Make a Difference - Week 6 - Ben Ingebretson: Thy Kingdom Come

Welcome back to our  “Make a Difference” conversation. We have been thinking about how to live the one “wild and precious life” God has given us to live. 

After all, there are plenty of others who are pressing to fit us into their agenda.  You know who they are.

The question is what will you choose in the large and little acts each day?

So consider with me a single word that is perhaps the word Jesus used more than any other word to make that choice clear.  The favorite word of Jesus is kingdom. You probably remember a context for that word as "thy kingdom come".

As followers of Jesus we are about the reign of God in the world. "His kingdom come his will be done".

Several weeks ago I celebrated a significant birthday, one with a  “0” at the end.  I was ok with that milestone day up until that morning.  Quietly meditating for a bit, I was reminded again. It’s not just about you”.  It hit me in a new way.  Never has it been about me, but I saw that reality in a new light.  

So what if it isn’t just about you either?

You see Jesus teaches us that it’s about:

• It’s the fact that the good news of Christ comes to us on the way to someone else. 
• The way the “arc of the universe is bending toward justice” by His design.
• It’s about estranged and broken relationships being reconciled.
• It’s about turning my blessing around to be a blessing to someone less fortunate.
• It’s about participating with God and his great redemptive work.

It’s about the kingdom. Thy kingdom come, which is not a passive statement.  It is active.  Am I doing my part?

What little thing has God put before you today to claim for kingdom? 

Pray with me. God in heaven, open our eyes to your kingdom come in our lives and then, help us to live as Jesus would live into that defining moment and place.  Amen. 

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Find a Microsoft Word version of the bulletin insert here.(download the document to edit) Join us this Lent.  Click here for ideas on how to join the study.  The videos are posted here. Tell the stories of what happens as you engage in the practices outlined by posting on social media with the hashtag #DakotasMakeaDifference!