7 Growing Season

Key References: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Christ’s Object Lessons, chap. 2, pp. 33-61; The Bible Story (1994),
vol. 8, pp. 103-105; Our Beliefs nos. 1, 11, 4
 DO Do the activ-

Sabbath
powertext ity on page 60.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to
you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). wer poin
o

t
Have you ever planted a garden or worked on a farm? In
some parts of the world, people buy most of their food God gives us
in stores. Perhaps if Jesus lived in those places today, He His Word
would tell a parable of the cereal aisle! His parables were extravagantly.
always about things with which people were familiar. He
wanted people to look at them and remember the lessons He taught.

A boy shifted the heavy seed sack from his right to his left shoulder.
He’d been out with his father since early morning planting. He
decided he would rather live in the city, where his cousins didn’t need
to worry about growing seasons.
“Time to eat. I hope there’s enough here to satisfy your hunger,”
his father said, smiling. “It’s a good thing we’re farmers.” Then his tone
became serious. “I heard that new Rabbi tell a story about planting.”
“The teacher they call Jesus?” the boy asked. “Why would He talk
about planting?”
“Why?” his father asked in surprise. “As I was saying, a farmer was
planting seed in a field near the lake where the Rabbi spoke from a
boat.”

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7
Sunday

READ Read Mark 4:1-20 and this week’s lesson,

“A boat?” the boy asked.
“Yes. It was a brilliant idea. The people
“Growing Season.” crowded around the Rabbi trying to
CREATE Draw an open Bible and write on it the power listen to Him. They nearly pushed Him
text, John 6:33. Be sure to include the reference. Begin into the lake. He climbed into a boat.
memorizing it. Everyone thought, That’s it! He’s leaving.
But instead He pushed off from shore,
PRAY Thank God for giving you everything you need to
dropped anchor in shallow water, and
grow in Him.
began teaching.” The father’s eyes
glowed as he remembered.
Read Psalm 119:105. “So the Rabbi started telling
Monday

READ
a story about a farmer.
COLLECT Gather seeds, a small piece of cotton, a small
Every head turned to
cup filled with dirt, and a plate or shallow pan.
look at the farmer
DO Put a couple seeds on the piece of cotton, in the
dirt, and on the plate. Keep them moist until Friday.
REVIEW Review the power text.

PRAY Thank God for giving His Word to you.

Read Matthew 13:3-9.

Tuesday

READ

REMEMBER No matter how unpromising people may

seem, God can make His Word productive in their lives.
SHARE Sow a seed today by telling someone about the
treasures found in God’s Word.
REVIEW Review the power text.

PRAY Thank God for scattering His Word everywhere.

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nearby. He was sowing the hillside above crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times
us. what was sown’ ” (Matthew 13:3-8).
“The Rabbi talked about planting. The boy looked at his father. His eyes
Planting. Just like we’re doing right now. still glowed. “I’ve thought a lot about
As the farmer arced his arm over the soil this story,” his father continued. “I don’t
you could almost see the seeds flying.” think the Rabbi was really talking about
The boy searched the basket for planting.”
another fig. “Then what do you think He was
“The Rabbi said, ‘A farmer went out talking about?”
to sow his seed. As he was scattering the “I think He was talking about the
seed, some fell along the path, and the kingdom of God.”
birds came and ate it up. Some fell on “So you think Jesus compared God to
rocky places, where it did not have much a farmer?”
soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil
was shallow. But when the sun came up,
the plants were scorched, and they with-
ered because they had no root. Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up
and choked the plants. Still other seed
fell on good soil, where it produced a

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7
Wednesday

READ Read Luke 8:1-3.

“Yes. The Rabbi said, ‘The kingdom of
God is like a farmer sowing seed.’ ”
IDENTIFY What was Jesus proclaiming as He traveled “So what is the seed?”
from place to place? “I think the seed is God’s Word.”
The boy sat up. “You mean the Torah?”
THINK How might the parable of the sower be the
“Yes. Have you noticed how every
good news of the kingdom of God to you?
synagogue has God’s Word written on
REVIEW Review the power text. scrolls? God wants everyone to have
PRAY Thank God for the good news He has given you. access to His Word. So He scatters the
seeds of His truth everywhere.”
“What if the seeds go to waste
Read Luke 8:5-8. because they are not well received by
Thursday

READ

COMPARE Compare Luke’s account of the parable people?” the boy asked.
to Matthew’s account. Matthew, as one of Jesus’ 12 “You may think so, my son,” his father
disciples, was probably present when Jesus told this said. “But the heavenly Farmer scatters
parable. Luke, who never met Jesus, heard this story the seeds anyway, hoping they will take
from someone else. root and grow.” His father held one tiny
seed between his thumb and forefinger.
THINK Who is doing all the work in the parable of the
“No one knows how many seeds this one
sower? What is the job of the seeds? grain will produce, do they?”
REVIEW Review the power text. The boy shook his head as if to say,
PRAY Ask God to help you grow. “No.”

Read Luke 8:11-15.

Friday

READ

DO Check your seeds. Have they shown signs of

sprouting? Carefully pry one seed open so you can see
the beginning growth of the plant.
THINK What does the seed represent?

REMEMBER Everything needed to grow is built into the

seed.
THINK How is the seed like God’s Word in you?

REPEAT Share the power text by memory at family

worship.
PRAY Thank God that His Word contains everything you
need to grow and become more like Jesus.

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 “And imagine how many seeds will “Well . . . do you think He knows God
be produced from all the seeds in this better than we do?”
sack.” Father looked intently into the eyes
“It would be impossible to count,” the of his son. “Yes, I think He does.”
boy said. He wasn’t sure how to ask the The boy and his father both turned to
question that was forming in his mind. look at the open field waiting for them.
“Father,” he said, “do you think this Rabbi, The boy felt peace as he decided to
Jesus, knows something we don’t?” accept God’s kingdom and the seeds of
“Like what?” God’s Word in his heart.

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PUZZLE

1
7 HIS
THEWORD
CALL
Consider the following verse:

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the
sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: ___
_____ ____ _______ ___ ___ ______, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it”
(Isaiah 55:10, 11).

Can you read the missing words to this verse by following the lines?

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