Parables: The Sower (2016.06.05 Sermon)

John Chandler kicked off our summer of looking at Jesus’ parables with the Parable of the Sower.

Quotes and links mentioned:

Jesus’ Word brings into this world the otherworldly power of the coming kingdom of God. — Dale Bruner
The kingdom of God that Jesus brings is—surprise!—present in our midst in weakness (in seeds!), in the simple Word of Jesus. — Davies and Allison
The idea of the catholicity of the kingdom – the insistence that it is at work everywhere, always, and for all, rather than in some places, at some times, and for some people – is an integral part of Jesus’ teaching from start to finish. — Robert Farrar Capon
Deep work: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate. — Cal Newport
Deep work is at a severe disadvantage in a technopoly because it builds on values like quality, craftsmanship, and mastery that are decidedly old-fashioned and non technological. — Cal Newport
The key to developing a deep work habit is to move beyond good intentions and add routines and rituals to your working life designed to minimize the amount of your limited willpower necessary to transition into and maintain a state of unbroken concentration. — Cal Newport