Life Group Study - October 19, 2025

1) The Kingdom Begins in Ways We Can Easily Miss  

Read: Luke 13:19a; Zechariah 4:10   
Context: Jesus uses a mustard seed—a tiny, unimpressive seed—to describe God’s Kingdom. The synagogue leaders expected a cedar tree: big, political, loud. But Jesus points to something small and easy to overlook.   
Say: God’s Kingdom often begins in quiet places, through humble people, and in ordinary moments. Seeds don’t look like trees at first glance.   
Ask: Where are you tempted to overlook small “mustard seed” moments in your life, church, or community? How might you shift your expectations to notice God’s Kingdom at work in humble places? 
Key Insight: “Don’t miss the Kingdom because it doesn’t fit your expectations.”  

2) What God Plants Always Grows Beyond What We Expect  

Read: Luke 13:19b; Ezekiel 17:22–24   
Context: Jesus borrows from Ezekiel’s prophecy of a twig becoming a massive tree. What God plants grows—not by spectacle, but by His power and timing.   
Say: God doesn’t need the world’s permission to grow His Kingdom. He plants it. He sustains it. It may start small, but it always grows.   
Ask: How have you seen God grow something beyond what you expected in your life or ministry? What “mustard seeds” are you tending right now that you need to trust God to grow?  
Key Insight: “The Kingdom may start like a mustard seed, but it ends like a tree.”  

3) The Kingdom Is Bigger and Wider Than Our Boxes  

Read: Luke 13:19c; Daniel 4:10–12   
Context: Birds nesting in the tree symbolize the nations finding refuge under God’s reign. The synagogue leaders thought the Kingdom was for Israel alone, but Jesus describes a tree wide enough for all peoples.   
Say: God’s Kingdom is not confined to one nation, culture, denomination, or comfort zone. The branches are wide enough for the world.   
Ask: What “boxes” are you tempted to place God’s Kingdom in (national, cultural, personal)?Who are the “birds” God is calling you to make room for in your branches?  
Key Insight: “The Kingdom of God is not just for one group. It’s a tree with branches wide enough for the nations.”  

 Reflective Passages: Daniel 4:10–12; Matthew 13:31–32; Zechariah 4:10