Scripture referenced 5 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Luke 13:10-21 the main text, read in full, covering the bent woman healed on the Sabbath and the parables of the mustard seed and yeast
10 He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.
11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.”
13 He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God.
14 The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”
15 Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water?
16 Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
18 He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”
20 Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom?
21 It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Philippians 1:6
quoted to introduce the idea that God who began a good work will continue it until the day Jesus returns
6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Luke 12:32
quoted to show that it gives the Father great happiness to give us His kingdom
32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Ezekiel (chapter not specified)
quoted as an Old Testament prophecy using the same language of birds nesting in branches, pointing to God's desire to give all peoples safety in His kingdom
Keep this verseHebrews (chapter and verse not specified)
closing encouragement to hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise
Keep this verseRecap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The message this Sunday centered on the parable of the mustard seed from Luke 13, using it to paint a picture of God's kingdom as something that starts small and grows beyond what anyone could manage on their own. The pastor connected that parable to the healing of the crippled woman in the same passage, and to the wider promise that the good work God begins in people, he will see through to the end.
What was said
The sermon opened with a poem read before the text, about the marks of growth that God produces in a person's life over time. The recurring line was that "he who began this good work in you will see it through," drawing from Philippians 1:6. That framing set up the whole message: growth in God's kingdom is not something people manufacture, it is something God does.
Before moving to the parable, the pastor spent time on the healing that opens Luke 13:10-21. A woman bent double for eighteen years is healed by Jesus on the Sabbath, and the leader of the synagogue responds with indignation rather than wonder. The pastor held those two reactions side by side. One person, the religious leader, was shooting arrows and missing the mark. The other, the woman, "praised God." The crowd rejoiced. He said that rejoicing is what it looks like when God pulls people toward the center of his love and truth.
That phrase, "the center of his love and truth," became a thread through the rest of the message. The pastor used a slide showing the contrast between what comes naturally, anger, jealousy, selfishness, and what the Spirit produces. He was careful to say he is not calling out the synagogue leader without calling out himself. Missing the mark, he said, requires no effort at all. Yielding to God is the daily work.
The parable itself: Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed planted in a garden. It grows into a tree, and the birds nest in its branches. The pastor showed an animated map of how Christianity has spread since its beginning, and noted that roughly two billion people in the world today identify as Christians. That is the mustard seed becoming a tree, playing out over two thousand years.
He pointed to the detail about the birds nesting in the branches and connected it to a passage in Ezekiel where God promises a cedar that will grow on Israel's highest mountain and that "birds of every sort will nest in it." That Old Testament image, he said, is a prophecy about Jesus and his kingdom, showing God's desire to give every tribe, nation, and tongue a place of shelter in his family tree.
The pastor returned more than once to Luke 12:32: "It gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom." His point was that the kingdom is received, not earned. Everything he said about growth and fruit and yielding came back to the gospel: Jesus lived the perfect life, died in our place, and rose again. Baptism, he noted, is a picture of exactly that exchange, old nature buried, new life raised.
He closed by saying the tree that is God's kingdom cannot be cut down. Attempts throughout history to wipe out the faith have not stopped its growth. The invitation, both for people in the room and for anyone they encounter, is to find a place in the branches. The final verse he left with the congregation was from Hebrews: "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- The sermon contrasted the synagogue leader's reaction to the healing with the crowd's response. Where do you see yourself in that story, and when have you caught yourself aiming in the wrong direction the way the leader was?
- The pastor talked about yielding our will to God as an everyday, moment-by-moment thing rather than a one-time event. What does that actually look like in a regular day for you?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 4,830 words
0:00
Speaker 2Good morning, church family. Will you please stand up? Let's worship God this morning. Amen? As you know, it's always a privilege to be here.
0:08
I I think this is my statement. I should label that as Florine's statement. It's good to be here. Amen? Let's worship God.
0:18
Let's feel God's presence in this place. And actually, let's start a little bit different this morning. Can we spend one minute in silent when we can have a a a quick prayer in our mind? Let's do that. Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us the privilege to be here.
