Seeds of Worship

Matthew 13:31-32

"He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."

It does seem like a lot of the time, the really good things start small, doesn't it? Really small... I think I feel like a mustard seed most of the time too, a small capsule of a man, one of the 7 billion or so on a small blue dot in a vast sea of black. And yet, the promise for us all is that whether within ourselves or with a gift we've been given, the potential is great, "greater than we could think or imagine," as 1 Corinthians 2:9 says.

The Palm House is a mustard seed, and the kids that come are mustard seeds. The ministry we do is all mustard seeds. The Lord is the gardener, tending to it all with love, care, and in His perfect timing.

One seed we've been given is a worship event for the community. A friend of mine hosted a creative worship night several months ago, and after I went I felt like God was stirring me to do something similar. We planned the event for the same time that we were hosting a team from Youth With A Mission. Six different teams from six different churches came and united in worship. It was a powerful time of encountering God, and we have continued to get vision for the future.

Last night was the third worship night. All of these events have been at a prayer room connected to Love and Care, where we coordinate a free meal for the homeless every Sunday. Its a perfect segway for this group to come from getting their physical needs met to getting their spiritual needs met, as well as for us to just walk next door after serving there.

What we are seeing is this mustard seed sprouting new life. We are seeing it break ground and grow. We are seeing people get touched by God in only the way the Holy Spirit can do. We have seen people get physical healing in their bodies, we have seen people receive freedom in their hearts and minds, and we have seen the joy of the Lord released. We have seen the community of Abilene come together in worship for Jesus, and the homeless, broken, young and old all united as one for the ONE....

All of this was a seed. A desire. A dream. And I am seeing it unfold before me just as Gods word says, "becoming a tree that the birds come and perch in its branches." People are coming to be a part of something bigger than us. Proverbs 13:12 says "Hope restored/longing fulfilled/dreams fulfilled is a tree of life."

I am so excited to see this mustard grow. The Palm House has so many seeds that the Lord is growing into trees bigger than we can know. When we submit our will to His and release our desires and dreams to Him, He can take the smallest of seeds and birth unimaginable goodness from it.

My question for you is this: What seeds are you holding? What has God placed in side your heart that you want to see become something? Are you afraid of not knowing what to do with them? I was too! I didnt know what I was doing! I had to humble myself and ask for help, direction, wisdom... I had to give up control. I had to simply say: "yes." I didn't know much else, but yes was enough. God took it and is bulding it, and teaching me how to hold it in the process. He is also really good at putting the right people around you to help cultivate the seed. "We know in part and prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9) We can't know everything. We can't have all the answers. We need God's power and we need each other...

God promises so much to those who will trust him... He loves to take the insignificant things and make them great. We are all small mustard seeds in the palm of His hand. We all have seeds in our own palms that He wants us to partner with Him in planting.

Mustard seeds. They are amazing, funny things. The smallest of seeds, yet bursting with promise. Just like you...