The Dermott news., 1918-02-14
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL StJNIMSQlO0L
 LESSON (By F. O. SELLERS. Acting Director of the Sunday School Course of the Moody Bible Institute, Chcago) tCopyright. l9t7. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY IT
JESUS TEACHING FIVE PARALLELS
 -FOUR KINDS OF GROUND.

LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:1-20
 GOLDEN TEXT-Take heed therefore how ye hear.-Luke SIS
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR TEACHERS Matt 131-3o: S6-43
 PRIMARY ToPIC-Jesus telling a story about sowing seed
 PRIMARY MEMORY vERSE-Be ye doers of the word.-James l22.
 Jesus tells us plainly why he taught so much by means of parables { Matt. hence the parable, that those to whom IL was given to know the messages of the kingdom, those who sought 1t, might know and understand, and that to the others It might be hidden (Mark i II. 12). Like all his parables. Jesus experiences of life-thc field, the home, etc. Paul draws his illustrations chief ly from the city, the army. the market. In studying this lesson we must turn to the parallel account as given by Luke and Matthew to get the full and complete picture.
 What is the seed? Luke says that Jesus told his disciples that the seed wns the Word of God Uuke 1S:1D. We get the same thought in verse four teen of the lesson. A great deal Is be- Ing made today of seed selection. Some wonderful results have been obtained. How much more important for those of us who deal with immortal souls that We select the best seed. 1. c.. the Word of God.
 The second consideration Ia the sower (v. D. Notice he went forth not to soar not is Ii recorded that he was sore" because the people did not all receive the seed alike. He did not have Erouch: he did not enter into his work that he might receive the adulation of men (Matt. G:2). It is, however. the "soil" that seems to be teaching and also the explanation of the parable. There are four kinds of soil. The manner by which the seed came into contact with each kind of soil Is significant. Some fell "by" the wayside; the path was we'll trodden;
  was used for other purposes than to yield n harvest: 1t was hard to be broken. and hence 1t was an easy mat ter fer the birds of the air (v. 15) to come and pluck 1t away. We need to remember that if men receive with meckness the implanted word, there will, of course. be no such opportunity for the evil one. The trouble in this case was that the Word was not i'm planted. Thus 1t Is that one-fourth of the seed Is lost. The result Is n deplor able one as we see from Heb. ? :1-4. Is the soil of our life so hard that God must drive the plowshare clean through it ere there is chance for the seed to take root? CPS. 129 :S).
 The next fell Ion" the rocky ground. The first iS n picture of the hardened. and this iS a picture of the superficial nearer. For time they did run we'll. They even received the Word with gladneSs (v. 16), but they had no sta hility because they had no root. They were superficial. There was no chance for the seed to get Il real grip on their lives. The earth yields Its increase though we do not understand. So God will add his % per cent to our 0 per cent. The oak tree comes from small seed.
 In the third place Jesus speaks of the seed that fell among" the thorns. Here Is the worldly soil. IL Is not so much the character of the soil, it is the character If that which already oc- cupicd the soil ere the sower sowed the seed. The cares of this world. the deceitfulness of riches and "other things" had SD entered in that the good seed never had n chance in the soil of the human heart. II was choked and yielded no fruit. There was no real grip of the Will. no whole-heurtcd surrender. The cares of life that keep the housewife or the business man: the dcceitfulnesS of riches that snare men and choke the word which al one time gave such promise in their lives; the lusts and other things which the evil one knows So we'll how to use keep Us from the Word. for satan knows that by 1t We are to be saved duke 1s;t2l. Are We lmpulsive? Do We make VOWS soon forgotten, ties that soon fade away or fall beneath the temptations for lack of root3 May God blast aud turn up the SubsoiI of om hearts by strong convictions of sin. and So occupy the soil that there Is no opportunity for other things.
 We have thus seen three-fourths of the serd lost. of the remaining fourth. that which fell into" (R. v.) the good soil not a0 yielded the same return. IL all brought forth ty. D it ull yielded; tall sprang mp. but not ail Ia the same ratjo.
 There are three distinguishing fea- ta of this last kind of hearers; CD They htar the Word These are the ones who appreciate ifs value and give good heed to its preeepts. (2) They ac- cept il e. <. they understand It's teach ings. They take it lnto good and hon