May 2, 2021
Change: Getting Unstuck
Stories that change the World and your heart.
Listen to an audio version of the message
Songs for this week: Spotify
Luke 8:4-15
Message Questions:
- Do you have any experience with gardening/farming? If so, what is most rewarding for you and what is most frustrating about gardening?
- Describe a long-term goal you set for yourself (exercising, reading a long book series, earning a degree). How did you fare in the working and waiting of reaching that goal?
- Jesus takes time to unpack the failure of growth in three of the soils: “Satan snatches,” “have no root,” and “choked out by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures… they don’t mature.” Can you relate to these situations? Where have you seen these in your own life?
- The purpose of gardening is to grow things! That’s the point of Jesus’ message: (1) Hear the word, (2) retain it, and (3) by persevering produce a crop. What do those three steps look like in your life right now?
- Where does our LORD have you “throwing seed” these days? Have you grown discouraged or unconvinced in that assignment? Share with the group your discouragement OR your plan to stay on task with the job of sowing seeds.
Extend your small group discussion with the expanded guide for today’s message. It includes more questions and soul training practices for you and your small group.
Share with a friend
Recent Sermons
Psalm 131 - The Psalms of Ascent have it all: anguish, anger, encouragement, and wild joy. Psalm 131 is all about contentment. Where does contentment come from? What ruins it? What does it feel like? How can I be content in an age where marketing, social media and mirrors breed discontent?
Psalm 133 - The Psalms of Ascent were songs for the journey—worshippers sang them as they travelled together toward Jerusalem and the Temple. These Psalms give voice to the sorts of things that go through worshippers' hearts as they prepare to worship.
Psalm 104 is a song of praise that marvels at the beauty and order of God’s creation. From mountains to seas, seasons to creatures great and small, it reveals a world sustained by His power and care. This psalm invites us to stand in awe, give thanks, and consider our role as stewards of His handiwork.
Psalm 121 - We humans need help! The question is, where will we turn for it? Psalm 121 invites us to look to God for true help.
Psalm 127 - Psalm 127 reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, our efforts are in vain. It's a call to trust—learning to rest in God's provision while recognizing that every good gift, including our work, our homes, and our children, ultimately rests in His hands.
James 5:13-20 - A life of faith is a life of prayer. It’s also a life lived with others. When we follow Jesus, we belong to Him and to one another as brothers and sisters. As a family, we care for one another in weakness, confess our sins to each other, and gently confront one another.
