The Sower, the Soils, and God’s Promise for His Word in Mark 4


In Mark 4, Jesus tells a parable in which a farmer sows seed in his field. As he scatters, the seed falls on four kinds of soils: on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and then on good soil (vv. 3–8). The sower in the story, as verse 14 makes clear, is the one who declares God’s Word, beginning with Jesus and extending to faithful Bible teachers in every age. Jesus’ parable teaches that whenever God’s Word is faithfully proclaimed, it is met with different kinds of responses.

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Topics: Articles


Hymn: “Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs” by Isaac Watts

Come, let us join our cheerful songs
With angels round the throne.
Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
But all their joys are one.

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Topics: Hymns and Worship


Wallpaper: Firmly Rooted

“The Christian is made strong and firmly rooted by all the trials and storms of life.”
—C.H. Spurgeon

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Topics: Weekly Wallpaper


“Shall I Not Drink the Cup?”: God’s Wrath and His Will

What was Jesus referring to when He asked Peter in the garden of Gethsemane, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” We might be prone to think that the “cup” He mentioned symbolized the physical suffering Christ would meet on the cross—but, as Alistair Begg points out in his sermon “Shall I Not Drink the Cup?,” He probably had something even more momentous in mind:

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Topics: From the Archives


Vital Signs for the Body of Christ

In medicine, certain vital signs—breath in the lungs, a pulse felt on the wrist, movement in the eyes—show that a person is alive. The same is true in the church, spiritually speaking: If a local body is truly alive, a few indicators will make it easy to tell. Where these vital signs are present in a congregation, they prove that Jesus Christ is in fact the head of that body.

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Topics: Articles


Hymn: “We Love the Place, O God” by William Bullock, Rev. Henry W. Baker

We love the place, O God,
Wherein Thine honor dwells;
The joy of Thine abode
All earthly joy excels.

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Topics: Hymns and Worship


Dealing with Hurt from Within the Church? Read Sighing on Sunday

Sighing on Sunday: 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts explores the difficult—but unfortunately not uncommon—circumstances of pain experienced by people from others within the church.

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Topics: Monthly Resources


Wallpaper: Due His Name

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”
Psalm 29:2

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Topics: Weekly Wallpaper


“Because He Loves Us!”

In the final sentence of His prayer in John 17, Jesus declares that He made known God’s name to His disciples and “will continue to make it known.” Then He explains why: “that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” In his final sermon in the series The High Priestly Prayer, Alistair Begg considers where this love comes from and how it is expressed:

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Topics: From the Archives


From the Garden to Glory: A Musical Journey Through the Story of Redemption

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, musicians who are members of Parkside Church were joined by members of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music for a special evening of classical music and a survey of God’s redemptive plan. Beginning with the opening pages of Scripture and concluding with Revelation and the believer’s new home, the concert From the Garden to Glory featured curated musical selections paired with the biblical text to help us reflect on the Bible’s overarching message: the hope found in Jesus alone. As you can see in the video below, each musical theme was accompanied by brief commentary from Alistair Begg.

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Topics: Ministry Updates


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