Questions for Community Groups

The Farmer – Luke 8:1-15

Pastor Colin mentioned that though this text is commonly called the Parable of the Sower it really should be called the Parable of the Soils because the kind of soil difference is never the seed that is planted but what kind of soil it lands on. What kind of soil do you most resemble right now? What soil represented you five years ago?

Underline all the uses of the word ‘hear’ in Luke 8:1-15. What does hearing mean in a spiritual context? How do we hear today? What obstacles are there in your life to hearing? How can you overcome those obstacles?

How is the gospel described in Luke 8:1? Compare this to Luke 2:10 and Acts 13:32. Who is this good news for?

What does this text say about the importance of understanding God’s Word? In what ways do hearers become sowers?

Why is perseverance necessary for all who receive the Word? Which of life’s worries has choked your growth as a Christian recently? What can we do to improve our receptivity to the Word of God?

A parable starts off as a picture that is familiar to the listeners. But as you carefully consider the picture, it becomes a mirror in which you see yourself. What is God revealing to you as you reflect on this parable?

General question

Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, be attentive to my words…for they are life to those who find them…

WHAT? (This is the ability to understand your reactions to the context of the Scripture and the content of the sermon)

• What excites, inspires, or encourages you about the passage? About the sermon?
• What challenges, jolts, confuses, or even offends you about the passage? About the sermon?

SO WHAT? (This is an invitation to dig down deep into the heart of God whose words have endured for thousands of years in order to be specifically spoken into your life this week)

• What does this tell you about God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the principles of life, and/or sins to avoid?
• Why does this passage matter to your relationship with God today?
• What other Scriptures do you know that support this passage and the ideas presented in it?

NOW WHAT? (This is the discipline of bearing fruit {James 1:22} by bringing the life of Jesus to a faith-starved world through the power of Holy Spirit)

• How can you personally apply what you have learned to your life and spheres of influence?
• What one thing will you do (or stop doing) in the next seven days because of what you have learned and to whom will you be accountable for this?
• How will this reinforce or change the way you pray for God’s guidance for yourself and others?