0:44
Help us to have a great time in your name. Please speak to us. Touch our hearts. And thank you for salvation through Jesus Christ. In his name I'm praying, amen.
0:55
Amen. Let's sing together.
4:07
Speaker 1Morning everybody. You can have a seat. I've got a few things just to put out in front of you. But I first want to just say good morning. I am really glad to see you all.
4:16
I see that some of you got more sun than you probably intended to yesterday. But how can you not, right? It is so nice to see it again. Here's something, Monday night, tomorrow night is Monday night. We always have a meal music message, right down the hall in there.
4:34
It's great. Know that you're
4:35
Speaker 2always
4:35
Speaker 1invited. Tomorrow, Paco and Didi, they're sitting right over here if they could... You look sharp today, you too. These two have an incredible testimony. And so, tomorrow what I asked is if they would share how they met Jesus, how they met one another, and where God is taking them.
4:58
And I think that you will find it to be very, very encouraging. So tomorrow, if you'd like, know that we're meeting there at 06:00, meal, music, and message. Paco and Divi are gonna be with us. Alright? Awana, that's tomorrow.
5:14
06:00 same time as Monday night. Kids are here. I think we're kinda winding down. Is tomorrow anything special? Is there an Awana store?
5:24
Starting cars out. To And Awana store too. That's huge. Big prizes. Good prizes.
5:34
Kids, don't miss it. Okay, Iwana. Youth group, Tuesday night, 06:30 to eight right here as far as I know, but standby for details. Okay. That's still on.
5:48
Okay. Alright. Thank you, Nick. Mark your calendars. Here's something that is coming up.
5:53
Bar J Chuck Wagon, benefit for the turning point, a supper and that is Tuesday, May 29 at 7PM. Anything to add to that Diane? Don't show up at seven, you want to serve at 05:30. Yep, but right now let's mark those calendars. Get it right up here.
6:16
Turning Point Fundraiser, alright? Here's another thing to mark your calendars for, VBS is coming already. And so the dates for that are June 25 through June 27. We've got some excited kids already. It's gonna be fun.
6:32
So mark your calendars for that and know this, that you can register your kids online for VBS. In fact, that is the preferred method from what I understand, right? Okay. So yep, through the website at firstbjackson.org. So VBS is coming up.
6:50
Another thing I'd like to mention is this is Billy and Sue McDaniel and if we're live, just waving to them right now to say happy fiftieth anniversary. Yeah. Congratulations. And so Ray is at home right now celebrating with them but, that's a big deal and we want to celebrate that. So happy anniversary Billy and Sue.
7:20
They look even better, don't they? All other announcements, please check your bulletins and let's take a minute just to stand up and say hi to one another. We'll bring you back in song.
8:34
Speaker 2Let's sing together. Build your kingdom here. Amen. And we can be part of that awesome project. Amen to that.
13:00
Amen to that. It's great to have a Holy Spirit in us and to to know for sure that we are part of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. Amen to that?
13:10
Hallelujah. We gotta share that good news that comes from him. Amen? Love this song. Unless your kingdom's power reaching the near and far, no force of hell can stop.
13:20
Your beauty change your beauty change in hearts. Amen to that. That's the kingdom of God when he does the the the changing in our life. And then once that changing is happening, we reach to our neighbor. We reach to our coworker and the love in the Holy Spirit.
13:35
God is using us to be part of the kingdom of God. Amen to that. So good to be here, honestly. Yes. Thank you, Carl.
13:47
I'm I'm on Carl's steps, so it's a privilege to be here. Amen to that. Amen. It's so good to be here. We're gonna sing the second verse twice because the lyrics are so good.
17:41
Amen to that. Amen. This song is just happy songs. I would like to see some hands up. Yes.
17:48
Let's have fun in the name of Jesus. Amen. We worship God here. Amen to that? So it's okay if you move a little bit to the right, to the left.
