It is wonderful to travel through John Mark’s life and see the beautiful story climax with 
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today – Hymn 166, therefore 
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378. These two hymns give us a purpose all during this quarter to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus. May you enjoy these hymns for your theme hymn from which to choose. 

The parables this week teach us much about sharing the gospel and the many and varied people to whom we have to reach.
Hymn 369 – Bringing In The Sheaves tells these stories and ends so positively as does the seed falling on the good soil. May we be bringing in the sheaves, soon and very soon because the Holy Spirit is working steadily with us: 
Fruitful Trees, The Spirit’s Sowing – Hymn 414. 

It is with wonder we see Isaiah “overwhelmed by God’s glory” (Tuesday) and “God cleanses him”. We are able to sing this in 
Hymn 318 – Whiter Than Snow. What type of soil am I? I wish to sing 
All To Jesus I Surrender – Hymn 309.

As this world rushes on and with many sad things happening around us, 
Let Every Lamp Be Burning Bright – Hymn 595 and not be hidden under a basket (Wednesday). 

Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed and to bless many others.

 To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

 Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-parables-singing-with-inspiration/

Daily Lesson for Sunday 21st of July 2024

When reading the parables of Jesus in the Gospels, people often want to jump quickly to the interpretation. After all, is that not the point of these stories—to teach some spiritual truth for Christian life? Yes, but sometimes, other than in brief comments such as “The kingdom of God is like,” or “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” Jesus does not explain the parable.

Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com

Consequently, it is good to slow down and simply analyze the story itself in order to catch the direction its various narrative characteristics point toward. Doing this with the parable of the sower yields a variety of ideas. The seed is the same in each case but falls on four different types of soil. The type of soil greatly influences the outcome for the seed. Instead of one continuous story, the parable is actually four individual stories told to completion in each setting. The length of time for completing the story lengthens with each successive story.

The seed that falls on the road is eaten immediately by the birds. “ ‘And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it’ ” (Mark 4:4, NKJV).

The seed that falls on the rocky ground takes a few days or weeks to reach its failed outcome, which included being scorched by the sun.

The seed that falls on the weedy soil takes longer still to reach its unproductive end, choked as it was by thorns.

The seed that falls on the good soil takes the longest of all, presumably an entire growing season, as is the normal pattern for a crop.

Three of the stories are about failure; only the last is about success, a good abundant crop. The length of the stories, the longer and longer period of time for each successive story, and the fact that only one story is about success, all point to the risk of failure but the abundant outcome of success.

The parable seems to point to the cost of discipleship and the risks involved, but it also highlights the abundant reward of following Jesus.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-04-the-parable-of-the-sower/