This week's lesson comes from Matthew 13:1-23 and is called "The Four Soils." Download this week's Family Worship Guide and refer to the teaching points from this week's lesson to make the most of your family worship time.

Not all seed produces a crop

Such a large crowd came to hear Jesus teach that he got into a boat and went out from shore so that the people could gather along the lake to hear him. Jesus told the crowd a story, or parable, about a farmer who was throwing seed to plant. The seed fell on four different types of soil: the hard-packed path, the rock-filled ground, an area with thorns, and on fertile soil. Although three of the four soils allowed the seed to grow, only the seed in the fertile soil matured. The same is true for faith in the hearts of people. Faith sprouts in many people who claim to follow Jesus, but far fewer live their lives for Christ, bearing the fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8) and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). The Bible is clear—both in this parable about plants and in describing our lives—only “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

You must have ears to hear

Jesus closes the parable with the words, “’He who has ears, let him hear’” (Matthew 13:9). Jesus knew that unless the Father opened up ears, people would not really hear. A lot of people heard Jesus teaching but far fewer believed and followed him. Jesus told the disciples that the people would not believe because their hearts were dull (Matthew 13:15). Jesus also explained that not everyone would be granted grace to understand. At first we might be tempted to charge God, saying, “God, why didn’t you help them all to understand?” But we need to realize any who heard the parable could have pursued Jesus and said, “Can you explain what it means to me?” But only the disciples came to Jesus to ask for the meaning. The prophets of old, Jesus explained, longed for the day when the Messiah would come, but died before Jesus was born. Yet the Jews, who knew the Scriptures and watched Jesus heal the sick, did not believe in him. But to the disciples, God poured out grace to understand the secrets of the kingdom (Matthew 13:11).

The gospel is the seed

Jesus explained the parable of the sower to the disciples. The seed is the gospel message—that Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the penalty that we deserved for our sin so that we could be forgiven. He then rose to new life on the third day so that we might also rise again. The four soils are four different kinds of people. When that message goes out today, it falls upon the same four types of soil. The question for all of us is what kind of soil am I?

How does today’s Bible story fit into God’s greater plan of redemption?

The gospel is the message about the kingdom of God that Jesus introduced in the parable of the sower. Not only is it planted in the lives of believers, but also we who are Christians then share it with others. We share the gospel with the world each time we are not afraid to testify about our Lord to the people around us. As God’s farmers, we sow the seed, then water it, but it is God who makes it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Since the beginning, the gospel was always how God planned to reach a dying world. The prophets of old longed to see the Messiah and God’s salvation revealed. The disciples were the first to see God’s plan unfold. Now all of us who receive that same message are called to join in the work of scattering the seed by spreading the good news of the gospel.