Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books in the New Testament of the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

Each month we read all four books, so make sure you're subscribed today and continue with us as we work through the book of Mark.

Here's how it works. Normally I read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along, and then I pray, and that's it.

But today we've got four chapters of the book of Mark. So today is April 17th, day 17, and I'll be reading Mark chapters four through seven.

And this month I am reading from the message.

Mark four. He went back to teaching by the sea, a crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge.

He taught by using stories, many stories. Listen, what do you make of this? A farmer planted seed as he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it, some fell in the gravel.

It sprouted quickly, but didn't put down roots. So when the sun came up, it withered just as quickly. Some fell on the weeds. As it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.

Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.

Are you listening to this? Really listening?

When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the twelve, asked about the stories.

He told them, you've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward a welcome awakening.

These are people whose eyes are open, but don't see a thing whose ears are open, but don't understand a word, who avoid making it about face and getting forgiven.

He continued, do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. The farmer plants the word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road.

No sooner do they hear the word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel.

When they first hear the word, they respond with great enthusiasm, but there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news, but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get.

The stress strangles what they heard and nothing comes of it. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams. Jesus went on.

Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a bucket or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantle?

We're not keeping secrets. We're telling them. We're not hiding things. We're bringing them out into the open.

Are you listening to this really listening? Listen carefully to what I'm saying and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own.

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