ROOTED Week 4 Fall 2025

Digging Deeper - Mark - Week 4 2025

The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1–20

If you want to plant some seeds, what do you think would happen if you tossed them on the sidewalk? Or in the middle of the street? In a flowerpot? In a garden?”

Jesus told a story just like that, but he used it to explain how people respond to hearing about God because God’s Word is like a seed.
Read Mark 4:3–8 together (Jesus tells the parable).
Then read Mark 4:13–20 (Jesus explains it).

The different soils

Jesus described four types of soil, and the soil represents our hearts.

1. Path (hard ground):
   The seed never sinks in.
   Represents people who hear God’s Word but don’t understand or accept it. It’s like Satan snatches it away.
   

2. Rocky ground (maybe bring and show them a rock)
   The seed sprouts fast but has no deep roots.
   Represents people who get excited about God at first, but when life gets tough, they give up or they never have the opportunity to grow deep roots.
   

3. Thorns (maybe bring one of those prickly weeds)
   The seed grows, but weeds choke it out.
   Represents people who care more about worries, money, or fun than about following God.
   

4. Good soil (a small plant growing in a pot and producing something good - flower, fruit, etc.)
   The seed grows strong and produces fruit.
   Represents people who listen, believe, and God changes their lives.

God wants us to be good, fertile soil - well fed and producing fruit.

1. Which type of soil do you think most people today are like?

2. Which soil do you feel like you are right now?

3. Why do you think it’s important to be well fed by a church or other believers?

4. How do we know if we are being well fed?

5. What makes it hard to listen to God sometimes?

6. How do you think we can “be good soil” for God’s Word?

7. What kind of “fruit” do you think Jesus wants us to produce?

8. What kind of fruit do you think you are most likely to produce?