Stories of the Kingdom, Part 1

We all love stories—they captivate us, challenge us, and inspire us. But what if the greatest story ever told is actually meant for you? In this message, we explore how Jesus used simple yet powerful stories to reveal deep truths about life, faith, and the condition of our hearts. Maybe the question isn’t whether you’ve heard His words, but how you’re responding to them.

Never Stop Singing
Worship Initiative

His Glory and My Good
CityAlight

Love Of God
Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…

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John 1:14
and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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Matthew 13:1-3
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables,

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Parable
An earthly story with a heavenly meaning

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Five Aspects from ‘The Scandal of the Kingdom’
1. They were culturally relevant
2. Easy to remember
3. In the context of their everyday life
4. Logical
5. More meaningful the longer you sat with them

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Matthew 13:3-9
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

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Matthew 13:10-15
The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

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Matthew 13:16,17
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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Matthew 13:18-23
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

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What soil does my heart most relate to?

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Four Heart Conditions or Responses
1. The Closed Heart

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Hebrews 3:12,13
‘See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness’

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Four Heart Conditions or Responses
2. The Immature Heart

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Four Heart Conditions or Responses
3. The Crowded Heart

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Matthew 6:25, 28
‘don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear and why do you worry about your clothes Matthew 6:25, 28

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Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

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Four Heart Conditions or Responses
4. The Healthy Heart

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1 Corinthians 3:6-9
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

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Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

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Assess Your Heart
Have you ever surrendered your heart to Jesus?

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Is Your Heart Closed?
Open it to Jesus

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Assess Your Heart
Do you see the character of your life being transformed by the work of Jesus in your life?

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Is Your Heart Immature?
Acknowledge it and draw close to Jesus by abiding in Him and practicing His way this week.

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Assess Your Heart
What or who is king of your life this morning?

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Is Your Heart Crowded?
Free up some space through devotion and generosity

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Assess Your Heart
Is your heart healthy? Keep growing, look around, and allow God to use you in the lives of others.

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