Parable of the Sower Resources

Free online resources based on the Parable of the Sower, a parable of Jesus. This story can be found in the Bible in the book of Matthew, Mark and Luke. See below for links to sermons, stories and entertaining sites for this parable.

And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables?

The sower sows the Word.

And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit–some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much. — Mark 4:13-14, 20 AMP

The Parable of the Sower - Summary

In Mark’s account, Jesus told his followers that if they didn’t understand the parable of the sower, they would not understand any of his parables. And then Jesus explained what the seed represents,

“The sower sows the Word.”

The seed sown is the Word of God and John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word. When we speak the Word, we sow Jesus into our lives and the lives of others. And the harvest will depend on the condition of the soil that receives it.

The parable describes the heart, or spirit (soil), of four different types of people. In the first group, the seed fell along the way side and the birds immediately scooped it up, producing no harvest. Jesus explained that this represented the devil stealing the Word from those that do not understand it (Matthew 13:19). The first group had not invested the time hearing, speaking and meditating on the Word to receive it and understand it, therefore Satan was able to take the seed (Word) from them.

The second group received the seed (Word) with joy, but they did not allow the Word to get rooted deep inside their spirit. When trouble and persecution came along, they were offended and produced no harvest. In similar fashion, the seed (Word) that fell among the thorns represents the folks that let the cares of this world overwhelm the Good News sown in their hearts. Neither group produced any harvest.

The last group, represented by the good ground, are the people that have prepared their hearts to receive the seed (Word). They grab hold of it and meditate on it night and day. They nourish it with praise and speak it faithfully out of their heart’s abundance (Luke 6:43-45). It is this group that produces a harvest of fruit, “…some hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

The parable of the sower is rich with revelation. Meditate on the truths of illustrated by the seed and sower to understand many of the other parables of Jesus.

“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.” — Matthew 13:18-23 NIV

Read the Sower Parable in five popular translations – AMP, KJV, HCSB, NIV, The Message:

Parable of the Sower – Matthew 13:1-23 – Mark 4:1-20 – Luke 8:4-15

Check out all the wonderful Christian content linked below and learn more about this parable.

Children’s Bible Stories – Scriptures and Adaptations on the Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower - An easy to read version with simple animation

Parable of the Sower – Based on Matthew’s version of the parable

The Farmer and the Seed – Animated version of the parable from Matthew

Children’s Activities, Crafts, Coloring Pages, Music, Plays & Poetry for the Sower and Seed Parable

Sowing Seeds – A short activity page based on Luke 8:4-15

The Parable of the Sower – Four coloring pages with Bible quotes

The Parable of the Sower – A coloring page of a man sowing seed

Parable of the Sower – A word search for the parable

Parable of the Sower - A word jumble

Sowing God’s Word (The Sowing Song) – Parable of the sower children’s song

Sow the Word – Teach the parable of the sower with music

Children’s Sermons & Lessons on the Parable of the Sower

 Seeds That Fall on the Path – A series of four lessons on the Parable of the Sower
Seeds That Fall on the Path – Lesson 1

Seeds That Fall on the Rocky Places – Lesson 2

Seeds That Fall Among Thorns – Lesson 3

Seeds That Fall On Good Soil – Lesson 4

Parables: A Sower Went Out to Sow – Includes PowerPoint graphics and a take home sheet

Parable of the Sower – Lessons and activity pages for Luke 8:4-18

Farming – A worksheet on farming (sowing, reaping etc) in Israel with several questions applicable to the Parable of the Sower.

It All Depends on the Dirt – Brief object lesson using seeds

The Parable of the Sower – A handout based on Luke

The Parable of the Sower – Discussion questions, comments and a rap

Devotions, Discussions & Sermons and Other Resources About the Sower and Soils Parable

Parable of the Sower – More resources on the Sower Parable

Jesus’ Parable of the Sower - Additional Sower and the 4 soils resources

The Sower and the Seed – Additional Sower and the 4 soils resources

The Sower Sows The Word – Part of a Squidoo Lens on Christian Dating that discusses the Seed and Soil Parable.

The Parable of the Sower - A sermon by C. H. Spurgeon

The Sower and the Seeds – A short meditation on the sower parable

The Sower and the Seeds – A Devotion on the Sower Parable

The Parable of The Sower – Devotion with discussion questions

The Sower, Seed and Four Types of Soil – A lengthy discussion of the four types of soil found in the Parable of the Sower

The Parable Of The Sower And The Seed – A lengthy exposition of the parable from Matthew

Parable of the Sower – Secular worldview of the parable

Search for Other Christian Web Sites.

Suggested Search Terms: 4 Soils, Sower Sows the Word Parables of Jesus, Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, Parables for Kids, Parable of the Sower, Sower and the Seed