17:55
It's okay. As long as you do it for Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Amen? Close your eyes, lift up your hands, and let's worship and feel God's presence in this place. Amen to that.
18:14
Sorry. I told you I'm following Carl. Amen to that.
21:27
Speaker 1As we participate in the worship of giving and I'd love to to just pray and give thanks. God, just as we say, your grace truly is enough. Thank you for your unmerited favor toward us knowing that we just couldn't do anything to to earn our way to heaven that as we give, this isn't this isn't a way to earn your favor. We have already been shown your favor and given your favor. This is out of a response to that.
22:00
It's out of a response God of of you being kind and generous and loving and forgiving and so much more and so God, would you use these gifts so that others can see that? Others can see your grace. Others can see your goodness. Would you make this bright spot even brighter in Jackson? And would you continue to build your church all over the world?
22:25
You promised you would and that is continuing to happen and thank you God for allowing us to be a part of this family tree of God. That here we are lifting our voices to you, singing praises to you because you're worthy of it. So we just pause to give you thanks and praise. In Jesus name, amen.
25:20
Speaker 3How do we grow? By strength or resolve. Can we make it so? Can we shape the course of our lives according to our purpose and designs, or add a single hour to the measure of our time? How can we ever venture into what is unknown when we are incapable of the smallest change on our own?
25:49
Looking back over the span of our lives, we can see the marks that testify to how far we've come, how much we've grown grown grown, how much of his grace we have shown, The marks of maturity on our lives, the evidence of the work of Christ, the seed that he has planted in our heart. The Lord has also watered and will refine every part. It is his intention to give it growth. Until it comes to fruition, he has sealed it with his hope that he who began this good work in you will see it through. In this lies our hope, not in what we do, but we do not grow alone.
26:44
Our roots are intertwined one with another so that your strength is mine. While we wait in expectation, no growth can be seen. The tender shoots that so quickly spring up must grow strong, lest they remain frail and green. Would we be overwhelmed by perils in store that his timing seeks to prepare us for? Let us endure our trials with patience for it's in his goodness that we trust and hold fast to our commitment, resting in his faithfulness to us.
27:27
His goal is for our good. On this, our assurance falls that he who began this good work will surely make it grow tall.
27:46
Speaker 1I really, really like that poem. I just wanna repeat some of it. Looking back over the span of our lives, we can see the marks that testify to how far we've come, how much we've grown, how much of his grace that we've been shown. The marks of maturity on our lives, the evidence of the work of Christ, the seed that he planted in our heart. The Lord has also watered and will refine every part.
28:15
It's his intention to give it growth until it comes to fruition. He has sealed it with his oath that he who began this good work in you will see it through, and this lies our hope. Well said. I really, really like that. In today's text, Jesus gonna say that the kingdom of God is like this tiny mustard seed and it starts small and it grows into a tree which made me think of that poem but also this verse right here from Philippians one six that says, he who began this good work in you will continue his work until it's finally finished on the day when Jesus returns.
28:58
That's a promise that God has made to us that that little seed that God has planted, he'll keep growing until his return. Not just in us individually but us as a church body, as a church family. On Monday nights, we have been tracing the life and ministry of Jesus through Luke and today, I'd like to focus on the parable of the mustard seed in Luke thirteen ten to 21 And as we do, I want you to consider this. Okay? That every teaching, that every parable, every word from God will prosper and produce fruit and accomplish everything that God intended it to do.
29:47
So be encouraged by that. God's word is powerful. It is living. It is active, and it is full of life giving truth for us. Keep that in mind as you see these words on the screen.
30:00
This is for you. This is for us. And God does a whole lot more through his word than I can communicate. That's for sure. And through his Holy Spirit, this stuff really does produce fruit in us.
30:15
So that being said, this is Luke thirteen ten to 21. It'll be on the screen and you can track with me as I read it and here's what it says. One Sabbath day, as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, he saw a woman who'd been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called over to her and said, dear woman, you are healed of your sickness.
30:47
And then he touched her, and instantly, she could stand straight. How she praised God. But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. There's six days of the week for working, he said to the crowd. Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.
