Next Level Guide 11.20.22

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Discuss

Do plants tend to thrive or die under your care? Why?

What is your favorite part of a Thanksgiving meal?

Study

Read Mark 4:1-20

Do you find anything in this parable surprising? Disturbing? Confusing?

What happens to the seed in each of the soils? Have you seen or experienced any of these?

Why do you think “the Twelve and the others around him” get a personal explanation of Jesus’ public message (v.10) and “those on the outside” (v.11) don’t?

According to Jesus, why does God’s Word sometimes:
(a) not take root at all (v.15)?
(b) take root but wither (vv.16-17)?
(c) take root but get choked off (vv.18-19)?
(d) take root and produce a harvest (v.20)?

What’s Next

How would you describe the state of your “soil” right now? Are you good soil, or hard, rocky, or thorny? What is one thing you could do to make sure your soil stays good?

Chad said, “We must allow God to work in us before He can do everything He wants to do through us.” What does it look like to allow God to work in us?

Why do you think that it’s easier to start following Jesus than it is to stay following Jesus?

What are some of the things in our lives that try to crowd Jesus out?