<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 4;2&amp;3<div><br></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;“Listen! &nbsp;A sower went out to sow.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>The term ‘parable’ means ‘to set beside’. &nbsp;It is using a comparison of something common and understood to illustrate the truth of things not well understood. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus used stories about earthly temporal well understood things, to give us understanding and insight into the spiritual things of God, the kingdom of God, and the work of God amongst men.</div><div><br></div><div>I pray that our pastors would themselves tell stories in their sermons to help us all better understand the truths of God. &nbsp;Too many sermons are like college lectures, dry and technical. &nbsp;They are truth, but hard to ‘digest’, like raw meat in need of cooking AND seasoning. &nbsp;Our minds are well&nbsp;able to remember stories that teach deeper meanings, cold&nbsp;objective information, not so well.</div><div><br></div><div>The people had already gathered around Jesus, so much so he had to get into a boat, the crowd was so great. &nbsp;But humans are human, they&nbsp;murmur,&nbsp;chatter, visit, and joke, that&nbsp;is what humans do when with others.</div><div><br></div><div>When Jesus says, <i>“Listen!”</i>&nbsp;I imagine he raises his voice and then pauses, perhaps a long time. &nbsp;He is not simply saying ‘be quiet’, he is saying ‘hear now with your whole&nbsp;heart, concentrate, <i>be open </i>to soak in something <u>new,</u>&nbsp;of utmost importance.’ &nbsp;This is no casual story, it is divine truth which has the power to save your soul. &nbsp;These Words&nbsp;are <i>“living.” </i>(Hebrews 4;12&amp;13)</div><div><br></div><div>Before going to church, do you pray for the pastor and his sermon? &nbsp;You should pray that he speaks God’s living truth into you, and pray that your heart be open to be changed, to grow. &nbsp;What is your expectation when attending Divine Service?</div><div><br></div><div>We do not and cannot change ourselves, God changes us by His Word and Spirit. &nbsp;<i>“I appeal to you therefore,&nbsp;brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. &nbsp;Do not be conformed to this world but <u>be&nbsp;</u><u>transformed</u>&nbsp;by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove </i>(test and live out)&nbsp;<i>what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” &nbsp;</i>(Romans 12;1&amp;2)</div><div><br></div><div>Right listening is done by minds seeking to be enlightened, lives to be changed, and bodies offered sacrificially to God in the power of Christ indwelling us by the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;Being a Christian is ever seeking to be changed, growing into the image of Christ, so that the world may see what and Who&nbsp;&nbsp;God has given into us!</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Heavenly Father, your Word brings your very Life into us. &nbsp;Bless us to rightly Listen.</div><div>In Jesus we pray, Amen</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”<br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 4;2&3
2.  And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:3.  “Listen!  A sower went out to sow.
The term ‘parable’ means ‘to set beside’.  It is using a comparison of something common and understood to illustrate the truth of things not well understood.  
Jesus used stories about earthly temporal well understood things, to give us understanding and insight into the spiritual things of God, the kingdom of God, and the work of God amongst men.
I pray that our pastors would themselves tell stories in their sermons to help us all better understand the truths of God.  Too many sermons are like college lectures, dry and technical.  They are truth, but hard to ‘digest’, like raw meat in need of cooking AND seasoning.  Our minds are well able to remember stories that teach deeper meanings, cold objective information, not so well.
The people had already gathered around Jesus, so much so he had to get into a boat, the crowd was so great.  But humans are human, they murmur, chatter, visit, and joke, that is what humans do when with others.
When Jesus says, “Listen!” I imagine he raises his voice and then pauses, perhaps a long time.  He is not simply saying ‘be quiet’, he is saying ‘hear now with your whole heart, concentrate, be open to soak in something new, of utmost importance.’  This is no casual story, it is divine truth which has the power to save your soul.  These Words are “living.” (Hebrews 4;12&13)
Before going to church, do you pray for the pastor and his sermon?  You should pray that he speaks God’s living truth into you, and pray that your heart be open to be changed, to grow.  What is your expectation when attending Divine Service?
We do not and cannot change ourselves, God changes us by His Word and Spirit.  “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove (test and live out) what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Romans 12;1&2)
Right listening is done by minds seeking to be enlightened, lives to be changed, and bodies offered sacrificially to God in the power of Christ indwelling us by the Holy Spirit.  Being a Christian is ever seeking to be changed, growing into the image of Christ, so that the world may see what and Who  God has given into us!
Prayer:  Merciful Heavenly Father, your Word brings your very Life into us.  Bless us to rightly Listen.In Jesus we pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”


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