{"id":273,"date":"2012-11-21T06:00:01","date_gmt":"2012-11-21T06:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/first15\/2012\/11\/the-parable-of-the-mustard-seed\/"},"modified":"2012-11-21T06:00:01","modified_gmt":"2012-11-21T06:00:01","slug":"the-parable-of-the-mustard-seed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/first15\/2012\/11\/the-parable-of-the-mustard-seed\/","title":{"rendered":"The Parable of the Mustard Seed"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Weekly Overview:<\/h2>\n<p>Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God\u2019s heart of pursuit and love. This week we\u2019re going to spend time allowing the parables of Jesus to speak directly to our situations, mindsets, and core beliefs about who God is. Open your heart and mind to be transformed by the powerful and captivating stories of Jesus.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Scripture:<\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.&#8221;<\/em> Matthew 13:31-32<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"worship\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Worship:<\/h2>\n<h3>Our Father by Bethel Live featuring Jenn Johnson<\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; margin: auto auto 30px auto; width: 100%; float:left;\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; float: left; border: 1px solid #000000; background-color: #484846; padding: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -khtml-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px;\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ln9Ls_fIqe0?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<h2>Devotional:<\/h2>\n<p>Jesus tells a beautiful parable of the kingdom of God in Matthew 12:31-32. He teaches, <em>\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.&#8221;<\/em> Trees are beautiful pictures of God\u2019s ability to take what we view as weak or insignificant, a seed, and make a magnificent and life-giving creation out of it. And Matthew 12 reveals how trees can be viewed as pictures of the very kingdom of their Creator. It\u2019s remarkable that God would begin his kingdom small and grow it by his faithful stewardship into a beautiful and life-giving creation.<\/p>\n<p>God took the seed of the death of one man, Jesus, to create a beautiful tree of salvation for all of humanity. John 3:17 says,<em> \u201cFor God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.&#8221;<\/em> Our heavenly Father\u2019s wrath over our sin poured out on Jesus allowed God to free the rest of us from eternal condemnation. And through the seed of Jesus\u2019 death, God has been creating a powerful and eternal global movement, bringing people to restored relationship with himself across thousands of years. Just as the mustard seed grows large enough to become a tree in which birds make their home, the kingdom of God has transferred our citizenship to a new home with him. Philippians 3:20 says, <em>\u201cBut our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.&#8221;<\/em> John 15:19 says, <em>\u201cIf you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.&#8221;<\/em> The kingdom of God established through Christ has saved us from slavery to this world and ransomed us back into restored relationship with our heavenly Father.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does the parable describe the incredible expanse of God\u2019s kingdom from a few to many, it can also illustrate the seed of salvation planted within each of us that God intends to grow into a beautiful and fruit-bearing tree. Luke 17:21 says, <em>\u201cThe kingdom of God is in the midst of you.&#8221;<\/em> God\u2019s kingdom is not built of brick and mortar, but of human hearts. And 1 Peter 2:2 commands us, <em>\u201cLike newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.&#8221;<\/em> God\u2019s desire is to water the seed of salvation he\u2019s planted in us with the Spirit and the word. He longs to mold and shape us into the likeness of Jesus, that we might live lives that bear incredible life-giving fruit. Hosea 14:4-7 illustrates God\u2019s heart beautifully when it says, <em>\u201cI will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.&#8221;<\/em> God wants to constantly steward this gift of salvation in each of us, as he does with the global advancement of his kingdom, that we might bear the wonderful fruit of the Spirit in every area of our lives.<\/p>\n<p>And God is so patient with us. The earth illustrates his patience. Trees grow year after year, season to season by his faithful stewardship. Flowers never begin as beautiful as they are in full bloom. The earth is constantly undergoing abundant transformation as God\u2019s creation grows and changes. You and I are no different. God\u2019s plan has always been to mold us into beautiful pictures of his love. He\u2019s always longed to fashion us until we walk in full, restored relationship with him. And by the life and death of Christ, he\u2019s paved the way for his desires to come to fruition. All that\u2019s left is for us to engage fully in this wonderful process he\u2019s created for us. Engage in the growth he longs to birth in you by spending time in his presence and his word. Allow his gaze to transform you into his likeness. Live in obedience to the word, and allow it to lead you to an unconformed life in this world. Follow the guidance of the Spirit as he brings healing to your heart and fruit in your life.<\/p>\n<p>Spend time in prayer allowing God to work in your heart today.<\/p>\n<h2>Guided Prayer:<\/h2>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<p>\u00a0<strong>1. Meditate on God\u2019s desire to grow the seed of salvation he\u2019s planted within you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.&#8221;<\/em> Hosea 14:4-7<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Where do you need growth in your own life?<\/strong> Where do you need to bear more fruit?<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Ask the Spirit to fill you anew today.<\/strong> Be filled with the presence of God and allow his love to mold and shape you into his likeness. Ask the Spirit to guide you into areas in where he wants to grow you today. Find Scripture that pertains to those areas in which you need growth and live in obedience to God\u2019s word.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAnd we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.&#8221;<\/em> 2 Corinthians 3:18-19<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>How great is God\u2019s love for us that he doesn\u2019t leave us where we are but is always transforming us! In the blink of an eye, God sees who we\u2019ve been, who we are, and who we will be. He knows your form, how he\u2019s created you, and what you were born to do. The more time you spend allowing him to transform you, the more you will understand yourself. May you discover and engage with all that your heavenly Father wants to do in you through his love today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Extended Reading:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John+15&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John 15<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weekly Overview: Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God&#8217;s heart of pursuit and love. This week we&#8217;re going to spend time allowing the parables of Jesus to speak directly to our situations,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":636,"featured_media":276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first15"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Parable of the Mustard Seed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Weekly Overview: Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God&#8217;s heart of pursuit and love. 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