Summer Message Theme 
"Kingdom of God"

The first message Jesus preached after his baptism was “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” The number-one thing Jesus talked about is the kingdom of God. It’s everywhere in the Gospels and impossible to miss. In Matthew’s gospel alone, Jesus mentions the Kingdom of God 55 times in only 28 chapters. 

 

You may not think about the Kingdom of God very much, but it dominated the hearts and minds of the ancient Jewish people. They were waiting for the promised king to come back and deliver them from bondage.

 

The king did come back, but he established his reign in a surprising way that caused many of them to miss it. Jesus fulfills every kingdom promise, but he establishes the kingdom in a way different from what they expected and yet more glorious than they could’ve imagined.

 

We will journey to understand God’s kingdom. The kingdom message is counterintuitive and surprising, going against the grain of worldly wisdom, because, unlike any other kingdom this world has ever seen, Christ’s kingdom is built on grace and advances with compassion. In this kingdom, the throne is a cross, and the King reigns with self-giving love.

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“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:15 

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