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Pastor Jericho Toilolo
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Reno Campus
Carson Campus
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Series: The Stories that Read Us
Sermon Title: Let it Grow
Passage: Luke 13:18-21
SERMON POINTS:
- The kingdom begins with Jesus
- The kingdom calls and reshapes you
- The Kingdom grows where you live
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- The kingdom begins with Jesus
- What images or expectations have you carried about the Kingdom of God—and how do they compare with Jesus’ description of something starting small, like a mustard seed?
- Follow-up: In what ways have you underestimated the quiet, transformative work of Jesus in your own life?
- Support Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:23, Luke 17:20–21, Colossians 1:13
- The kingdom often starts hidden or unnoticed
- What does it look like in your life when God begins something that doesn’t yet look impressive?
- Follow-up: What personal insecurities or false selves make you want fast, visible, or dramatic results instead of slow growth?
- Support Scriptures: Zechariah 4:10, John 15:5, Philippians 1:6
- The kingdom calls and reshapes you
- How has Jesus’ presence called you not just to believe, but to be reshaped?
- Follow-up: Where are you still clinging to patterns or identities that resist His transforming work?
- Support Scriptures: Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Ezekiel 36:26–27
- Formation requires surrender
- What areas of your life do you find difficult to surrender to the shaping work of God’s kingdom?
- Follow-up: What fear or false narrative might be keeping you from trusting God fully with that area?
- Support Scriptures: Galatians 4:19, John 12:24–25, Luke 9:23–24
- The Kingdom grows in you—then through you
- Where have you seen the fruit of God’s kingdom growing through your everyday life, relationships, or work?
- Follow-up: Where do you sense God inviting you to plant seeds—even if the results are unseen right now?
- Support Scriptures: Matthew 5:14–16, Colossians 4:5–6, Mark 4:26–29
- False self resists small beginnings
- What does your false self want the kingdom to look like—big, successful, impressive?
- Follow-up: How is Jesus inviting you to return to humility, simplicity, or hidden faithfulness instead?
- Support Scriptures: Matthew 6:1–4, Luke 18:14, Philippians 2:5–8
- The Kingdom is not just personal… it’s communal
- How is your local environment:family, workplace, neighborhood—a space for the kingdom to take root?
- Follow-up: What would it look like for you to actively cultivate kingdom presence right where you live?
- Support Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:7, Acts 1:8, Micah 6:8
- The kingdom reshapes our vision of growth
- How has the world’s definition of growth shaped your expectations of your spiritual journey?
- Follow-up: What might it look like to embrace kingdom growth that values depth over speed, and surrender over control?
- Support Scriptures: Psalm 1:1–3, John 15:1–5, Matthew 13:31–33
PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Day 1: The Seed of the Kingdom
- Question: Where in your life is God planting something small that you’ve been tempted to overlook or resist?
- Act: Take ten minutes of silence today. Invite God to show you what He’s already begun in you that seems small, but sacred. Write down what you hear.
- Meditative Verse: Mark 4:31–32
Day 2: The False Self Exposed
- Question: What image or role are you clinging to that Jesus never asked you to carry?
- Act: Write a list of ways you try to “prove” your worth. Invite Jesus to speak a better name over each one.
- Meditative Verse: Colossians 3:3
Day 3: Letting the Light In
- Question: Where are you avoiding God’s presence because you fear what He’ll say or reveal?
- Act: Sit in stillness before God and speak this aloud: “Jesus, I believe You are kind. I trust You with my hidden places.”
- Meditative Verse: 1 John 1:5
Day 4: Surrendering Control
- Question: In what area of your life are you still trying to manage outcomes instead of trusting God’s slow, deep work?
- Act: Fast for a part of your day (a meal, your phone, noise). Use that space to pray: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
- Meditative Verse: John 12:24
Day 5: Living With an Open Heart
- Question: What part of your heart have you closed off to Jesus because of pain, shame, or fear?
- Act: Ask Jesus, “Where are You knocking?” Then pray this: “Jesus, I open the door. Come in. I want to know You here.”
- Meditative Verse: Revelation 3:20
Day 6: Embracing Your Limits
- Question: What limits has God placed in your life right now that you’ve been resenting instead of receiving as grace?
- Act: Name one current limitation. Speak gratitude for how it could become a boundary for healing, not a barrier to growth.
- Meditative Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
Day 7: Abiding in His Life
- Question: What would change if you truly believed Jesus wants to be with you—not use you, fix you, or hurry you?
- Act: Go for a slow walk or sit outside without distraction. Simply be with Jesus, as you would a close friend.
Meditative Verse: John 15:4
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:
RESOURCES:
- BOOK | DALLAS WILLARD | THE SCANDAL OF THE KINGDOM
- PODCAST | THE DALLAS WILLARD PODCAST | THE SECRET MANNER OF THE KINGDOM’S WORKING: THE LEAVEN AND THE SEED
- PODCAST | RENOVARE’ | FRIENDS IN FORMATION
MONTHLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE: Silence and Solitude
The Quest for Quiet: A 5-Day Journey into Silence and Solitude
by Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor, LifeChurch NV
Have you ever gone on a quest—not just a hike with a known trail and a clear destination—but a soul-searching journey where the map isn’t handed to you in advance? You may have some idea of the reward, but the path feels uncertain. That’s what silence and solitude are like. They are not tasks to accomplish or goals to crush; they are more like ancient trails we rediscover—paths that lead us away from the noise of life and into the presence of God. They don’t always come with clear directions, but they do come with a promise: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Stillness may seem like nothing… but in God’s hands, it leads to everything.
