Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 21:1-22:31
Matthew 13:24-46
Proverbs 14:15-24
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Focus Verses: Matthew 13:31-33
31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though
it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the
largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the
air come and perch in its branches." 33 He
told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked
all through the dough."
Insight:
Once
the Kingdom of God gets a little foothold in your life, it takes over. A
mustard seed might be the smallest thing a gardener could plant, but
eventually it dominates and becomes bigger than anything else in the
garden. A minuscule amount of yeast in a large amount of dough will
eventually work its way through the whole batch. It changes everything!
Response and Action:
I
desire the mustard seed and the yeast of the Kingdom of God to take
root and take over in my life. Like the gardener, I must exercise my
desire by giving the mustard seed a place in my garden. Like the woman
making bread, I must mix the yeast into the dough of my life. I am doing
this through faith in Jesus, following him, praying, taking in the
Scriptures, obeying, surrendering, thinking, applying, living, and
seeking the Kingdom first.
If I am faithful to plant
and mix, I will see the seed and the yeast (the truth and life of the
Kingdom) become the most dominant and influential element of my life.
The transforming power of the Kingdom of Christ will change everything.
O
God, I long to be receptive and fertile soil for the seed of your
Kingdom. May the power and grace of your Holy Spirit work its way
through every aspect and dimension of my life. I want your ways to be my
ways. I want my heart and mind to be controlled and shaped by your
truth. Guide me, give me wisdom, and transform me that I might delight
in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Through
Christ, I pray. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Galatians 2:20
20 I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives
in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
Resources:
The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time
by Tom Sine and Shane Claiborne
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