Scripture:
Matthew 13:31-35
Quick Summary:
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard
seed that is planted and then grows to a large plant. It is also like yeast
that is small when added, but then works through the whole dough and makes it
large.
The Point:
God can take our little work, and make a
big transformation.
Questions for Family Time:
1.What is the kingdom of heaven like?
a. mustard seed.
2. How?
a.
When you plant a mustard seed it so tiny, but then with time it grows all by
itself into a really big plant.
3.What is the kingdom of heaven like?
a. yeast.
4. How?
a. Yeast is also
small, but it is worked into the other ingredients and then over time it makes
the whole bread rise.
5. How are those attributes like the kingdom of heaven?
a. We may do something that seems small
for God’s kingdom, but God can take it and do something big, something
transformative. All he needs is a little time.
Deeper:
The problems of our
world today are vast and enormous. So big, that one person cannot make much of
a dent in them. Violence, Suffering, Poverty.
But Jesus
encourages us that actually we can make a difference. No matter how small we
are, God can take the little we offer and do something transformative with it.
There is a popular story of a man picking up starfish off a beach completely
covered with them. He is asked why he bothers when he cannot save most of their
lives. He picks one up and says, “True, but I can save this one’s life.” This
story reminds us that even little things can have a big impact on another
person.
But Jesus stretches
this concept even further with his parable. He says that God can take a small
act and when we leave it alone, He makes it into something greater. Even when
we have walked away from the garden, or left the bread on the counter, God is
doing something with it that we cannot. Something more than what we can do. God
does not stop when we stop. He keeps on working. He keeps on healing the
brokenness.
This is why when we
invite someone to Junior group and they don’t come, we haven’t failed. It’s why
when we put on community activity and no one new comes to church that next week
we haven’t failed. It’s why when we try to start a transformative program in
our community we may not see results for months or years. Sometimes our work
for God’s kingdom takes time.
In 2014, my kids
experienced their first group of learning God’s word with others. That first
year, 12 kids gathered in the church basement. Faithful adults worked hard to
share God’s love with these kids. In 2017, that group had expanded through
invitation and excitement of those 12 kids to a record number of 49 kids. Through
this program 10 people, ages spanning from infant to 60s, began attending
church regularly and joined the church.
In 2013, a small
country church started raising funds for megachurch pastors in Sierra Leone to
get seminary degrees so that they could begin a seminary in Sierra Leone. In
2018, those men graduated with the help of Indiana Conference and other local
churches.
We often feel too
small to do something truly powerful in the world. We often feel like a failure
when we see the same 12 kids for a year. In those moments, it is always good to
remember that we serve a living God and long after we have given up or finished
our job, he is at work growing something much bigger than we could have
imagined.
Personal Reflection:
When have you seen God transform your
small deed into something big?
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