THE SEED THAT FINALLY GREW


The Testimony of Thapelo

There are some people you speak to once, and they change immediately.

But there are others you have to speak to again and again.

You invite them to church.

You pray for them.

You encourage them.

You speak the Word of God into their lives.

And sometimes, it looks like nothing is happening.

But I want to tell you today:

Never underestimate the power of a seed.

The Bible says in Luke 8:11, “The seed is the word of God.”

And today I want to tell you about a young man named Thapelo.

THE MAN WHO DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT CHURCH

There was a time when Thapelo was living a reckless life.

Alcohol was part of his life, and he was also involved in selling illegal substances.

But at the same time, he was a barber. He had a small barbershop in a container, and that barbershop was very close to the church where I minister.

So I would go there to cut my hair.

And while I was sitting there getting my hair cut, I would minister to him.

I would talk to him about God.

I would invite him to church.

I would tell him about the Lord.

And Thapelo would say:

“Yes, Pastor, I will come.”

But he never came.

Sometimes I would meet him on the road.

And if he saw me before I saw him, he would change direction!

Because he already knew:

“Here comes the pastor. He's going to talk to me about church. He's going to talk to me about God. Let me get away from him!”

Sometimes I would go to the barbershop, and suddenly there would be another excuse:

“Pastor, the machine isn't working today.”

But I kept coming.

I kept talking.

I kept inviting.

I kept planting.

Because I understood something:

My responsibility was to plant the seed. God would take care of the growth.

THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED

One day, Thapelo was robbed inside the container where he was cutting hair.

And that experience caused him to stop.

It caused him to think.

And suddenly, the words that he had heard so many times began coming back to him.

The words he had tried to avoid.

The words he thought were annoying.

The words he thought he could escape by changing roads.

Those words were still there.

Why?

Because they had been planted.

You see, a seed does not disappear simply because you cannot see it.

You can put a seed into the ground today and look tomorrow and see nothing.

But something can still be happening underneath the surface.

And that is what happened with Thapelo.

The Word had been planted.

And eventually, the seed began to grow.

THE DAY HE WALKED INTO CHURCH

One day, Thapelo decided to come to church.

And when he came, he didn't just sit in the church.

He gave his life to the Lord.

The same young man who had been avoiding the pastor...

The same young man who had been avoiding church...

The same young man who had been living recklessly...

Walked into the house of God and surrendered his life to Jesus.

Can somebody say:

“God can change a life!”

BUT THE STORY DIDN'T END THERE

Sometimes we think that when someone gives their life to Christ, suddenly everything becomes easy.

But Thapelo still had struggles.

He had to learn.

He had to grow.

He went through different jobs, including construction work.

There were difficult seasons.

But there was something different about him now.

He had direction.

He was seeking God.

He was learning faithfulness.

And eventually, he got an opportunity to work at Burger Bean.

He started working there, and over time he became a manager.

For several years, he worked faithfully.

But what impressed me was not only his work.

He remained faithful to God.

Even when it was month-end.

Even when he was busy.

Even when life demanded his attention.

He continued coming to church.

He was learning that blessing is not only about receiving something from God.

Blessing is also about becoming faithful to God.

THEN GOD GAVE HIM AN IDEA

One day, God gave Thapelo an idea.

An idea to start his own business.

And he started.

He opened a takeaway business selling braaied meat, burgers, chips and other food.

It didn't become successful overnight.

But gradually...

Step by step...

Day by day...

The business began to grow.

And today, Thapelo is his own boss.

Look at what God has done.

The man who once lived recklessly...

The man who once avoided the church...

The man who once avoided the pastor...

God transformed his life.

THE POWER OF A SEED

Church, I want you to understand something.

Sometimes you are praying for somebody and you think:

“Nothing is happening.”

You speak to your child.

You speak to your friend.

You speak to your neighbour.

You invite somebody to church.

And they don't listen.

But don't stop planting.

Don't stop speaking the Word.

Because you don't know what is happening underneath the surface.

You may not see the seed growing.

But God sees it.

You may not see the change.

But God sees the heart.

You may think your words have been forgotten.

But somebody may remember them years later.

A seed can wait for the right season.

THAPelo'S STORY IS NOT JUST ABOUT A BUSINESS

When I look at Thapelo today, I don't only see a young man who has become his own boss.

I see a changed life.

I see a man who encountered Jesus.

I see a man who learned faithfulness.

I see a man who kept going even when things were difficult.

And I see evidence that:

God can take a life that is going in the wrong direction and give it a new direction.

SO KEEP PLANTING

Maybe there is somebody in your life today who is avoiding you.

Maybe they don't want to hear about God.

Maybe they don't want to come to church.

Maybe every time you invite them, they have an excuse.

Don't become discouraged.

Keep praying.

Keep loving.

Keep inviting.

Keep planting the seed.

Because one day, something may happen.

One day, they may remember your words.

One day, they may walk through those church doors.

One day, they may surrender their life to Christ.

And one day, you may look at them and say:

“I remember when you didn't want to hear it.”

But now...

The seed has grown.

FINAL MESSAGE

The Bible says in Galatians 6:9:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Thapelo's testimony reminds us:

Don't give up on the seed.

You may plant it today.

You may water it tomorrow.

You may wait for years.

But God is the One who gives the increase.

Your job is to plant.

Your job is to speak.

Your job is to pray.

Your job is to remain faithful.

And when God's time comes...

the seed will grow.

Thapelo's life is a testimony that the Word of God does not return empty.

The man who once ran away from the pastor...

is now walking with God.

The man who once lived recklessly...

is now building a life of purpose.

The man who once avoided the church...

became part of the church.

And the man who once worked for someone else...

is now running his own business.

That is what God can do with a life surrendered to Him.

So keep planting.

Keep praying.

Keep believing.

Because you may be looking at the ground, but God is already working underneath it.

The seed may be invisible—but the harvest is coming.

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