One Hundred-Fold Return

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells of a farmer scattering seed in four different places. Some falls on the path and is eaten by birds. Some lands on rocky soil and withers. Some is choked out by thorns. But one portion lands in good soil— and that seed produces a crop a hundred times more than what was sown.

Think about that. One seed—under the right conditions— can yield a hundredfold return. That’s not just addition. That’s multiplication. That’s abundance.

One of the key lessons in this parable is simple but powerful: Take the risk.

Students often come to me with questions about what they should do:
“Which college should I choose?”
“What should I study?”

“Should I go on the mission trip?”
“Should I confront the friend who hurt me?”

When you bring me a question like that, I usually start by doing a kind of soil test. I ask about your motives. Why do you want to do this? What are you hoping will come from it? I help you think through the possible consequences or outcomes. We talk about whether the decision is rooted in fear, faith, ego, or growth.

But here’s the truth: neither you nor I can ever know for sure what the outcome will be. There’s always uncertainty. There’s always risk.

And at some point in the conversation, if your heart seems like good soil—humble, open, and willing—I’ll likely say something like this: Take the risk.

Because nothing grows from seeds never sown.

Fear will keep your seeds in your pocket. But faith dares to plant—even when the future is unknown. It’s through planting, through stepping out, through saying yes, that you give God the chance to do what only He can do—bring exponential growth from a single seed.

Good soil is ready. The harvest is possible. But you have to start by letting go—and planting the seed.