Good Soil Evangelism & Discipleship takes its name from the parable of the seed and the soils. The seed is the message of the gospel. But how did Jesus define "good soil?" Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded three different words that Jesus used on these occasions to describe “good soil.”
Matthew 13:23
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands* it…”
* Understands [Greek: suniemi] means to “mentally grasp,” “fully comprehend,” or “put all of the individual facts together into a meaningful whole.”
Mark 4:20
“But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept* it…”
* Accept [Greek: paradechomai] means to “receive with open arms,” “welcome,” or “embrace.”
Luke 8:15
“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep* it…”
* Keep [Greek: katecho] means to “hold firmly so that something will not be snatched away.”
Good Soil E&D is a careful attempt to try to assure that the people to whom we minister clearly understand, genuinely embrace, and firmly hold on to the Gospel.
When presenting the gospel to an unbeliever who knows little or nothing about the Bible and the Christian faith, it is likely that the way he or she currently views the world may lead to misunderstanding the terms or concepts being used. In order to penetrate that "worldview noise" in the gospel communication process, it is important to explain the Biblical facts that are essential to understanding the gospel. But for those facts to make clear sense, we also need to set them in the historical context of the overall redemptive story that unfolds through the Bible.
The Story of Hope is a time-flexible (contractible and expandable) resource for presenting the Bible’s big redemptive story in as few as fifteen minutes or as long as twenty or more hours. Designed for evangelistic Bible studies, one-on-one or in small groups, but also helpful in teaching God’s redemptive plan to believers. Includes a study of 40 Bible events (20 Old Testament and 20 New Testament) and Bible maps.
Just as evangelism is a combined divine-human process, so it is with discipleship. True believers will persevere in the faith as disciples of Jesus Christ because God secures them. But, it is also true that God has chosen to use us to “make disciples.”
The Way to Joy is a basic follow-up study designed to lead a new believer through ten important lessons, covering an overview of God’s redemptive plan, the ChronoBridge to Life, security and assurance, the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, personal holiness, witnessing, the local church, and God’s plan for the believer’s life. Each booklet includes a set of Bible memory verse cards and a chapter-per-day Bible reading plan.
A leader-guided foundational Bible study booklet, intended primarily for use as an evangelistic follow-up discipleship study. Its primary intended use is for one-on-one discipleship sessions. However, it can also be used in small group contexts or as a study booklet for new converts classes. It includes ten lessons and a set of Bible memory cards to use in connection with the lessons.
This is a 100+ page Leader's Guide for the The Story of Hope. It includes teaching tips for using The Story of Hope in one-on-one situations, as well as in small group Bible study settings. It also includes answers to the questions in The Story of Hope.
This is a 39 page Leader's Guide for The Way to Joy. This guide, in contrast to Class Facilitator's Guide for The Way to Joy, is primarily focused on one-to-one (or small group) discipleship using The Way to Joy.
For more information or to order these resources, please send a message to info@SowAndHarvest.com.au.
Learn more about translations and other resources for Australia here: www.SowAndHarvest.com.au.
Additional resources may be viewed by visiting this page: GoodSoil.com/Resources.