If you’re considering the discipline of silence and solitude, I’m going to guess you’re hungry. Maybe even a bit desperate. You want more of God—more clarity, more intimacy, more peace—but you’re not sure how to access it. You’ve tried the noise, the pace, the striving. And somewhere deep inside, you sense that the breakthrough you need won’t come through more doing, but through learning to simply be. That’s the holy paradox: we live in a culture that says “go faster,” and yet God whispers, “slow down.” In solitude and silence, we begin to detox from the addiction to distraction. We stop spinning our wheels and start resting in the truth that God is already here. He’s not waiting for you to perform—He’s waiting for you to be present.
So here’s the invitation: take five days to reorient your soul. Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Just intentionally. These short daily practices are not about mastering something—they’re about entering into something. You’re stepping away from the crowded pace of life to make space for the One who restores your soul. You’re responding to the invitation of Jesus who often withdrew to quiet places—not to escape, but to be re-centered in the Father’s love. This is your quest, not for more information, but for transformation.
God isn’t asking you to become a monk. But He is inviting you to become more present. Silence and solitude aren’t about escaping life—they’re about learning how to return to it with a heart that’s anchored, not anxious. The quiet won’t always be easy. But over time, it becomes sacred. Keep returning. Keep showing up. He is already there, waiting.
Day 1 – The First Step Into Stillness
- Theme: Becoming aware of your noise
- Practice: Find a quiet space. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Close your eyes. Just notice. Notice your breathing, the sounds around you, the inner thoughts running through your mind. Don’t judge them—just notice them. Welcome God into the noise rather than trying to silence it.
- Breath Prayer: “Here I am, Lord.”
- Reflection: What is the noise beneath the noise? What keeps me from stillness?
- Scripture: “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
Day 2 – Disrupting the Distractions
- Theme: Naming distractions and choosing presence
- Practice: Sit in 7 minutes of silence. Before you begin, write down or name aloud the things that tend to pull your attention away from God—your to-do list, worries, phone notifications. Acknowledge them, then set them down. This is your sacred time with the Lord.
- Breath Prayer: “Jesus, You are enough.”
- Reflection: What am I most tempted to turn to instead of God when I feel restless?
- Scripture: “In quietness and trust is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15
Day 3 – Resting in His Presence
- Theme: Letting go of performance
- Practice: Sit in silence for 10 minutes. Imagine yourself sitting across from Jesus. You don’t need to speak—just be with Him. Let His presence be the loudest thing in the room. If your mind wanders, gently return to the phrase, “I am with You, Lord.”
- Breath Prayer: “I rest in Your love.”
- Reflection: What does it feel like to simply be with God, without having to perform or produce?
- Scripture: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Day 4 – Listening Beneath the Surface
- Theme: Tuning your heart to God’s whisper
- Practice: Sit in 12 minutes of silence. Begin by asking, “God, is there anything You want to show me today?” Then simply listen—not for a booming voice, but for nudges, images, scriptures, or peace. Trust that God is speaking—even if the message is simply His presence.
- Breath Prayer: “Speak, Lord… Your servant is listening.”
- Reflection: What might God be saying in the stillness?
- Scripture: “After the fire came a gentle whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:12
Day 5 – The Gift of Union
- Theme: Letting yourself be loved
- Practice: Find a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted. Sit in silence for 15 minutes. Don’t come with questions or needs—come with openness. Receive God’s love. Let it settle into your soul. This is not time to “hear from God” as much as it is time to be held by Him.
- Breath Prayer: “Your love is enough.”
- Reflection: Where do I sense God’s presence today? How might I carry this posture into daily life?
- Scripture: “Remain in My love.” – John 15:9
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
How Is Your Mustard Seed of Faith?
By Rob Hans | Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Connection
One of the most captivating things about Jesus’ teaching in this parable is how He links our faith to a mustard seed—something so tiny, so easily overlooked, and yet, under the right conditions, becomes a strong, sheltering, and expansive plant. The mustard seed doesn’t remain small. It was never meant to. And neither was your faith. Given good soil, sunlight, water, and time, the seed begins to break open—its outer shell cracking so that new life can form, roots can dig deep, and something hidden becomes something visible.
I’ve been sitting with this image lately and wondering—how is your mustard seed of faith doing? Maybe a better question is: are you tending to it? Are you creating the kind of internal conditions that allow your faith to actually grow?
Faith was planted in you, a quiet moment, a crisis, or a whisper of God’s presence. But where is that faith now? Is it being nurtured and stretched, or has it grown dormant beneath the surface? In the soil of your soul, are you making room for God to break through?
Are you welcoming the uncomfortable moments that crack open your safe, self-protective shell so that deeper roots can take hold?
Here’s the truth I’m learning: God doesn’t just grow faith through inspiration. He often grows it through surrender, breaking, and our willingness to risk obedience. We grow when we stop resisting the discomfort that comes with change and begin embracing the Kingdom opportunities that draw us beyond ourselves.
Every time you say yes to a moment of conviction…
Every time you say yes to being quiet long enough to actually hear from God…
Every time you say yes to stepping into something that requires more trust than control—
you’re nourishing that mustard seed.
You’re letting God reshape not only your faith, but also your identity. And here’s the beautiful part: when your faith grows, it doesn’t just benefit you. Like the mustard plant Jesus described, your growth becomes a refuge, a blessing, and a covering for others around you.
So let me ask you again:
Where in your life is God inviting you to water your faith?
What needs to break open so something new can grow?
Are you willing to say yes—even in the small, uncomfortable ways—so that your faith might stretch toward the light of a new season?
Faith doesn’t grow fast. But it will grow—if we let it.