May 25, 2025
Planting Trees
Pastor Ricky Smith

Sermon Notes

Mark 4:21-34
And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

1. The Light of Jesus Will Not Be Hidden

Don’t be content with private faith—faith was made for the lamp stand.

2. God Will See to It That His Kingdom Grows

Be faithful. Sow the Word in your kids, your community, and your church.

3. God’s Kingdom May Begin Small, but It Will Grow Large

The Kingdom will grow—not by might, not by strategy, but by the power of God.

Genesis 21:32-34
After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

Next Steps

• I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
• I commit to planting seeds of the Gospel today and trust God to make it grow.
• I confess I doubt what God is doing in my life when I don’t see the growth I expect.

Deep Dive

1. Where are you tempted to give up because you see no fruit?
2. Read John 1:4–5. How does this enhance your understanding of Jesus as the Lamp in Mark 4?
3. How does knowing that God causes Kingdom growth change your outlook?

Springboards

1. Read Mark 4:35-41. How does this shape your view of God’s power over life’s storms?
2. Read Psalm 121:4: What does it mean that God “neither slumbers nor sleeps”?
3. How can this truth encourage someone struggling to trust God’s presence?