Daily Devotional
By Pastor Jerry Teboe
A Closer Walk with Christ in 2026
A Walk with the Master Series
The Increase
Mark 4:1-9
Mar 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. Mar 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Mar 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: Mar 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Mar 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: Mar 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Mar 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. Mar 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. Mar 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The parable of the sower is found in each of the synoptic gospels which are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Jesus gave this parable to help His disciples understand all of the parables He would use. To better explain the reason for parables and their meaning, I found a scholar who had a good view which would give clarity to the passage. The following is his synopsis.
Jesus explained the parable and emphasized that knowing it was basic to understanding all parables (Mar_4:13, and see Mat_13:1-23). Unless our hearts are prepared to receive the seed of the Word, we cannot grow in grace or knowledge (2Pe_3:18). The sower originally was Jesus, who came teaching the Word of God (the seed) and seeking a harvest. Today, anyone who shares God’s Word with others is sowing the seed. Like seed, God’s Word is “living and powerful” (Heb_4:12) and, when cultivated, can produce fruit. However, there are forces that fight against the seed bearing fruit: the devil snatches the seed from hard hearts (Mar_4:4, Mar_4:15); the flesh produces a temporary response in shallow hearts (Mar_4:5-6, Mar_4:16-17); and the world smothers the growth in crowded hearts (Mar_4:7, Mar_4:18-19). The good ground represents the prepared heart that receives the seed and produces a harvest in varying degrees (“fruit...more fruit...much fruit,” Joh_15:1-8).
It is significant that three-fourths of the hearts did not produce fruit (they were never truly born again), and the hearts that were fruitful did not all produce “a hundredfold.” As we sow the seed in our preaching, teaching, and witnessing, we must not become discouraged (Gal_6:9; Psa_126:5-6), for God will use His Word as He sees fit, and it will not be wasted.
It is sad to realize that three-fourths of the ground which receives the seed of the Word does not produce fruit. But when the ground, the heart of man, does receive the Word of God, then we can expect a great increase of fruit for the glory of the Lord! This is the reason that we need to keep sowing the seed of the Word, because we do not know when that seed might produce 30, 60, or 100 times more fruit.
Bible Reading for the Year
March 9th, Deuteronomy 11-13; Mark 13-1-13
Prayer Needs
Please pray for Phil Corey in his continual dialysis treatments. He had several procedures done at the hospital, but is home now. Please pray for Michelle and for Doris too.
Pray for Dr. Joe Jordan who will be having an angioplasty on March 12th.
Please pray for the cousin of Sarah Crandall, Margo Fields, who is doing chemo now for colon cancer.
Please pray for Robbie Harvey, Barbara Teboe’s nephew, who has MAC lung disease, and antibiotics are no longer working. Pray for healing!
Please continue to pray for Jennifer Teboe Buchamer. Praise the Lord! Her pain is better. Pray for her healing.
Please pray for Madison Bowers Millwee. She is now at 28 weeks and is doing well. Everything is relatively stable at this point. She will continue modified bedrest until she delivers
Please pray for family members of Phylis Whitley who have some medical issues that will require surgery. Her grandson had surgery at Duke on March 4th. He is at home and doing well.
Please continue to pray for Beth Buchta that her hip will completely heal. She saw the doctor the other day, and found she was overusing her hip. Her recovery can take up to a year.
Please continue to pray for Marvin Silverthorne for his eyesight to improve.
Please continue to pray for Jackson Broome. The transplant took place on February 11th. He came through it well, but is having some trouble with his medication.
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Pray for our Missionaries!
Sue Singleton and the mission in Cambodia
Dr. Joe Jordan and the CBM (Cross and Bible Ministries)
Travis and Caroline Fennessy – IBM missionaries to Southeast Asia