The Story of the Farmer’s Seeds: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 8:4-15

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 8:4-21 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 8:4-15 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 8:4-15 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever planted a seed or grown a plant? What happened to it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn a story Jesus told about a farmer planting seeds. We will hear what the story means and how people can hear God’s message in different ways.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

crop: (noun) Plants that a farmer grows for food.
devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
grain: (noun) The seeds of plants like wheat used for food.
produce: (verb) To make or grow something.
root: (noun) The part of a plant that grows under the ground.
scatter: (verb) To throw things in different directions.
seed: (noun) The small part of a plant that a new plant grows from.
sow: (verb) To plant seeds in the ground.
thorny weed: (phrase) A wild plant with sharp points that can hurt if you touch it.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

accept: (verb) To take something that is given to you.
crop: (noun) Plants that a farmer grows for food.
deep: (adjective) Going a long way down from the top.
devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
explain: (verb) To make something easy to understand.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
grain: (noun) The seeds of plants like wheat used for food.
ground: (noun) The solid surface of the earth.
heart: (noun) The part of a person where they feel and think.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
patiently: (adverb) Doing something while waiting calmly.
produce: (verb) To make or grow something.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
root: (noun) The part of a plant that grows under the ground.
scatter: (verb) To throw things in different directions.
seed: (noun) The small part of a plant that a new plant grows from.
sow: (verb) To plant seeds in the ground.
thorny weed: (phrase) A wild plant with sharp points that can hurt if you touch it.
truth: (noun) The things that are real and true.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

accept: (verb) To take something that is given to you.
among: (preposition) In the middle of a group of people or things.
ate: (verb) To have put food in your mouth and swallowed it.
because: (conjunction) For the reason that.
began: (verb) To have started something.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
beside: (preposition) Next to someone or something.
bird: (noun) An animal with wings and feathers that can fly.
call out: (phrase) To shout or say something in a loud voice so others can hear.
cause: (verb) To make something happen.
chosen: (adjective) Picked by God for a special reason.
crop: (noun) Plants that a farmer grows for food.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
deep: (adjective) Going a long way down from the top.
devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
died: (verb) To have stopped living.
explain: (verb) To make something easy to understand.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
fell: (verb) To have dropped down to the ground.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
gladly: (adverb) Doing something in a happy way.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
grain: (noun) The seeds of plants like wheat used for food.
grew: (verb) To have become larger or older.
ground: (noun) The solid surface of the earth.
grow: (verb) To become bigger or older.
heart: (noun) The part of a person where they feel and think.
honest: (adjective) Always telling the truth and not stealing.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
keep: (verb) To hold onto something or to continue to have it.
later: (adverb) At a time in the future.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
life: (noun) The state of being alive.
made: (verb) To have created or built something.
mean: (verb) To have a specific idea or sense.
more: (adjective) A larger amount of something.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
path: (noun) A narrow way for walking.
patiently: (adverb) Doing something while waiting calmly.
plant: (noun) A living thing that grows in the earth.
pleasure: (noun) A feeling of happiness or enjoyment.
produce: (verb) To make or grow something.
rest: (noun) The part that is left over.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
road: (noun) A path for people or cars to travel on.
rock: (noun) A hard piece of stone from the ground.
root: (noun) The part of a plant that grows under the ground.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
scatter: (verb) To throw things in different directions.
secret: (noun) Something that is hidden or not told to others.
seed: (noun) The small part of a plant that a new plant grows from.
some: (adjective) An amount that is not specific.
sow: (verb) To plant seeds in the ground.
stop: (verb) To finish doing something.
thorny weed: (phrase) A wild plant with sharp points that can hurt if you touch it.
times: (noun) The number of times something happens or is repeated.
together: (adverb) With each other.
trouble: (noun) A problem or a difficult situation.
truth: (noun) The things that are real and true.
turn away: (phrase) To stop following or believing in someone or something.
use: (verb) To do something with a tool or an object.
walk: (verb) To move by putting one foot in front of the other.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
worry: (verb) To feel unhappy because you are thinking about problems.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a story Jesus shared with a large group of people. Many people followed Jesus because they wanted to hear his words about God. One day, Jesus told a simple story called a parable. A parable is a story with a special meaning. This special meaning is sometimes called a secret truth. Jesus used these stories to help people who really wanted to learn.

Jesus spoke about a man who went out to plant seeds. Some seeds fell on a path and birds ate them. Some fell on rocky ground, and they started to grow but quickly dried up because they had no water. Some seeds fell into thorn bushes, and the plants were choked by the sharp plants around them. But some seeds fell on good ground, grew strong, and gave many good grains.

Later, Jesus explained what the story meant. The seed is like God’s message to people. Some people hear God’s word, but forget it quickly. Some are happy to hear it at first, but give up when life gets hard. Some people let worries, money, and fun things stop them from following God. But some people hear God’s message, keep it in their hearts, and grow good things in their lives by trusting and obeying God.

This passage teaches us that people listen to God’s message in different ways. It shows us that we should listen with open hearts, keep God’s word inside, and stay strong even when life is hard.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

A Story About a Farmer Sowing Seed
4 A large crowd came together.
People came to Jesus from every town, and he told them this story:
5 “A farmer went out to sow seed.
While he was scattering the seed, some of it fell beside the road.
People walked on the seed, and the birds ate it all.
6 Other seed fell on rock.
It began to grow but then died because it had no water.
7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds.
This seed grew, but later the weeds stopped the plants from growing.
8 The rest of the seed fell on good ground.
This seed grew and made 100 times more grain.”
Jesus finished the story.
Then he called out,
“You people who hear me, listen!”
9 Jesus’ followers asked him,
“What does this story mean?”
10 He said,
“You have been chosen to know the secret truths about God’s kingdom.
But I use stories to speak to other people.
I do this so that
‘They will look,
but they will not see,
and they will listen,
but they will not understand.’
Jesus Explains the Story About Seed
11 “This is what the story means:
The seed is God’s teaching.
12 Some people are like the seed that fell beside the path.
They hear God’s teaching, but then the devil comes and causes them to stop thinking about it.
This keeps them from believing it and being saved.
13 Others are like the seed that fell on rock.
That is like the people who hear God’s teaching and gladly accept it.
But they don’t have deep roots.
They believe for a while.
But when trouble comes, they turn away from God.
14 “What about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds?
That is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life stop them from growing.
So they never produce a crop.
15 And what about the seed that fell on the good ground?
That is like the people who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart.
They obey it and patiently produce a good crop.
Luke 8:4-15 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 8:4-15 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 8:4-15 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 8:4-15 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 8:4-15 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 8:4-15 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 8:4-15 (ESV)

Luke 8:4-15 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What did Jesus do when a big crowd came to him?
What is a secret truth in a story?
What happened to the seeds that fell on the path?
What happened to the seeds that fell on rocky ground?
What happened to the seeds that fell among thorn bushes?
What happened to the seeds that fell in good ground?
What does the seed in the story mean?
Why do some people forget God’s message?
What makes some people stop believing when life gets hard?
What kinds of things can crowd out God’s word in people’s lives?
What kind of heart should people have when they hear God’s word?

Application Questions

Why do you think Jesus used stories to teach people about God?
What are some things that make it hard to follow God today?
What can help you keep God’s message in your heart?
Who in your life helps you grow strong in faith, like a good plant in good ground?