Mk 3:31-4:25

• Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother (v35)
• Jesus' mother and brother came to look for him (v32)
• when other told him that, he said, 'who are my mother and my brothers?'
  
• the Bible didn't say Jesus stopped his preaching immediately and went outside to see his visiting family, instead he continued and gave a broader definition of his mother and his brother;
• the Bible didn't say why his mother and his brother came, but I take it as personal matters (or family issues) should be secondary compared to God's calling of one's life;
• In John 19:26-27, Jesus had a new definition of son for his mother. While on the cross, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son.' The son was probably his disciple John. And as if that's not enough to settle the matter, he said to John, 'Here is your mother.'
  
• The parable of the Sower
• I'm most interested in what's causing the 3rd type to fail--making it unfruitful (v19)?
• worries of this life
• deceitfulness of wealth
• desire for other things
• I think I'm this type (or 'Category-III'); who doesn't have worries? isn't wealth still an attraction? Oh, and speaking of other desires, the list is long for me. Now the real question is how to prevent a complete failure. Part of the answer is probably in God's hand, but there're certainly things within my own control. Perhaps I can learn from the Category-IV people. How do they produce a crop--30, 60, and 100 folds? Perhaps when one turn his focus on Jesus, the rest will fall into place. And that's something my conscious can control. So here's the key: Turn your eyes upon Jesus...
• Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed; whatever concealed brought out into open; first off, no one can hide anything from God. God is a spirit, and He is omnipresent; secondly, can one really deceive oneself and one's conscience? We know what's right and wrong (sometimes more clearer than others), we just ignore the speaking of our conscience.