TEST PAGE

SESSION THREE YOUR KINGDOM COME

Please remember these notes are to refer back to if NEEDED. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes.

In the Kingdom of God (where God rules), there is love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, mercy, forgiveness, servanthood, etc. Another way to look at this concept, is to think of all humans living like Jesus. If God's will was always done, and His reign extended to absolutely everything, our lives would be what they were intended to be from God's original creation. That is why Jesus is returning to making all things new!

The Kingdom of God is of the greatest value. It is described as something that you want so badly, that you are willing to give everything up for it. Nothing is worth everything, except the Kingdom of God. In order to obtain it/receive it/acquire it, you must be willing to forsake all things for it.

As followers of Jesus, we enter into a space where Jesus is King. We align the allegiance of our hearts to His Kingdom, and in turn learn to live as citizens of that Kingdom. As previously mentioned in the above answer for question 3, in the Kingdom of God (where God rules), there is love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, mercy, forgiveness, servanthood, etc.

There must be self-denial, which is a forfeiting of one's self, faith in Christ, death to life, and ultimately looking at all things as secondary to the Kingdom life. In our current cultural narrative, the resounding messages we get are from TV, radio, magazines, social media, and the internet. Each of these are mostly geared toward feeding our egos, our pride, our wants, our desires, and trying to sell us something. This is the opposite of the Kingdom life. These ideologies permeate our souls, and taint them in a very destructive way. As followers of Jesus who are seeking into entering the realities of the “Kingdom of God”, we must be patient with ourselves and know that this will be a process of transformation.

There's a reminder that an order to gain this new life, one must lose his current life. There will be many things that we must be willing to give up in

our lives, in order to fully engage in the Kingdom life of God. When we set aside our own likes, desires and preferences for the sake of the Kingdom, then we are relying on God, putting our faith and trust in Him, essentially living out the realities, knowing that His ways are better than our ways.

8 Encourage your group to share the practicalities of how they have seen this play out with someone they know.

9 In instances where followers of Jesus are willing to give up whatever they are holding on to in order to gain this new Kingdom life and perspective, their lives begin to transform from the inside out. There is an adjustment period that a follower will go through. But this life of adjustment and pursuit of the Kingdom life will result in one's heart and mind being transformed, even though their circumstances may not change.

10 As previously mentioned, the Kingdom life is the life that God originally planned for us. Sin changed everything, and we are living in a world that is tainted by it. As we pursue holiness, we experience aspects of the Kingdom through God's grace. This life is central to Jesus' teachings and prayer life, because this is what He came to do. He came to inaugurate His Kingdom, and invite us to live as citizens of His Kingdom.

11 For someone who is “dying to self,” their perspectives begin to change. When their perspectives change, so do their prayers and their lifestyles. The pursuit is then holiness and living a life as if Jesus were living their life for them.

12 In order for us to live out the realities of the Kingdom, we must be willing to commit ourselves and be held accountable to our commitment. Go around and encourage your group members to share at least one thing they can do.

Deeper Study Questions
13 There's a reminder that in order to gain this new life, one must lose his current life. There will be many things that we must be willing to give up in our lives, in order to fully engage in the Kingdom life of God, sometimes things that seem “good” for us. When we set aside our own likes, desires, and preferences for the sake of the Kingdom, then we are relying on God by putting our faith and trust in Him. Essentially, we are living out the realities of His Kingdom knowing that His ways are better than our ways.

14 This is a personal question that is intended to put all things in perspective. Allow for your group members to process through this carefully and methodically.

15 This is the point of the passage. In order to be a disciple, we must be willing to give up everything for Jesus. Therefore, if our parents will not follow Jesus, or even if they disown us for being Christians, we must still choose Him over them. It is in this sense that we are “hating” our family members who reject the Lord or reject us because of the Lord. This is not easy, and of course it is right that we should love our family members and want our family members to love and follow God.

16 For someone who is “dying to self,” their perspectives begin to change. When their perspectives change, so do their prayers and their lifestyles. Their pursuit then is holiness and living a life as if Jesus were living their life for them.
Take some time right after the group watches the video, to discuss what your different group members thought were the highlights of the teaching and testimony for them. There are absolutely no right or wrong answers here, but there is an opportunity to discuss some things that were important to some and maybe missed by others.

1 This week, we are learning what it means to pray for God's will. Too often we ask God for “stuff” and not necessarily for His will. His will is always perfect, even though it may not be what we want. Go around and share how you and your group have lived out this reality.

2 As mentioned last week, when we are living as citizens of the Kingdom, we are fulfilling God's will “on earth as it is in Heaven.” When we are dying to self and living for Christ, it is as if Jesus were living our lives if He were us. It is when we have this mindset to allow for the Holy Spirit to reign in our hearts, that we can experience God's will here on earth.

3 We must lean into what God is teaching us, and pursue His Kingdom and all of its righteousness. When we are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, He allows us to partner with Him in bringing about the realities of His Kingdom on earth. This must begin with faith and trust in Christ!