Prayer Concerns
1.
Pastor Jim Sproat of Trinity Episcopal Church
had brain surgery last night and is doing well. He is expecting a complete
recovery.
2.
Kim Hesse daughter of Tom and JoBeth Pickens
began chemo therapy today. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.
Announcements
1.
We will be taking orders for shirts that have
“First Presbyterian Church” and “Come and See” either screen printed or
embroidered. The short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts come in youth M and L
and adults S – 3X. The brochures are at
the back of the sanctuary and in the office. The last day to order will be June
19th .
2.
For all you baseball lovers we will be taking a
church trip to go see the Texas Rangers play the Chicago White Sox in Arlington
on July 27th. Plans are to leave on that Friday mid-morning for a Friday night
game. We will spend the night and possibly hit Six Flags or Hurricane Harbor
the next morning before heading home Saturday late afternoon. All ages are
invited, but youth need to have a supervising adult in tow! Ticket prices for
the game will be between $10-$25 depending upon the number in our group and the
seats available. The other costs for rooms and/or Six Flags will depend on how
many we will have going. Please call Jim or Laurie or the church office to sign
up or for more information. Deadline for signing up will be JULY 8th.
Scripture
Mark 4:26-32 (ESV)
And he said, "The
kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. [27] He sleeps and rises night and day, and
the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
[28] The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then
the full grain in the ear. [29] But when
the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has
come."
[30] And he said,
"With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use
for it? [31] It is like a grain of
mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds
on earth, [32] yet when it is sown it
grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large
branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
Questions for Reflection
1. What does it take for plants to grow, and where do you get the things you need?
2. What did Jesus want the people to understand about the kingdom of God? (4:26)
3. What role did the man in the parable play? (4:26-27)
4. What do the man and the seed in the parable represent? (4:26-29)
5. What does this parable reveal about Jesus’ concerns? (4:26-29)
6. How does this parable help you better understand what the kingdom of God is like?
7. How does it make you feel to know that the message of Christ contains a mysterious power in itself?
8. How does the message of this parable help believers evangelize and teach?
9. What should our response be to the fact that one day “the harvest will come”?
