The secret of the Kingdom of God
We love a good story. From the earliest years of our development, we’re captivated by fairy tales and storybooks, and as we grow older, we regularly come back to movies and TV shows that once captured our imagination and interest. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is itself a story, summarized in one of the most well-known verses in all of Scripture, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We love hearing stories, telling stories, reading stories, and it’s this love of story that Jesus capitalized on as he taught throughout his earthly ministry in parables.
As one author wrote: “The parables are like hand grenades. Jesus took them out and set them before his hearers. Then…he pulled the pin out. Listen carefully because the parable explodes. If you miss the blast of the story, you have missed the power of the parable.” Jesus’ parables open our minds and hearts to hear and receive the profound truths of the kingdom of heaven. Through this series we’ll look at ten of these stories to grow in our walk with Christ. May the Lord explode our hearts and our minds as the simple stories of Jesus change everything for us.
This 10-week series will be taught by four different preachers from our staff and membership through the summer with the specific parables chosen through the survey you completed in the spring.
Series: Simple Stories: How the parables of Jesus change everything
Julian Freeman
Message: The secret of the Kingdom of God
Harvest Bible Chapel
Text: Mark 4:1-20
June 23, 2024
We all remain outsiders to the Kingdom unless God’s grace brings us in. This
grace comes to me as I…
…come to hear the Word for what it is (v. 1-13)
Matthew 13:33
Matthew 13:44
Matthew 13:47-50
Mark 10:42-44
Matthew 21:45-46
…come to Christ with empty hands (v. 14-19)
…come to treasure the Word like my life depends on it (v. 20)
A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love
https://a.co/d/03RbPUZx
