

January 8-14: New Testament -- Matthew 6:16 - Matthew 10:42. Old Testament -- Genesis
19 - Genesis 30.
January 15-21: New Testament -- Matthew 11:1 - Matthew 13:58. Old Testament -- Genesis
31 - Genesis 44.
January 22-31: New Testament -- Matthew 14:1 - Matthew 20:34. Old Testament -- Genesis
45 - Exodus 16.
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Easy-to-Read Version:

Then Jesus used stories to teach the people many things. Jesus said: "A farmer went
out to plant his seed. While the farmer was planting, some seed fell by the road.
The birds came and ate all that seed. Some seed fell on rocky ground. The ground
there did not have enough dirt. The seed grew very fast there, because the ground
was not deep. But when the sun rose, it burned the plants. The plants died because
they did not have deep roots. Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds
grew and stopped the good plants from growing. Some other seed fell on good ground.
In the good ground, the seed grew and made grain. Some plants made 100 times more
grain. Some plants made 60 times more, and some made 30 times more grain. You people
that hear me, listen!"

The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you use these stories to teach the
people?" Jesus answered, "Only you can know the secret truths about the kingdom
of heaven. Those other people cannot know these secret truths. The person that has
some understanding will be given more. And he will have even more than he needs.
But the person that does not have much understanding will lose even the little
understanding that he has.

"This is why I use these stories to teach the people: The people see, but they don't
really see. The people hear, but they don't really understand. So these people show
that the things Isaiah said about them are true: 'You people will listen and you
will hear, but you will not understand. You people will look and you will see,
but you will not understand what you see. Yes, the hearts (minds) of these people
(the Jews) are now hard. These people have ears, but they don't listen, and they
refuse to see the truth. This has happened so that they will not see with their
eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their minds. This has happened
so that they will not turn to me to heal them.' (a quote from Isaiah 6:9-10) But
you are blessed. You understand the things you see with your eyes. And you understand
the things you hear with your ears. I tell you the truth. Many prophets and good
people wanted to see the things that you now see. But they did not see these things.
And many prophets and good people wanted to hear the things that you now hear. But
they did not hear these things.

"So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. What is the seed that
fell by the path? That seed is like the person that hears the teaching about the
kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One (the devil) comes and takes away
the things that were planted in that person's heart. And what is the seed that fell
on rocky ground? That seed is like the person that hears the teaching and quickly
and gladly accepts that teaching. But that person does not let the teaching go deep
into his life. He keeps that teaching only a short time. When trouble or persecution
comes because of the teaching he accepted, then he quickly quits. And what is the
seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person that hears the
teaching but lets worries about this life and love for money stop that teaching
from growing. So the teaching does not make fruit [in that person's life]. But what
is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person that hears
the teaching and understands it. That person grows and makes fruit, sometimes 100
times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more." Matthew 13:3-23
(ERV)
Read Online at:
www.BibleABC.net/today [http://www.bibleabc.net/today]
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