To His Own : Mark 4:34 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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To His Own - Mark 4:34

Jesus always used stories to teach the people. But when Jesus and his followers were alone together, Jesus explained everything to them. (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

While the parables were a mystery to some, Jesus made sure his closest followers knew what he meant when he spoke them. We, too, can ask for Jesus to make his truth clear to us. He has promised that the Holy Spirit would use the Word and make the necessary impact on our hearts. So when you open the Word, don't just go to read; go to offer yourself to the Lord. Ask that his Spirit help you understand what you need to know, convict you of where you have fallen short, and equip you to live the kind of life that shows others the character of Jesus.

Today's Prayer

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Holy God, as I open your Word, as I seek to know Jesus, have the Holy Spirit penetrate my heart with your truth, open my eyes to my sins, and equip me to live the life of service that glorifies my Savior. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like a man that plants seed in the ground. The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It is not important if the man is sleeping or awake; the seed still grows. The man does not know how the seed grows. Without any help, the ground grows grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time." Then Jesus said, "What can I use to show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest seed that you plant in the ground. But when you plant this seed, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants in your garden. It has branches that are very big. The wild birds can come and make nests there and be protected from the sun." Jesus used many stories like these to teach them. He taught them all that they could understand. Jesus always used stories to teach the people. But when Jesus and his followers were alone together, Jesus explained everything to them.

— Mark 4:26-34 (ERV)

Accept God's salvation to be your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit --that sword is the teaching of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all God's people.
Ephesians 6:17-18 (ERV)

But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You know that those teachings are true. You know you can trust the people who taught you those things. You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. Those Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people the things that are wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ERV)

God's word (message) is alive and working. His word is sharper than the sharpest sword. God's word cuts all the way into us {like a sword}. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God's word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12 (ERV)

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HEARTLIGHT^® Magazine is produced by Heartlight, Inc. HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. PO Box 7044, Abilene, TX, USA 79608-7044. Copyright © 1996-2008. Heartlight is supported by Westover Hills Church, Southern Hills Church, and loving Christians from around the world. Scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. Used by permission. All rights reserved.