Bread, Seeds & The Kingdom
June 2 | Discipleship Guide
Be Real Together:
Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. If you’re launching a new DNA, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, have another person in your DNA share their story.
Read Together: Matthew 13:31-35 CSB
In Matthew 13:31-35, Jesus shares two parables with his disciples. The first is about the mustard seed, which starts small but grows into a large tree, representing the growth of God's kingdom from humble beginnings. The second parable compares the kingdom of heaven to yeast that a woman mixes into flour until it permeates the whole batch, symbolizing the widespread influence of the kingdom. Pastor Andrew notes that these parables are bookended by stories of John the Baptist, who earlier in Matthew 11:2-3 asked the question, “Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing,
he sent a message through his disciples 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
he sent a message through his disciples 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
The One Question:
Ask this question at your family meal or DNA.
Jesus wants to Reveal the Kingdom of God through parables to those who will hear it and reshape them into Kingdom people.
What do you believe to be true about the Kingdom of God? How does this affect your day to day life?
What do you believe to be true about the Kingdom of God? How does this affect your day to day life?
Use these questions to go deeper with your DNA or for personal study.
- Like the mustard seed, have you seen the small beginnings of God's work grow into something significant in your life or the lives of others?
- Through this passage, Pastor Andrew made mention of the fact that for John the Baptist, Jesus was not doing things in the way or timing he had hoped. John is expecting big things from Jesus and yet from John the Baptist's perspective it seems as though Jesus is just talking about plants and bread.
Have you ever felt like John the Baptist here? Do you struggle with impatience in your life, seeking instant gratification instead of waiting for God's timing?
3. Examine your heart and ask this question… Am I looking for a kingdom that looks like the gospel, or am I looking at the kingdom hoping it looks like my desires?
Pray Together:
Take time to pray with and for each other.
Deeper Study:
Enduring Word Commentary: Matthew 13