The Kingdom Comes in Seed form
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 s tree. sos that birds come and perch in its branches. - Jesus, Matthew 12:31-32
Most things in the Kingdom come in seed form. They’re real, powerful, and present—but they require cultivation.
In my twenties, I had the unique privilege of leading a vibrant college ministry at Texas State University. In one transformational season around 2010, I found myself reading through the book of Acts and began experiencing what I can only describe as holy frustration.
Here was the tension: though we regularly saw a few students give their lives to Jesus each week in our gatherings, we were surrounded by more than 30,000 students—most of whom would never step into a ministry gathering. And we didn’t yet have the tools, language, or framework to reach them.
That frustration reached a boiling point at a donor appreciation dinner. When we went to tell an outreach story, the best we could offer was, “There was this one time we almost led a teenager to Jesus during a service project.”
As I continued reading Acts, I realized there must be more available than we were currently experiencing. That realization sparked a deep hunger in me—not just for personal breakthrough, but for the sake of those I was lead and for the world around us.
I started seeking out people who were bearing fruit that looked more like what I read in Scripture. I read books, listened to podcasts, and pursued mentors who walked in the power of God, healing, power evangelism, prophecy, and impartation. The more I consumed, the hungrier I got.
That season planted something in me I’ve never been able to shake—a hunger for the “more” of God’s Kingdom. But with that hunger came questions. Big ones. Not just theological, but personal. And I’m not the only one who’s wrestled with them.
I’ve heard the same question asked in a dozen different ways:
“If healing is for today, why don’t people just clear out all the hospitals?”
“If prophecy is real, why do people ‘miss it’? Why didn’t someone see that scandal coming?”
“If healing is real, why wasn’t I healed?”
These are honest, often deeply personal and painful questions—and they deserve thoughtful responses, filled with compassion rather than clichés like “try harder” or “you just didn’t have enough faith.”
John Wimber often described the Kingdom of God as both “now” and “not yet.” It’s a beautifully paradoxical phrase. He meant that while the Kingdom—with all its realities like healing, prophecy, and supernatural power—is here and available, it’s also not fully here yet. It’s not as available as it one day will be.
The problem is that many people use this “now and not yet” tension as a cop-out rather than what it truly is: an invitation to step into and contend for more.
I’m passionate about contending for that more.
In just the past few weeks, I’ve seen glimpses of it—like the woman diagnosed with cancer one month that doctors couldn’t find the next. Or the woman who was pulled off life support, fully expected to take her last breath… only to go home two days later and eat a hamburger.
More personally, I’ve spent years wrestling with illness in my own body—even as I’ve seen countless others healed. Or just last week, when my daughter’s ankle was instantly healed. One night she was limping, and the next moment, she was jumping with no pain at all.
But the next day, the pain came back.
What do you do with that? If it was truly God, could the healing be undone? Was it just her mind playing tricks on her—or on all of us? Or why haven’t I been healed yet?
I don’t have all the answers—but I know this: God was present in that moment as I was praying for her. And He’s been with me in the middle of my most miserable bouts of sickness. Why did her healing seem to reverse? Why have I not received healing yet? I don’t know. But I won’t buy into the idea that God sent it, caused it, or is using it to teach me a lesson. None of that aligns with the picture we see of God in Jesus through the Gospels.
Instead, I see the mystery not as a reason to withdraw, but as an invitation to press in and contend for more.
Grace Is Free, But It’s Not Passive
Here’s another paradox at the heart of the Kingdom of God: everything is freely given, but not everything comes automatically. Grace doesn’t require striving, but it does call for pursuit.
Jesus said something curious in Matthew 11:12:
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
This verse has puzzled many. But one thing is clear: Jesus is inviting us into something active. He’s not describing a kingdom we drift into. He’s describing a kingdom that must be pursued, pressed into, and laid hold of with intentionality.
Dallas Willard captured this tension beautifully:
“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.
Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.”
That’s a crucial distinction. Grace means you don’t earn anything from God. Your salvation, your identity, your spiritual gifts, and your kingdom authority are all freely given because of Jesus.
But receiving them fully—walking in them, stewarding them—requires your effort, faith, and engagement.
The Prodigal’s Inheritance
Take the prodigal son in Luke 15. When he comes home, the father runs to him. No lecture. No conditions. No probation period. Just extravagant grace:
Sandals — restoring his dignity as a son
A robe — covering him with honor
A ring — reinstating his authority
He didn’t earn any of that. All he had to do was come home.
That’s the way of the Kingdom: it’s inheritance, not wages. It’s gift, not reward.
Even spiritual gifts follow this pattern. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 14:1:
“Eagerly desire the greater gifts... Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts...”
They’re not rewards for good behavior. They’re gifts. But Paul also says, desire them eagerly. That means they’re pursued, not passively received.
Free, But in Seed Form
Most things in the Kingdom come in seed form. They’re real, powerful, and present—but they require cultivation.
You might have the promise of freedom from sin, or the authority to resist the enemy—but walking in that victory involves growth, discipleship, prayer, community, repentance, and trust.
That’s why Paul tells Timothy:
“Fan into flame the gift of God...”
(2 Timothy 1:6)
Or as Bill Johnson put it:
“God will fulfill all of His promises,
but He is not obligated to fulfill your potential.”
The seed is guaranteed. The harvest is not.
Pressing In, Not Earning
When Jesus says the Kingdom is taken by force, He’s not talking about violence in the flesh. He’s describing a spiritual posture—a holy aggression, a hunger, a deep resolve.
It’s a heart that says:
“I won’t live a passive faith life. I want everything Jesus paid for.”
You can’t earn the Kingdom. But you can press into it.
You can’t manufacture grace. But you can steward what you’ve been given.
You can’t demand the Spirit’s power. But you can posture your heart in pursuit.
So keep coming home to the Father.
Keep receiving freely.
But don’t stop there—pursue the fullness of your inheritance in Jesus.
The Kingdom is free, but it’s not passive. Let’s press in.
Consider These Questions:
Where is God stirring your spiritual hunger in this season?
Where have you settled for less than God’s best for you?
What does it look like to press in for more of God’s Kingdom in this season?
