practicing the presence of the kingdom...

This past Saturday, we finished up our series on the kingdom. We discussed how Jesus radically ushered in a new kind of kingdom, one that most if not all were not expecting. We spoke about the gift of the Spirit and how Jesus reigns inside each of his followers through his Spirit. We talked about how we catch glimpses of the kingdom, yet are still moving toward the full revelation of the kingdom when Jesus returns. And with that in mind, we talked about how we live this out now instead of simply using our salvation as "fire insurance." We also spoke about the transition that happens in the book of Acts after Jesus' resurrection and return to the Father. All through Jesus' ministry, he and his disciples were preaching that the kingdom of heaven is near. Following Jesus ascension, his disciples preached the good news of Jesus. Something changed dramatically. Jesus showed us the beginning of the kingdom in our midst and he has chosen us to carry it out until his return. May we spread the kingdom boldly by our actions, words and lives.