31:06
But the Lord replied, who will look out people? You hypocrites, each of you works on the Sabbath day. Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn't it right that she'd be released even on the Sabbath?
31:29
This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoice at the wonderful things he did. And then Jesus said,
31:37
Speaker 2what's the
31:37
Speaker 1kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It's like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in the garden. It grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches. He also asked, what else is the kingdom of God like?
31:54
It's like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dead. Let's pray on that. Okay? God, I thank you for your mercy and for your compassion and grace and your truth, all that you are, that you are the visible image of the invisible God.
32:18
That you've come to save the world and not condemn it, that it gives you great happiness to give us your kingdom. Thank you for being a light to the nations, to every people group, and the entire world. Would you take the seed that you planted and continue to do the good work that you've started in us as your church, your believers? Amen. So this verse right here is one that I revisit often.
32:51
That God sent Jesus into the world to save the world, not condemn it. Are you with me on that one? There's a lot of hate thrown around, and there's a lot of hate thrown around, in the name of Jesus. And I I wanna diffuse that because Jesus came in the world to save the world, not condemn it. I wanna put that out in front of us again that almighty, infinite, creator God, through the work of his son, Jesus, used the power and authority that he had to save the world, not condemn it.
33:31
That he used his power and authority to heal rather than to hurt. I wanna get us thinking in that direction and moving in that direction. We're asking ourselves, am I a blessing? Am I a burden? Have I come to help?
33:48
Or am I hurting? I think we need to ask ourselves and revisit that often because what Jesus came to do is to save the world, not condemn it. Out of love and mercy, look at this. Out of love and mercy, he calls out, dear woman, you're healed of your sickness. That's just the mercy and the generosity of God leaning in toward us.
34:11
He's saving, not condemning. Contrast that with this verse 14. Look at this one again. The leader, the one in charge of the synagogue, the church guy. It'd be like Ray or I standing up here and say, oh no, no, no.
34:26
Not on Sunday. This is the day of rest, people. Come on. He was indignant that Jesus had healed her. There are six days a week for working.
34:38
Come on those days to be healed, not on Sabbath. And when I when I read that, this is what comes to mind. This is the picture that that kinda comes to my head. This angry person shooting arrows, missing the mark. I don't know if you ever do that when you read scripture.
34:55
You go, oh, that person, you, and then you go, oh, because if I call him out, I I've gotta call myself out too. Because I miss the mark. Like Ray said a while back. I don't know if you can see this very well. This is a...
35:13
Is definitely a Ray slide, isn't it? If we can't see how we've fallen short there on the left, then we're not looking hard enough. All we have to do is be human and land there. It's not hard to get angry. It's not hard to be jealous.
35:36
It's not hard to be selfish. I can be those things without any effort at all. They come very naturally to me. But it's the yielding of our will. It's the putting it in neutral.
35:50
When we begin to yield our will to God and exchange what's on that left for what's on the on the right. Begin to exchange the walking around in the flesh person for the spirit of God leading us on the right. Does this all happen at one time? Now, for me, it doesn't. It's an everyday thing, isn't it?
36:23
It's a yielding moment by moment, day by day. Sometimes we fall flat on our faces. Do we stay there? No. Pick yourself off the ground.
36:40
Let God lead you again. Exchange the old nature for the new. This is what God is. He's calling us to. He's drawing us to.
36:54
Not on our own strength but through Jesus who hit the absolute center of the mark in his life and his walk. Because without him, we can tend to miss the target altogether. We don't even know what we're aiming for half the time. But as we yield our will to his, he's pulling us toward the center of his love and truth. He's drawing us to the center of his love and truth.
37:24
That's when we begin to hit the target, to hit what God's what God is aiming for and so my my prayer for us is that when we read in the scripture, the generosity of God, the mercy of God, his perfection, all all that he is. That he would be pulling us toward the center. And stir our affection like this right here. The woman in the story, it says, how she praised God? The crowd, how they rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
38:03
Do you know what that is right there? That's the evidence of God pulling people toward the center of his love and his truth. For that synagogue leader, he had his own. He had his kind of his own thing, his own direction that he was aiming but we could see how. It wasn't it wasn't loving.
