The parable of the Sower truly is the mother of all parables. It occurs in all three gospels (plus Thomas), and is interpreted in all three gospels. Jesus even gave this parable a title. In once sense, the parable of the Sower is a parable about parables. It is a story about how to hear Jesus’ words.

When you read the parable in the various gospels, you’ll find a quotation from Isaiah 6 in the centre of each one. In order to understand what Jesus was talking about in his story, you need to start there. Thus this two-part message.

1. An (un)Godly Calling? (Isaiah 6)[audio:http://stephenbarkley.com/media/messages/092709.mp3]
2. Sower, Seed, & Soil (Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-20; Luke 8:5-15)[audio:http://stephenbarkley.com/media/messages/100409.mp3]

For these messages, I relied pretty heavily on a couple of sources:

1. Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus by Klyne R. Snodgrass
2. Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2) by N. T. Wright