It always starts somewhere. Every single one of us who have heard the Gospel of Christ and responded to it have a back story, a dark place we came from. We can try to deny it, but we have all to some extent been involved in sin and to varying extents escaped from its clutches by the continued work of the cross. In other words, we were all once children, immature, dormant, not yet planted.

Jesus said about Himself that “Unless a seed dies and falls into the ground, it cannot bring forth fruit.” Not only this, but in another parable, He compares the Gospel to seed being sewn onto different kinds of soil, some bad, some good. Interesting connection, right?

So the Gospel, “… That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,” is the seed. If you’re reading this, and you have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ is Lord, that seed has hit the soil, and it is starting to take root. That outer shell protecting the meat of the seed has begun to dissolve away, and you have begun reaching in two directions, grappling with your environment to hold on for dear life.

Wait just a minute, though! Two directions? That’s right. Don’t misunderstand — I’m not talking about hypocrisy or contradiction, though that happens. No, I’m talking about growing up and growing deep — growing out and growing in.

NEXT: “ROOTS AND SHOOTS”