DEVOTION – DAY 235

Mark 4:26-29 “Power In The Gospel”

 

Mark 4:26-29 “He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like, A man scatters seed to the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts a sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

 

Jesus gave this parable and it can only be found in the gospel of Mark. Unlike a similar more well-known parable about different types of soil that would determine the success of the harvest, here, the parable focuses on the seed.

 

In this parable, Jesus used the example of the seed to represent the gospel message. Like a seed with its power to grow and germinate into a thriving plant, the gospel message has a power to take root in the hearts of those listening and is capable of converting the hardest of hearts. The duty of the sower is to sow seeds – meaning that we all have a duty to share the gospel message with others and we can trust that the gospel message has the power to touch the hearts of listeners.

 

We have learnt that the gospel message must have the following key elements.

  • That God loves us.
  • That we do not experience God’s love because of sin.
  • That sin is anything that falls short of God’s holy standards.
  • That God shows His love by sending Jesus to die for our sins.
  • That we have to choose to receive or reject Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

 

We have shared this gospel message to many people. We always marvel at how there is power in this message to help people humbly confess and repent of their sins and to open their hearts to invite Jesus into their lives as their Lord and Savior. We met a woman who had come to church to make some enquiries. We answered her queries and then directed the conversation to the sharing of the gospel with her. It was not preplanned. We just happened to be in church when she arrived. It was God’s timing. After sharing the gospel with her, we asked her what her response was – would she accept or reject Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Savior. She accepted and we helped her to say the sinners’ prayer. There is indeed great power in the gospel.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, We worship You, the Loving, Merciful and Gracious God. Thank you for your gift of grace and the power of the gospel message. Thank you for the privilege given to us to share the gospel to others who need it. We pray that many people will be open to receive the gospel and to give you the glory. In Jesus Christ great name, we pray. Amen.

Questions

  1. How have you shared the gospel with others? Share some experiences of your successes to encourage others.
  2. How can you intentionally steer conversations with others to lead you to share the gospel? Discuss.
  3. Will you be a faithful sower to share the gospel? Notice that it is not how eloquent or gifted the sower needs to be, it is just to sow.
  4. What are some things that may hold you back from sharing the gospel with others? Discuss.