Memory Text: Mark 4:41 NIV “They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"”

Sunday, April 17 The Parable of the Sower
Mark 4:3-20 MKJV “3 Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, it happened that indeed some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and ate it up. 5 And another fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. And it sprang up at once, due to not having deepness of earth. 6 And when [the] sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And another fell on good ground and yielded fruit, going up and increasing. And one bore thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundredfold. 9 And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when He was alone, they who were about Him, with the Twelve, asked Him concerning the parable. 11 And He said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside, all [these] things are [given] in parables 12 so that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them. 13 And He said to them, Do you not know this parable? And how then will you know all parables? 14 The sower sows the Word. 15 And these are those by the wayside, where the Word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are those likewise being sown on stony places; who, when they hear the Word, immediately receive it with gladness. 17 But they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the Word’s sake, they are immediately offended. 18 And these are those being sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, 19 and the cares of this world, and the deceit of riches, and the lust about other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And these are those sown on good ground, who hear the Word and welcome [it], and bear fruit, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundredfold.”
Mark 4:3 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL Orientals live in cities and towns. Isolated farmhouses are practically unknown. A farmer may therefore live several miles from his field, in which case he literally "goes forth" to it.

Monday, April 18 The Kingdom Is Like Seed
Mark 4:26-29 ESV “26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.””
Mark 4:27 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES The mystery of growth still puzzles farmers and scientists of today with all our modern knowledge. But nature's secret processes do not fail to operate because we are ignorant. This secret and mysterious growth of the kingdom in the heart and life is the point of this beautiful parable given only by Mark.
Mark 4:30-32 NRSV “30 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."”
Matthew 6:19 20th Century NT “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 20th Century NT “We, all the while, gazing not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is transient, but what is unseen is imperishable.”
Philippines 4:8 20th Century NT “In conclusion, Brothers, wherever you find anything true or honorable, righteous or pure, lovable or praiseworthy, or if ‘virtue’ and ‘honour’ have any meaning, there let your thoughts dwell.”

Tuesday, April 19 Terror by Water
Mark 4:35-41 William Tyndale NT “35 ¶ And the same day when even was come he said unto them: let us pass over into the other side. 36 And they late the people depart and took him even as he was in the ship. [And] There were also with him other ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and dashed the waves into the ship, so that it was full. 38 And he was in the stern asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him, and said to him: Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he rose up and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea: peace and be still. And the wind allayed, and there followed a great calm: 40 and he said unto them: why are ye [so] fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another: what fellow is this? for both wind and sea obey him.”
Mark 4:37 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN To such sudden squalls the Sea of Galilee is very liable from its position, in a deep basin, skirted on the east by lofty mountain ranges, while on the west the hills are intersected by narrow gorges through which the wind sweeps across the lake, and raises its waters with great rapidity into a storm.

Wednesday, April 20 Two thousand Dead Pigs
Mark 5:1-20 NKJV “1 ¶ Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had [his] dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." 8 For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" 9 Then He asked him, "What [is] your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name [is] Legion; for we are many." 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told [it] in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one [who had been] demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him [who had been] demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. 18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.”

Thursday, April 21 A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman
Mark 5:21-43 NLT “21 ¶ When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, 23 pleading with him to heal his little daughter. "She is about to die," he said in desperation. "Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live." 24 Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. 25 And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed." 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed! 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples said to him, "All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’" 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed." 35 ¶ While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the message, "Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now." 36 But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me." 37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter and James and John. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and spoke to the people. "Why all this weeping and commotion?" he asked. "The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep." 40 The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, "Get up, little girl!" 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed. 43 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat.”
Mark 5:43 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES "He had raised her by extraordinary power, but he willed that she should be sustained by ordinary means." He also in this gave full evidence that she was really restored to life and health. The changes were great, sudden, and certain.