Growing Invasive Faith: The Power of a Mustard Seed

Understanding the Mustard Seed: Size and Potential

Jesus once said,

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
— Matthew 17:20

I recently heard a new take on this from the Sadie Robertson Huff podcast and had to investigate more about the mustard seed! We often hear this verse and think about small faith — that even the tiniest spark of belief can make a difference. But what if Jesus wasn’t just talking about smallness? What if He was also revealing something about the nature of mustard — how it grows, spreads, and can’t be contained?

Because mustard doesn’t just grow… it takes over.

The Power of a Tiny Beginning

A mustard seed is almost too small to see between your fingers. It doesn’t look like much. Yet when planted, it sprouts fast and strong, growing into a tall plant that can reach up to ten feet. Farmers in Jesus’ time knew this plant well — not just for its flavor, but for its persistence. Once mustard took root, it spread quickly, filling fields and pushing out everything else. Each plant could produce hundreds, even thousands of tiny seeds, scattering in the wind and taking root wherever they landed.

It was invasive.

And that’s exactly what the Kingdom of God is meant to be: a movement that starts small but transforms everything it touches — unstoppable, uncontrollable, alive. So, when Jesus was referencing having that having faith as small as a mustard seed would move mountains, He may have been speaking about invasive and transformative faith. The kind that leaves no room in your life for anything else.

Faith That Spreads

Throughout the Bible, we see people whose faith started small — almost invisible — but grew into something that changed the world.

Abraham – The Faith That Spread to Nations

Genesis 12–22

Abraham didn’t start with a grand faith; he simply obeyed when God said, “Go from your country… to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)
He didn’t know where he was going, but that single act of obedience planted a seed that grew into a nation — and ultimately, the entire story of salvation through Christ.
➡️ His faith “invaded” history, blessing every generation after him.

Moses – The Faith to Face Pharaoh

Exodus 3–14

When God called Moses, he protested — “Who am I?” and “What if they don’t believe me?”
Yet that little seed of trust grew as he obeyed step by step.
Before long, his faith toppled an empire, split a sea, and delivered millions.
➡️ What started as hesitant faith became invasive deliverance that broke Egypt’s grip.

David – The Faith to Face Giants

1 Samuel 17

All David had was a sling, five stones, and a belief that God was bigger than Goliath.
That mustard seed of confidence in God grew into courage that spread across Israel — inspiring an entire army that had been paralyzed by fear.
➡️ His faith didn’t just win one battle; it awakened courage in a nation.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – The Faith That Stood in the Fire

Daniel 3

When King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to bow to his golden statue, these three young men stood firm. They said,

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods.” (Daniel 3:17–18)

That’s mustard-seed faith — small in number but mighty in conviction. Their trust in God wasn’t based on outcome but on who God is. And when they walked through the fire untouched, that faith spread like wildfire through Babylon, causing even a pagan king to proclaim the greatness of their God.
➡️ Their faith didn’t just endure the flames — it turned the furnace into a testimony.

The Woman Whose Faith Healed Her

Mark 5:25–34

She didn’t have public, bold faith — just a private thought:

“If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:28)
That tiny, desperate belief set off a miracle that still encourages millions today.
➡️ One small act of reaching out became an unstoppable testimony of healing and hope.

The Disciples After Pentecost – The Faith That Multiplied

Acts 2 onward

They were ordinary, frightened people hiding in a room — then the Holy Spirit filled them, and faith exploded.
The message of Jesus spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth in just decades, transforming the world and lives on in us today.
➡️ The Kingdom grew like mustard plants in every field — unstoppable, invasive grace spreading everywhere from generation to generation.

Invasive Grace

That’s what mustard-seed faith really looks like.
It’s not polite. It doesn’t stay in neat little rows. It breaks through hard soil, cracks through walls, and grows where no one expects it.

True faith invades:

• Fear

• Doubt

• Shame

• Hopelessness

And it plants something living in their place — hope, healing, and redemption.

Tending Your Own Mustard Seed

Maybe your faith feels small right now — fragile, uncertain, even unworthy.
But that’s exactly the kind of faith God loves to use.

Plant it anyway.
Speak it anyway.
Pray it anyway.

Because once that mustard seed hits the soil of God’s grace, it won’t stay small for long.
It will take root in your heart, spread through your family, and ripple out to everyone around you.
That’s what invasive faith does — it multiplies.

Be bold today dear friends, think of what one small mustard seed can do. God created that and He created you for such a time as this. Be blessed.