Pastor Ian Ministry

THE SEED ———

A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today—one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil, and compost, and he planted the seed.

Everyday he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, but still nothing. By now others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by—still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil—He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful—in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!” All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed—Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold, your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!”

Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed! How could he be the new CEO the others said? Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.

But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead—it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.

When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!”

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest.

Good day, everyone! ☀️

Starting today, I’ll be sharing stories and illustrations that carry lessons, hope, and encouragement for all of us. Simple life reflections that remind us of deeper truths — that in the middle of busyness, mistakes, and challenges, grace is still present.

My prayer is that through every post, you’ll find strength, peace, and inspiration.

We may not have control over everything happening around us, but we can rest in the One whose love never changes.

Jesus loves you. 🤍

Join me on this journey.

WHERE ARE THE HANDS OF JESUS? ———

In a small town in Florence, not far from the rolling hills of Italy, there stood an old church dedicated to Jesus Christ. Inside the church was a statue that had survived wars, storms, and time itself.

But the statue was different.

It had no hands.

Years ago, during a bombing in Italy, the statue had been damaged. The hands of Jesus Christ were broken off and never found. The townspeople debated restoring it. Some wanted a sculptor to carve new hands. Others said it should remain as it was — a reminder of what had happened.

They decided to leave it.

One afternoon, a little child walked into the church with her mother. She looked up at the statue and frowned.

“Mom,” she whispered, “where are Jesus’ hands?”
Her voice echoed gently in the quiet sanctuary.
The mother looked at the statue — the empty sleeves, the open arms without hands — and smiled softly.
“Jesus has no hands,” she said, “except ours.”

The child looked confused.

“We are His hands,” the mother explained. “When we feed someone who is hungry, those are His hands. When we comfort someone who is hurting, those are His hands. When we lift someone who has fallen, those are His hands.”

The little girl stared again at the statue. Suddenly, it didn’t look broken anymore. It looked like an invitation.

From that day on, the people of the town began to understand the statue differently. The missing hands were not a flaw — they were a message.

Every time someone asked, “Where are the hands of Jesus?” the answer was simple:

They are in the hands that give.
They are in the hands that serve.
They are in the hands that love.

And in that small church in Florence, the handless statue became a powerful reminder that faith is not only something we believe — it is something we do.