From Dirt to Gardens: The Faith to Sow Seeds
Picture this: three small containers sitting before you. The first overflows with vibrant flowers—fragrant, beautiful, irresistibly attractive. The second and third appear identical—just ordinary dirt. But there's a hidden difference that changes everything. One contains seeds; the other doesn't.
This simple illustration holds a profound spiritual truth that could transform how you see every conversation, every relationship, every unexpected encounter in your life.
A Message for Every Heart
Whether you've walked with Jesus for decades or you're sitting here wondering if faith is even real, this message is for you. If you're questioning whether you've truly experienced that life-changing transformation Christians talk about, know this: you're seen, valued, and loved exactly where you are. The very seeds being planted through these words might be the ones God uses to awaken something beautiful in your own heart.
For those who have experienced the miracle of new birth—that moment when everything old passed away and something gloriously new came alive inside you—this is your reminder that you carry precious seeds everywhere you go.
The Profound Truth of Seeds
Here's what makes this so powerful: the dirt without seeds will never become flowers. Never. But the dirt with seeds? Given time, water, and care, it will inevitably bloom into something breathtaking.
God has ordained that He won't skip the step of human agency. Every person reading this is here because another human being had the faith to sow something into your life. Someone took what looked like ordinary dirt and planted seeds of hope, truth, love, or grace.
The enemy of our souls wants to rob us of this faith. He whispers lies: "This person will never change." "Your words don't matter." "Why waste your time?" But when we believe these lies, we withhold our seeds—and rob people of the opportunity to be transformed.
What Seeds Do You Carry?
You might think you need seminary training or perfect answers to every theological question. But the seeds you carry are simpler and more powerful than you realize:
Your story of how God changed your life
Answered prayers you've witnessed
Acts of kindness that revealed God's heart
Moments of peace in chaos that can only be explained by His presence
Songs on your heart that speak of His goodness
These aren't small things. They're gospel seeds with the power to transform lives.
The truth is, all of us who have experienced God's transformation carry these seeds. We don't need to be perfect theologians—we just need to have faith to plant what God has given us.
Stories That Prove Seeds Work
I want to share three stories of where seeds planted and watered by different friends and family along the way grew into a garden of salvation.
Jose: From Curious Skeptic to Green Beret Believer Three high school boys drove by our church and saw cars there 24/7. Intrigued by what they jokingly called "the cult," they walked into our prayer room in the middle of the night. I was there with my wife Hannah, my friend Andrew, and our night watch leader Jamie. These boys—atheist or agnostic—had no church background, but something kept them coming back week after week.
It wasn't perfect apologetics that captured them. It was Jamie's stories of supernatural encounters that couldn't be easily dismissed. When we invited them to a retreat, one of the boys had a severe asthma attack on the front porch. My friend Bruce boldly said "Stop!" as he reached for his inhaler, and Andrew declared, "Be healed in the name of Jesus!" Immediately, the boy's breathing returned to normal. He was completely healed.
Two of the boys got baptized that night. Jose, the third, waited. But he later told me it was the combination of our testimonies and witnessing that undeniable miracle that created questions in his heart he couldn't answer apart from God's reality. Jose eventually committed his life to Jesus and has remained faithful ever since. Today, he serves as a Green Beret, married a woman from our ministry, and continues walking with the Lord many years later. One miracle, many faithful seed-sowers, one transformed life.
Adam: From Prison to Worship Leader For three years, my friend Caleb and I faithfully served at the county jail every Monday night. Among the many men we met was Adam, who had been a lukewarm Christian before becoming an accomplice to robbery. During his time in jail, Caleb especially invested in discipling him. Adam went deep in prayer and God's word, transforming from fence-sitting faith to fervent service.
He carried that commitment through ten years in prison, leading Bible studies and prayer groups the entire time. When Adam was finally released, I'll never forget seeing him walk into our church. "Adam, you're here!" I said in amazement. His response? "I told you I was coming."
Today, Adam is on our worship staff, plays multiple instruments, and recently married someone who's like a spiritual daughter to our family—a wedding I had the joy of officiating. Ten years between seed and harvest, but what a beautiful garden God grew. I'm so grateful we didn't give up on the "impossible" situations during those Monday nights.
Andrew: The Atheist Intern's Encounter When we received Andrew's application for our prayer and worship internship, our director showed me where he basically declared himself an atheist. Should we accept him? After prayer, we felt God saying yes—he was meant to be there.
His parents had essentially forced him to come, and initially he thought we were just enthusiastic, maybe a little crazy. But the sincere love of the other interns began softening his heart. He recognized there was something real to what he was witnessing.
One Sunday morning, Andrew found himself in our upstairs prayer room—basically a cramped closet that's not the most enjoyable place for worship. The person leading wasn't the most musically gifted (he occasionally sang off-key), but he had one of the purest, most beautiful hearts of faithful worship to Jesus. As this man worshipped alone in that room, the presence and love of God began filling Andrew's heart in a supernatural way.
"I felt it filling me, washing me," Andrew later told me. "I just knew God was real and that He loved me." Shortly after, when I gave an invitation for people to commit their lives to Jesus, Andrew came forward. I'm so grateful we said yes to the "impossible" intern, that the other interns loved him well, and that faithful worship created an atmosphere where he could encounter God.
The Faith to Begin Again
Maybe you've grown weary. Perhaps you've seen people make commitments only to walk away later. The disappointment has caused you to hold back your seeds. But here's what Scripture promises: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
Sometimes there are ten years between sowing and harvest. Sometimes the most unlikely soil produces the most beautiful gardens. Sometimes the person you think is impossible becomes God's greatest trophy.
Your Assignment Today
Look around your life. Who seems impossible? The skeptical coworker? The rebellious family member? The neighbor who mocks faith? The person dealing with addiction? The colleague going through divorce?
God specializes in turning Sauls into Pauls. He's not asking you to force growth—that's His job. He's simply asking you to have faith enough to put seeds in the soil.
You have good seed in your hand. You have stories of transformation, answered prayers, moments of supernatural peace, and experiences of God's love. These aren't small things—they're powerful seeds of the Kingdom.
The dirt with seeds becomes flowers. The dirt without seeds never will.
The question isn't whether you're qualified enough or eloquent enough. The question is: Will you have faith to sow?
Your next conversation could be the moment someone's eternity changes. Your act of kindness during their crisis could plant the seed that blooms into salvation. Your testimony shared in love could be the key that unlocks a heart that's been closed for years.
Don't withhold your seed. The God who raises the dead is waiting to bring gardens to life through your simple act of faith.
Who will you sow into today?