38:27
It wasn't grace filled. It wasn't about people. God's is. That's his name. But I wanna focus more on on this right here.
38:38
The parable of the mustard seed. Let's let's go back to it. What is the kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate what Jesus is? It's like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden.
38:50
It grows and becomes a tree. And the birds make nests in its branches. There are few references to mustard seeds in the gospel. The one that I've heard most and you maybe have some head nods if you've heard this one most too that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed that nothing is impossible. Familiar with that one the most probably growing up in church and things like that.
39:13
This one is different. This is a different. The mustard seed in this parable represents the kingdom of God, a small beginning, small group of followers that will grow and expand until Jesus return. So, I found this animated map that shows how Christianity has spread around the world and I thought it was a really good visual of this parable. So, Blake, can we see if that'll play for us and and hopefully, we can can see the screen alright too.
41:37
Is that a powerful image? I mean, to me, it really was. Most studies show there's about 2,000,000,000 Christians in the world today. That's about a third of the world's population. So the parable definitely holds true.
41:52
The small mustard seed beginning, it's been growing and expanding all over the world ever since. It was really, for me personally, it was a privilege to go to Guatemala. I'd been always sending people out for years and years and happy to be on this end and saying, yep, go. Go for it. And and this time I got to go and see firsthand the body of Christ at work in a different part of the world.
42:19
Some went to an Easter service because we were there over Easter. And and so it was just an amazing, very different service, but still celebrating the same thing, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. Other believers all over the world in this big family tree of God, which is why this little ending part right here in verse 19 caught my attention. It doesn't seem like much, but it's saying a lot. Here it is.
42:52
The birds make nests in its branches. I wonder why would he add that? You know, he could have just stopped at the seed grows, it becomes a tree, period. Small beginning grows into a tree. But he adds, the birds make nests in its branches.
43:09
And I found this Old Testament reference using the same language for what God intends his kingdom to be. It... It's from Ezekiel here. Let's let's just read it. This is what the sovereign lord says.
43:24
I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar and I'll plant it on top of Israel's highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. It's a prophecy about who? About Jesus and the spread of his kingdom.
43:52
Showing God's desire to give all people of every tribe and nation and tongue. Safety and this this family tree of God. I go back to this from from Luke twelve thirty two. It gives your father great happiness to give you his kingdom. Rest on that just for a second.
44:15
It gives your father great happiness to give you the kingdom. Give. Give. We don't earn his kingdom. We don't buy his kingdom.
44:28
We don't deserve his kingdom. We receive it by grace through faith. It's just all, everything that we preach on a Sunday morning comes back to the gospel. That Jesus lived that perfect life that we could not live. He hit the center of the mark in his life and walk every time.
44:52
He died that sacrificial death in our place for our sin. He was buried, but he rose from death. So this right here, look at this. So that through his death, we are raised to life as he has. Isn't baptism a powerful example of that?
45:13
It's such a simple thing. You know, we we take these covers off, fill this thing up with water. It's warm by the way. So, if you're thinking about getting baptized, know that there's a heater in there But it's just water. And yet it symbolizes something so great.
45:32
That through his death and resurrection, we're buried. We go under the water. We're raised to life. We come out of the water. To represent what Jesus has done for us.
45:44
That we're now in tandem with him. That what he has, we have. We exchange the old for the new. That's what happens when we enter a relationship with Jesus. And again, I would encourage us to see God's kingdom for what it is.
46:04
This big family tree of God. Let me ask you something. Do you see it as that? Do you see God's kingdom as a big family tree of God? Where everybody's invited?
46:20
Where it's for misfits and the marginalized. It gets to be a pretty quirky place in here. It really does. There's some big big personalities. It's...
