The Lord used parables to teach, but what exactly is a parable?
I looked up the definition for a 'parable' and this is what I found:
A Parable is defined as: 'A brief story used to teach some truth or moral lesson.'

Well that 'definition' didn't help me at all, then I came upon a 'bomb' in The Book of Proverbs. Did you know that this book actually tells you its use? (what its used for).

Take a look, here is what I found:

FACT:	--> The simple will be endowed with shrewdness and the young with knowledge 
	and discretion.  
	--> By listening to them the wise will increase their learning, 
	and those with 	understanding will acquire skill to understand proverbs 
	and PARABLES, the sayings and RIDDLES of the wise.

- Proverbs 1:4-6

So a Parable is 'a riddle of the wise.'
At first, The Book of Proverbs may seem like some guy talking about life, morals and other things that pertain to life.
But you will soon see, this book is like a big jigsaw puzzle.
When you start to study it, your nose is like, an inch from this jigsaw of a book.
Then as you read it through, then bend down and study this book, your mind will start to get 'structured'.
At the end of this page is one technique to study The Book of Proverbs.

Further, if you study the book of Proverbs, you will be able to construct parables of your own.
If you can do this, you can then understand the parables of others.

Just like a Carpenter can appreciate - [ better than the untrained eye ] - the work of a Master Carpenter, so, if you can construct your own parables,
you can begin to understand the parables of The Lord.

A king calls 4 adults and 1 child to his palace. To each, the king gives a box and orders them to open it and whatever is inside, is theirs to keep.

The king then leaves them.

Each of the adults opens their box to see that inside, is a gift of finely crafted glassware.
Each then run out to thank the king for the precious gift he gave them.
The four adults go home happy.

The child, now alone, opens her box, and also sees finely crafted glassware inside.
But she also NOTICES the box is still heavy.
So, she looks further and notices that within the box is another concealed compartment.

She then opens this compartment to see a bag full of pure gold!
The child then races into the king's chamber and thanks the king for the glassware AND the bag of gold.
The king immediately calls in a servant to retrieve the 4 other boxes thrown away by the adults.

The child walks away from the palace with fine glassware and FIVE bags of pure gold.

For the next 6 months study this book in the following way:
Since this book has 31 chapters, consider then one month to have 31 days.

Month 1: Read 1 chapter a day. Study, but do not 'memorize', this is just to prepare your mind.
NOTE: If you forget a day, just start off where you left off. (This is for all six months)
Month 2: Read 5 chapters a day. The same technique as above.
Month 3: Read 7 chapters a day.

The previous months, you fed your soul through your eyes.
Now, for months 4-6, you are to feed your soul through your ears!

For the next 3 months, record the book (in your own voice) on a tape.
It doesn't matter how long it takes you to record it, a week, 2 weeks (etc)

Then, after you have finished recording it:

Month 4: Listen to about 4-5 chapters a day.
For Months 5 and 6: , listen to as many chapters as you wish.

Start to see how the proverbs are connected.
Start to form your own proverbs and parables.

After six months of study, use the recordings when you wish.

This is just the beginning of a Christian's personal quest for TRUE KNOWLEDGE (This requires guts of steel).

You can do it!
Good Luck!