The Kingdom of God
The following are the written and visual elements created for the 2023 Annual Conference gathering of the Northwest Texas Conference.
2023 Theme Narrative
Luke 13:18-19; 17:5-6
“What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.”
How often do we sit at a standstill because the task or call seems so grand or overwhelming that we think there is no way to move forward? How can we make a difference? Where do we even begin? It is easy to overlook the small opportunities or the next step ahead because we believe that those opportunities would not make a real difference. It’s hard to see how this tiny part impacts the larger view. We sit in the darkness, lost in the messy middle, wondering if the breakthrough is coming or if we missed it.
In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus teaches how all we need is the smallest amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, to step into where God is calling. God has a pattern of taking what makes us feel less than others and using it for more extraordinary things. When we show up in the small places and serve in obedience, God magnifies it for His glory. That is when our faith begins to move mountains.
Picture this mustard seed. The land has been cultivated, the soil is ready for sowing and growing, and the smallest seed becomes a seedling and breaks through the ground into the world. This new and exciting seedling still needs covering and protection as it grows into its mature plant. All seedlings begin their lives as seeds, but the difference is how long it will take them to grow into plants. Sprouts witness the miracle of new life springing forth and growing upward. Without the proper care and attention, the seedling will fade away. With good care and attention, the seed begins to shoot up through the soil and break through the ground into the light.
“For a seed to achieve its greater expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out, and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” - Cynthia Occelli.
What matters is not how big and strong your faith is but what God can do with the smallest amount of faith we offer. What if the struggles and the grief of the hard seasons were just the catalysts needed for us to move into something greater? We feel the shell crack. We feel a loss of control when the insides come out—stripped down to the inner core, not knowing which step to take next. Is it a step into complete destruction or growth? It can be tough to muster encouraging words for yourself or others when you feel unseen, unheard, and unnoticed. No matter what we face, it is our choice not to overlook the small, mustard-seed opportunities where we can invest in the kingdom of heaven.
God invites us into what He is doing around us. Don’t miss the invitation by judging its smallness or insignificance. We must show up, listen, and lean in. If we aren’t listening to God’s voice in everything we do, we may miss what’s next. John Wesley said, “I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God’s creational intentions.” Let us increase our faith. A faith that sees the light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness. God is faithful still and invites us to stand firm in his promise.
https://www.cynthiaoccelli.com/for-a-seed-to-achieve-its-greatest-expression/