Sowing Seeds

We’re digging into a topic today that’s all about the long game: sowing seeds. Not the kind you plant in the backyard—although if you’ve got a garden, you’re already ahead—but the kind you sow with your life. Every word, every act of kindness (or not-so-kindness), every attitude—it’s a seed! And today, we’re talking about how to sow good ones. Because guess what? The harvest always comes.

Our main scripture is Matthew 13:23 (NLT): “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

You reap what you sow… so plant something worth picking!

Let’s have some fun with this and see how we can plant a life full of purpose.

Just like any farmer, we’re going to dig in and start sowing some seeds. Let’s start with this question: What are you sowing into your life, your family, your work, and even your faith? Are you being intentional or just going about life?

Ever plant a tomato seed and end up with more tomatoes than you know what to do with? That’s how life works too. Even a small word of encouragement can grow into something huge. And so can that sarcastic jab... which is my forte, so I really have to find the balance.

Let’s pay attention to the seeds we’re dropping because we want to make sure we’re helping things grow—not cut them down.

One spring, I planted lots of seeds but didn’t mark them. I tried to remember what I planted and where, but that didn’t really work out—because it was hard to know what was what when most of them didn’t even grow. I know gardening is a weakness for me, so I just take it all in stride.

We can all have unintentional missteps—and life brings back exactly what we put in. But is it what we meant to put in? We need to make sure we’re sowing good seeds. There are times we can laugh about what actually came out of our planting, especially when we weren’t really paying attention—but let’s also think about what we’re planting on purpose.

Want strong friendships or a healthy marriage? Of course we do. We’re human—we love connection. And that starts with what we sow: trust, time, grace. When you put effort into it, it blossoms and grows. You can’t plant criticism and expect love to grow. It doesn’t work that way.

What’s one thing you’ve been sowing lately that you’re proud of?

What’s something you might want to stop dropping seeds of?

Let’s take a little inventory—and celebrate the awareness and progress!

Let’s talk about the waiting. Let’s be real—nobody wants to wait. Especially when it comes to sowing good seed. We want to see results overnight and bask in the fruits of our labor as soon as possible… That would be great, but that’s not how things work.

There’s watering, waiting, and maybe a few weeds along the way.

Sometimes, you’re doing everything right—praying, serving, showing up—but it feels like nothing’s happening. Trust the process. Seeds grow in the dark before they pop out into the light.

I once planted some herbs and then got busy… okay, I forgot about them. When I checked a few weeks later, they’d grown anyway! Sometimes, God’s working in ways you don’t even see. I didn’t have to do anything—so that was cool. I like easy plants.

Have you ever shown kindness to someone, but no kindness was returned?

I remember reading a story once about a guy who always tried to show his brother-in-law kindness. But the brother-in-law never gave that kindness back. After years of trying, it was hard for the guy not to feel resentful. But one day, his brother-in-law called and told him how God had changed his life. He said, “Since you were always so kind to me, I wanted you to be the first to know.”

You see how important it is for us to always be sowing kindness and patience? Even when we don’t see any change—those seeds are working under the surface. They always are. We plant, God waters and grows.

A seed needs good water—not soda or paint thinner, right? Wow, I’m bad at gardening, but I even know that Coke and paint thinner are a bad idea.

So, what are we watering our seeds with? Positive words, prayer, community? Or are we soaking them in stress, doubt, and comparison? Honestly, it depends on my mood or my circumstance.

Sometimes we just go through life without checking in on what we’re doing—but when we snap back into reality, we can better evaluate what we’re pouring into and make sure we’re watering the good seeds.

We’ve talked about sowing seeds, then watering seeds—now let’s head to the harvest! Yes, that’s the fun part—when all the waiting and watering pay off.

Of course, harvesting also means paying attention to what’s grown in our lives.

Sometimes the harvest surprises us. You forgive someone, and suddenly you feel lighter. Or you give generously, and later someone blesses you in a way you didn’t expect. We don’t always know when it’s time to harvest or receive what God has for us, but God does. Just keep in mind: good seeds always come back to you.

There is power in consistency.

You don’t have to plant a forest today—just sow one seed at a time.

To continue on with my lack of gardening skills: I’ve read the seed packets that tell you how many seeds to plant and how far apart to space them. But I always plant them too close together because I think it looks far enough. And I drop in more seeds than I’m supposed to—because I know how bad I am at this.

I’ve done the same thing with devotional time. I think, “The more I do, the better it will be, right?”

But no—because then I haven’t really focused on what God may have for me in just one. But I’m still doing my best to grow.

That morning devotional, that kind word, that prayer over your family—it’s all adding up, my friend. Don’t feel like it has to be overdone. Simple is good.

Take a moment and look around your life. Good things are coming up: peace, joy, strong relationships. Celebrate that harvest!

And if something needs pulling up—some frustration, bitterness—it’s never too late to replant.

Also don’t get discouraged if your field still looks a little bare. I mean, just think about all my gardening skills and know there have been some very barren seasons.

Just keep praying, keep showing kindness, keep sowing good seeds.

The harvest will come, and it’ll be better than you imagined.

You’re not just planting for today—you’re sowing into your future, and it’s looking pretty fruitful.

Our main scripture is Matthew 13:23 (NLT): “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Look at every moment as a chance to plant. Every word is a seed. Every act of kindness, every bit of grace—it all matters. Go out and sow good seeds today. You never know who’s going to be blessed by what you planted.