The sower’s work is unimpressive. Picture a farmer scattering the seed by hand, walking 20 miles a day, up and down the same field. He looks out over the field at night and it strikes him that after all his work, the field looks exactly the same as it did that morning. Nothing has changed. He has worked all day, and what does he have to show for it? His efforts haven’t made any observable difference.

This is the hidden pressure of all spiritual work. When you’re teaching the Word to your children, you sometimes wonder if you’ve accomplished anything. You work hard to sow the seed of the Word. But what came of it? How do you keep going? By having great confidence in the seed. The sower continues to work, because he is deeply convinced that the seed he is planting will bring a harvest that’s pleasing to God.

You will be greatly helped by seeing, not just what the Bible is (the Word of God), but also what the Bible does (the work of God). Psalm 19:7-8 says:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

What does the Word of God do? It revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, and gives light to the eyes… It does these things because of what the Word of God is—“living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12).

Are you struggling to sustain a ministry of the Word to your children? Your small group? Other ministry? Where is your confidence?

Jesus reveals the secret of the kingdom in a simple story: A sower goes out sowing seed. The seed falls on different kinds of ground. The seed on bad ground produces nothing of lasting value. The seed on good ground produces a marvellous harvest.

The seed sown in this story is God’s Word. This living seed has the power to produce life and sustain growth. If you’re inclined to think about the Word of God simply as information, think again. The Word of God has life-giving power.

Any seed will produce a crop if it’s planted in the right conditions, but different seeds will produce different harvests. The seed that we sow will determine the crop that we get. So, we must choose our seed carefully. The first question is: What kind of harvest are we hoping to see?

Once we’re clear about the harvest we’re looking for, we’ll be able to select the right seed. Is it a large crowd? Is it people who like the church? Many kinds of seed will produce these harvests. But Jesus is telling us that if we seek a harvest of people living under the blessing of God’s rule, only one seed will produce this crop.

The Word of God has produced the same harvest of people living under the blessing of God’s rule in every culture and in every generation. It will produce godly fruit in your life, and in the lives of your children, your neighbours, and your friends. We can have absolute confidence in the power of this seed to produce a great harvest today.

Are you clear about the harvest you’re looking for and what the seed is that will produce that harvest?

"The kingdom" is simply the rule or reign of God. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask that God’s kingdom would come, and that His will would be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

God is sovereign. That means He reigns everywhere. He reigns in heaven, on earth, and even over hell. But in heaven, God’s rule is recognised. That’s why heaven is filled with His blessing. In hell, God's rule is resisted. That's why hell is under His judgement.

On earth, there’s this strange mixture: God’s rule is partly recognised and partly resisted. That’s why we see a mixture of blessing and judgement. So, when we pray, “Your kingdom come” (Mat. 6:10), we’re asking God to make this world more like heaven than hell. And that happens as people come to submit to God’s rule in their lives.

The ministry of Jesus brought a taste of heaven on earth—illnesses healed, demons cast out, and sins forgiven. Ordinary people became followers of Jesus. Troubled people were set free. The kingdom of God was coming near. But then something happened: the ministry that was bringing such blessing was rejected. Some people were plotting to kill Jesus, while others were saying that He was in league with the devil.

But if the King is rejected, what hope is there for the kingdom? How can we know the blessing of Christ’s rule in this Christ-rejecting world?

As you see God’s rule partly recognised and partly resisted, what does this do to your confidence level in Jesus' ability to establish His kingdom?