Sunday Setup – Matthew 13:31-33

[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Hey Cross Church family. Welcome to the Sunday setup. This our time each Thursday at 2:00 where we digitally gather together to pray through the piece of scripture that will be studying through this Sunday. Cuz our goal every week is that we can pray through, we can praise through, we can preach through so that next week you can practice the word of God that we're reading through. Today we are continuing on in our series the parables. And we'll continue in Matthew 13 and after last week and talking about the wheat and the weeds, uh we come to another parable about [music] agriculture and farming. We come to verse 31 of Matthew chapter 13. And it picks up here and it says he, being Jesus Christ, presented another parable to them. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. >> [music] >> It's the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it's taller than the garden plant and becomes a tree so that the birds of the sky come and they nest in its branches. [music] He told them another parable, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven leaven that a woman took and mixed into 50 lb of flour until all of it was leavened. You see in here, Jesus again continues down this road and then these parables talking about how something so small can be so large. And in here I I love as it talks about he says the kingdom of heaven is like we've said in these parables that these tell us what does Jesus teach? What are the [music] truths that we need to understand the things of heaven that can't be really understood in our finite brains and he uses this imagery in these stories to just crack them open. And from there when he talks about the kingdom of heaven is like I just want us to take a minute and thank God that the kingdom of heaven exists and that is being made known to us [music] in the fraction and we're continually as we get closer to Christ we get to know more of the kingdom of heaven. And and I want us in this prayer prompt straight out of scripture in verse 31 we see [music] is just this is Jesus thank you that the kingdom of heaven is thank you that the kingdom of heaven is real thank you that the kingdom of heaven is open to those who confess Christ thank you that the kingdom of heaven is is welcoming to us thank you that the kingdom [music] of heaven is being revealed to us slowly thank you that the kingdom of heaven is coming soon and coming to its fullest extent is Jesus thank you that the kingdom of heaven is blank you fill in that prayer prompt just this prayer [music] of Thanksgiving for what Jesus invites us to be a part of. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Jesus, thank you that the kingdom of heaven is holy. >> [music] >> It is a home that you are preparing for us to be seen that we can enjoy your presence in that we can fully engage in in our our world and our full knowledge of you in perfection that we have glimpsed the kingdom of heaven through your word, through your salvation. But Lord, one day we will fully know it and we'll fully be a part of it for all of eternity. And God, we just thank you that the kingdom of heaven is revealed to us through your word and you continue as you grow us in our faith to show us more and more of your plan of your majesty and of your holiness. God, we thank you for how generous you are. We see this parable doesn't stop there. Then he explains how this mustard seed is so small but it grows into something so big. And this is a picture of so many things. A picture of one of our faith, that our faith is so small but can become is is in something that is so much bigger, something that is so much greater than we can imagine. And I want us to focus on here when we think about this faith like a mustard seed that is so small >> [music] >> is think about how God is growing your faith. In what and how you want your faith to continue to be grown. So, here's our second prompt as we thank God for the kingdom of God and all that he has revealed that it is this holy, amazing place. But, the second one it is Jesus, "Let my faith grow in." God, let my faith grow in trusting you. Let my faith grow in leaning on you. Let my faith grow in believing that everything this book says is real and actually living like it is. Jesus, let my faith grow in. >> [music] >> Pray that prayer to our God. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Lord, let our faith grow in just leaning on you, being dependent on you, and making you the center of our faith. Jesus taught that >> [music] >> the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that something starts so small, but that it grows up and becomes this big, massive tree that the world can see and that changes everything and let that kingdom of heaven sprout up in our own lives. Let's be a part of something that is bigger than us. Something that [music] the world rejects and pushes aside, the Lord has literally changes everything for us personally and for all of [music] eternity. God, just thank you for our time studying through this series as we've been continually going through the parables. Lord, just be with us this week as we prepare our hearts for the parable of the mustard seed and just prepare our lives to put it into practice. [music] And God, we just thank you for this time today. Lord, we ask that you lift up these requests as we thank you for the kingdom of heaven as we pray that our faith is grown. And Lord, ultimately we look to you to practice out our faith. God, we thank you and lift all this up in Jesus' [music] name. Amen. Thank you for joining us today. We can't wait to see you this Sunday. Have a great rest of your week. [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]