Book of Common Prayer

5 So try to be like God, because you are his own dear children.

² Love others as Christ has loved us. He gave his life for us, a sweet smelling offering and a sacrifice to God.

³ As God's people, you should not even talk about wrong living, any kind of wrong sex or wanting things you cannot have.

⁴ There should be no dirty talk, no foolish talk, no funny stories with a wrong meaning. This is not a good way to talk. But what you should do is thank God.

⁵ You know this. There are people who use sex wrongly, and who are always wanting what others have. No such a person has any place in the kingdom of Christ and of God. He is worshipping an idol.

⁶ Do not let anyone fool you by their empty talk. It is because people do these wrong things that God is very angry. He is angry with the people who do not obey him.

⁷ So then, have nothing to do with them.

⁸ You were in the dark before, but now the Lord has given you light. Live like people who have the light.

⁹ People who have the light do all that is good and right and true.

¹⁰ Learn what pleases the Lord.

¹¹ Have no part in the empty things people do in the dark. Show them that they are wrong.

¹² It is a shame even to talk about the things they do in secret.

¹³ But when the light shines on something, it can be seen. Anything that shows up wrong ways is light.

¹⁴ So it is said, `Wake up, you who are asleep! Rise from death. And Christ will give you light.'

4 Jesus began to teach people by the sea again. Many people came to him. So he got in a boat on the sea and sat down. The people were by the sea on the land.

² He told the people stories and taught them many things.

³ He said, `Listen. A man went out to sow some seed.

⁴ As he sowed it, some of the seed fell on the road. Birds came and ate the seed.

⁵ Some seed fell on the stony ground. Not much ground covered the stones. The seed started to grow right away because it was not deep in the ground.

⁶ When the sun began to shine, it was too hot for the new plants. They died because they had no roots.

⁷ Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die. So no seeds grew on them.

⁸ But some seed fell on good ground. That seed grew and the plants gave more seed. Some plants gave thirty seeds. Some gave sixty. And some gave a hundred.'

⁹ Jesus said to them, `Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'

¹⁰ Later, Jesus was alone. Then the twelve disciples and the other people who were there asked him about the stories.

¹¹ He said to them, `You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But we must use stories to tell the other people.

¹² `They may look and look, but they will not see. They may listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did understand, they would turn back to God and he would forgive them for the wrong things they have done.'

¹³ Jesus said also, `Do you not understand this story? How then are you going to understand all the stories?

¹⁴ The man who sows the seed tells God's message.

¹⁵ Those beside the road are like people who hear the message. But as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes it out of their hearts

¹⁶ The seed that fell on the stony ground is the same. It is like people who hear the message and as soon as they hear it they are very glad.

¹⁷ They believe it for a short time. When trouble or a hard time comes because of the message, they stop believing.

¹⁸ The seed that fell among the weeds is like people who hear the message.

¹⁹ But they think about the things of this world. They want to get money and other things to be happy. These things push the message out of their hearts. No good comes from it.

²⁰ But some seed fell on good ground. That is like people who hear the message and understand it. Much good comes from it. Some people are like the seed that made thirty seeds. Some people are like the seed that gave sixty. Some people are like the seed that gave a hundred.'