God employs agricultural metaphors to illustrate spiritual growth, emphasizing that He is the One who gives the increase to the crop in His field. He provides the essential resources—water, nutrients, sunlight—and the ministry to aid progress, ensuring His sons and daughters have what they need to reach maturity. Yet, the plant must also play its part; it cannot merely stand in the soil and do nothing. The seed, activated by water, must put out roots and a shoot, using the provided resources to grow in height, develop a head, display flowers, and eventually produce fruit. If the seeds never respond to God's blessings, not one sprout would break the soil's surface. Similarly, God supplies knowledge, environment, energy, gifts, and all that is necessary for a Christian to grow and bear spiritual fruit, but the individual must consistently respond to His providence to bring about growth. A caution follows that each must be careful in their response, for just as a plant that responds poorly withers and dies, so too does a Christian who fails to engage properly with what God provides. God has planted us in His field, seeking spiritual growth to harvest us for His Kingdom, and He promises that the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, fostering growth for those who fear His name.

Exploring the concept of "empty," this message warns us about God's command not to return physical or spiritual blessings which He has bestowed upon us with zero fruit. The major example is Exodus 23, covering the three Feasts wherein our forebears were not to come empty after the agricultural produce bestowed upon them. But empty is not just monetary, as was shown with Saul's military campaigns which he often victoriously completed. We observe in Isaiah 55 that God's word does not return in futility but rather proceeds as a chain of interlocking events instead of a spontaneous outcome. Our spiritual growth, likewise, should be a constant process of becoming increasingly godlike. As each day unfolds, we should continually grow to a new depth of godly character as God gives us the opportunity to become His first fruits. It requires heavy labor to bear fruit, cultivating the healthy spiritual soil which we are commanded to dress and keep. We cannot foolishly think that we will achieve spiritual growth merely by passively standing in close proximity to God's word or His church.

In the Bible, trees often serve as powerful metaphors for God's people. Psalm 1:1-3 beautifully illustrates this, comparing a blessed person to a tree planted by rivers of water, bearing fruit in its season with leaves that never wither, prospering in all endeavors. This tree, representing an individual among God's chosen, is deliberately planted by Him, nourished by streams symbolizing His Holy Spirit, ensuring growth and productivity for the good works He intends. Trees offer profound lessons through their attributes. They draw most of their nutrition from the atmosphere, akin to how God's people receive spiritual sustenance through His Spirit. Trees grow from the top, mirroring the spiritual growth of individuals as God expands their minds with knowledge. As branches on the vine of Jesus Christ, they are placed where He desires, fed by Him to produce the fruit He seeks. Moreover, trees influence their environment by transpiring water into the sky, much like God's children, through proper words and good works, allow the Holy Spirit to flow in and out, receiving more as they give. Trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide and release life-giving oxygen, paralleling how God's people endure trials, store away lessons, and provide a godly example for others. They also capture the sun's energy, reflecting how even a small portion of His Spirit can yield immense spiritual growth and potential in His followers. The Tree of Life, a central symbol from the Garden of Eden to New Jerusalem, embodies a way of life rooted in overcoming and obedience. It stands as a promise of eternal life, lining the banks of the river from God's throne, producing abundant fruit for all eternity. Through His grace, those He plants have the opportunity to partake of this tree, growing into vast orchards of godly trees in His Kingdom.

In the Parable of the Growing Seed, unique to Mark, Jesus employs agricultural metaphors to illustrate the spiritual development of those whom God calls within the present manifestation of His Kingdom. He likens this process to the natural growth of a seed into a full-grown, food-producing plant, emphasizing its invisible and somewhat mysterious nature. Just as a farmer sows seed and trusts in its growth without fully understanding how it happens, a minister scatters the seed of God's word and continues his tasks, unaware of the intricate ways God works behind the scenes. God, as the Prime Mover, provides the necessary resources—light, warmth, water, and nutrients—to germinate the seed and nurture it into maturity, looking forward to the fully developed plant with ripened fruit, which represents spiritual maturity. Similarly, a Christian grows in stages, often imperceptibly, through God's unseen efforts, which may not be discernible even to those who cultivate and feed the individual, yet growth occurs, sustained by His invisible hand.