46:31
But I I was telling my kids either, I I love it. I love these folks and you know what brings us together? It's Jesus. Jesus brings us together in this place. And it's a beautiful thing.
46:46
And he invites us to rest in these branches to find our home here. And this tree cannot be cut down. This tree cannot be cut down. Did you notice when you came in? And I shouldn't even bring it up because that those big trees that are probably been here forever that are older than all of us have been cut down.
47:06
It's a safety thing, please. It's a safety thing. Things are going to be replaced. They would die. We don't want branches falling on people but just think of it this way, God's kingdom is a tree that cannot be cut down.
47:18
The family tree of God has been growing exponentially since Jesus has established it and it will continue to grow until his return. A lot of lot of events throughout history, people have tried to wipe out this faith, and it continues to grow. There's got to be something to it if there are over 2,000,000,000 believers today. But it's not about numbers. It's about the fact that the gospel works.
47:49
It really does work. It brings forgiveness. It brings peace. It brings hope. It brings life.
47:57
It brings light. And you know what else it does? It pulls us to the center of his love and truth. Yeah, you can go your own way. Absolutely.
48:07
We've been given free will to go our own way. But you ever notice this? Do you ever notice sometimes when you're walking your own way, just how far off the mark you get? Do you notice that? I mean, I certainly do for myself.
48:26
I I start to think, what am I doing over here? You know, and it's by the grace of God that he starts to draw us back in toward the center of his love and truth but know that it's through Jesus that he does that and through his Holy Spirit that he does that. So I wanna encourage you from this verse in Hebrews right here. To let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope that we affirm. For God can be trusted to keep his promise.
48:58
That's what I've got for you this morning. There's not a ton of application in this sermon today. It's more of a... I wanna encourage you. We're part of a big family tree of God here.
49:09
And there is a lot of room on the branches for everyone who would believe. So let's hold tightly to this hope. And as we have opportunity, because we do every single day, we have an opportunity to be light, to be salt, to be who Jesus created us to be as we yield our will to his. And people notice. They notice more than you think.
49:34
And there's plenty of room for them. Right here at first beat, amen to that? So that's what I've got. We're gonna end with one more song and... Oh, yes, thank you, Diane.
49:45
Yes, we we mentioned Paco and Didi, okay? Paco and Didi are inviting you Friday, this Friday from four to 10PM. Alright? Celebration for a wedding here at church and they are moving too. So know that the whole Monday night and them sharing their testimonies and the stories and where they're going and all this stuff.
50:05
So just know that you're invited Friday, four to 10PM here. All right, let's sing another one.
50:31
Speaker 2Praise God for his word. Amen? Amen. Honestly, I don't wanna repeat too much, but I'm thankful to be here. And this is the kingdom of God.
50:40
The fact that I'm standing in front of you and singing, that's that's God. That little seed. I I will never forget the time when I had the meeting with pastor Carl, pastor A in their office and tell them my testimony, cry out, let everything out. And little by little, this church invested in that tiny seed, which I'm still tiny. But but that tiny seed...
51:05
And that tiny seed, it grows big into a passion, and that's amazing. That's... When I see mister Bruce and Smith, he's... He came to me one time. He said, you are my BIC.
51:17
No. I had no idea what that meant. Sir, can you describe that? You're my brother in Christ. That's what we are.
51:22
We are part of the family of the kingdom of God. Amen to that? Let's sing this song like never before with passion. Amen. Amen.
53:56
May God bless you.
53:58
Speaker 1Song. I'd I'd like to pray. Here, I'd like to pray and then leave you with a verse. God, I do thank you for these nuggets of truth, these promises that you give to us, the good news of the gospel. And, thank you God for this parable about the mustard seed that you've shown us today representing your kingdom.
54:16
Small beginning, it's steady, consistent, continual growth. Thank you, God, for where the church is today. Continue to expand and grow your church because there is plenty of room on these branches for all who would believe. And help us, God. Use us as examples.
54:34
As as poor and needy as we are, would you use us to draw others to the center of your love and your truth. In Jesus name, amen. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Amen.
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