Day 1- THE PARABLE

Always start your Bible study with a prayer for the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of God’s Word. Jesus gives us a parable to explain the different types of people who hear the gospel. There will be many times you will be asked to think for yourself in this study. If you want to defend or share the gospel, you must first understand the condition of the person who is listening. The parable is about a sower, seed and some soil. The seed represents the Gospel and the soil represents the people who hear the Gospel.
Read Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23
Read the passage and write down the details of the parable.
What are the four types of soil and what is Jesus’ explanation of what happens?

Day 2- HARDENED SOIL

Read Matthew 13:3-4; 18-19
What happened to the seed that fell on the road? Why is a road not a good place for a seed to be planted? According to Jesus’ explanation, what does the enemy do to those who do not understand the Gospel?
You would never plant seeds on a road because a road is too hard. Jesus explains in these verses that the seed cannot be planted because of a hardened heart and because the enemy won’t allow it. A hardened heart can come from life experiences, tragedy, false teaching, unbelief, or pride and fear of losing something. The foundation for any type of hard heart is sin. Unrepentant sin of any kind can make a heart hard. The enemy fights against the person’s heart by snatching away the seed when sown. But there is hope for a hardened heart, a road can become “plantable” but must first be broken up and soft again.
Read Proverbs 28:19
What must someone do for food? Do you think this is the same for “spiritual food?”
Think about a road and all that it would take to make it soft again. Would it take the right tools, time, and effort? How is this the same with a hardened heart?
List reasons why someone has a hardened heart. (Here are a few to get your mind going: raised in different religion, loves the things of the world, has chosen a lifestyle outside of God’s will) Make a list.
Continual evangelism should be your first strategy to engage someone with a hardened heart. Go back through your list. What roadblocks can you identify for each of these hardened hearts?

Day 3- ROCKY SOIL

Read Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21
What type of soil is described here? What happens to the seed and why?
How does Jesus explain the parable?
If you have ever done any gardening or planting, you know the plant must take root. If there are rocks in the soil, the plant might start to sprout. But when the heat and harsh weather happen, the plant will never make it because of shallow roots.
Read Proverbs 14:12
What happens when man chooses the way he thinks is right?
Can sin keep people from letting the message of the gospel take root?
The “roadblock” in this parable of the soil is sin. The presence of the rocks will keep the seed, the message of the gospel, from taking root. In this circumstance, a person is ready to hear the gospel. They want to believe in God but they are not ready to let go of their former life.
Read Ephesians 4:22-24
When you receive the message of the Gospel, what must you do?
The rocks are roadblocks. Sin is a roadblock. Someone might want to know Jesus but are not willing to dig out the sin in their life. This unwillingness might create opposition. It is in this situation that you might have a mixture of how you share your faith.
What are real life examples of “sin” road blocks that can keep the Gospel message from taking root in someone’s life?
How might you have to defend the Gospel to someone who is unwilling to let go of sin?
How might you share the Gospel to someone who is unwilling to let go of sin?
How might you be a light of the Gospel to someone who is unwilling to let go of sin?

DIG DEEPER

Read Romans 8:28. If you are focused on sin, will you be able to experience the truth of this verse when hard times happen? What does Jesus say will happen to those who have rocky soil when trials happen?

Day 4- AMONG THORNS

Read Matthew 13:7, 22
What is the condition of this soil described by Jesus? What is Jesus’ explanation?
What is the “roadblock” for the gospel message here?
It is important to know that you might have to defend your faith to believers. There are believers living in our world who believe in Jesus but have allowed the ways of the world to silence their voice. They have become unfruitful. These people often live their lives in a way that looks like an unbeliever, but they understand the message of the Gospel.
Read Romans 12:2. What does God ask us not to do?
What are ways we can be conformed to the world?
Read 1 Peter 1:24-25
Do the things of the earth last forever? What lasts forever?
Read Matthew 6:24. What can you not do?
Making a defense of your faith to a believer can be hard because they already know the message of the gospel. You have the opportunity to be a light and speak the truth in order to remove the “roadblocks” that make believers unfruitful. Think about actions and words you might do or say to help “defend” the message of the gospel that is being choked out by the world.

Day 5- THE HEART THAT HEARS

Read Matthew 13:8, 23
What is the condition of the soil Jesus describes?
What is the result of the seed being planted?
Your desire for all those you share your faith with should be that the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will take root and produce good things in their life and in the lives of those around them. Always remember this is your hope. In defending, sharing, or showing others your faith, your goal is not to prove a point. Your goal is let God make a difference though you in the lives of others.
Pray for someone today. Think about the condition of their soil and make a strategy of how you need to show, share, or defend the Gospel to this person.