Gospel Sprouts

READ: MARK 13:11; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 1 PETER 2:12; 3:13-18

Have you ever eaten sprouts—like bean sprouts with rice noodles or broccoli sprouts with salad? They’re crunchy, delicious, and nutrient-dense. And they’re pretty easy to grow! Recently, I started growing my own sprouts. I took a seed mix, sprinkled it onto a sprouting tray, put water in the tray, and drained and rinsed the seeds three times a day for about five days.

The first time I grew sprouts was a pretty messy process! After I rinsed and refilled the tray each time, little seeds and sprouts fell out of the tray, littering my sink and counter. Rogue seedlings escaped every time. And when I harvested the sprouts—pulling them out of the tray by handfuls, drying them in a kitchen towel, and laying them on a drying rack on the dining room table—sprouts were EVERYWHERE. My kitchen towels and dining room table were covered in escaped sprouts. I scooped them up to feed to the chickens, who were very appreciative.

This whole experience reminded me of sharing the gospel. Often, we have a set idea of what it looks like to share the gospel with someone. We think, “I have to approach this person in this way and use these exact words, and then they’ll come to know Jesus!” But the truth is, the seeds of the gospel are not so easily contained. When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, His Holy Spirit lives in us, creating new growth in us and carefully tending to the seedlings of our faith. And, much like my first time growing sprouts, those seedlings and sprouts that grow in us spill out even when we don’t plan on it.

The gospel permeates every aspect of our lives, so spreading the gospel isn’t a single, containable part of following Jesus. It’s wild and unrestrained, tumbling out of us in ways we may not have expected.

Whenever we follow God’s good ways, we are showing others what the gospel looks like. How amazing is that? God uses every part of our lives to show His goodness. Only He knows all the seedlings you’ve unintentionally planted. And He will faithfully tend them. • Taylor Eising

• God may put us in unique situations to show someone who He is—or use a small interaction with someone to spread the gospel in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Have you ever seen God use an unexpected situation or interaction to show people who He is? What was that like?

“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16 (NLT)