Our series during Ordinary time will explore the revelation of God’s Kingdom through his Son. We will look specifically how the incarnation—the ministry, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ—reveals the long-promised Kingdom of God breaking into human history demonstrating God’s love, destroying the powers that ravaged creation, and displaying the Messiah’s promise (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).

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YOUR KINGDOM COME
Pastoral Resources | 2025-26 Themes At-A-Glance

The Throne of David: The Messianic Promise for David’s Eternal Reign, 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Luke 1:30-33
In this pivotal passage, king David, having achieved rest from his enemies and dwelling in his palace of cedar, expresses concern that God’s ark remains housed in a mere tent and desires to build a permanent temple. Although Nathan initially approved David’s idea, his plans were met with divine reversal when God spoke through Nathan that night, reminding David that he has never required a house and has been content to dwell in a tent among his traveling people. Rather than allowing David to build him a house, God promises to build David a house—not of cedar and stone, but an eternal dynasty; David’s son would be the heir of an eternal Kingdom.

Yahweh recounts his past faithfulness in elevating David from shepherd to king, granting him victory over enemies, and establishing for him a great name among the nations. God promises David that after his death he will raise up David’s offspring who will build the temple, and whose throne God will establish forever. The LORD enters into a father-son covenant relationship with David’s offspring marked by steadfast love that, unlike with Saul, will never be withdrawn despite necessary discipline. This unconditional covenant promise that David’s house, Kingdom, and throne shall endure forever transcends any earthly monarchy and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of David, whose eternal reign the angel Gabriel announced to Mary, declaring that her child’s reign would never end.

Invocation
Eternal Father, I acknowledge you today as the Master Builder who constructs dynasties and establishes kingdoms according to your sovereign purpose. As I meditate on your promise to David, open my heart to see how you are at work in my life, reversing my initiatives to do your own eternal purpose. Give me the grace to surrender my limited plans and to embrace your unlimited promise, finding my true rest in your Son, Christ Jesus, the Son of David, whose throne will endure forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Sunday: Numbers 19-21

Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for this week.
Psalm: Psalm 15
Old Testament (or Acts [during Eastertide]): Micah 6:1-8
Gospel: Matt. 5:1-12
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Click here for all of this week’s Scripture readings

Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Sunday: Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121 and Proverbs 1

The Throne of David: The Messianic Promise for David’s Eternal Reign, 2 Sam. 7:1-17 and Luke 1:30-33
God responds to David’s desire to build his God a temple by reversing the initiative promising instead to build for David an eternal house and establish a throne that will endure forever, a kingdom covenant promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of David, whose Kingdom rule will have no end.

Reflection
God’s promise of an eternal dynasty to the house of David (often referred to as the Davidic Covenant) outlines how God’s redemptive kingdom work flows from his sovereign initiative rather than human religious achievement. God graciously transforms our inadequate plans for him into his own magnificent plans for his glory and for us! When we approach God with our best intentions to serve and honor him—like David’s desire to build a temple—we discover that he is already at work building something far greater: an eternal kingdom purpose in and through his people finalized in Jesus of Nazareth, David’s heir and Messiah. This divine reversal teaches us that God-pleasing worship and service is not primarily about our actions and what we do to build something for God but about surrendering to him and what he is doing in history and wants to do through us. We must find our place in his redemptive story, that great tale which culminates in Jesus Christ’s eternal reign. We should recognize that the same covenant faithfulness displayed in bringing Jesus from David’s line guarantees that every promise God makes to us in Christ will most certainly find its “yes” and “amen” in our lives and ministries.

Engaging God’s Word Today
How might God be inviting you to surrender your well-intentioned plans “to build something for him” to discover his greater eternal purpose he is already building and wants you to use you as part of Christ’s unending Kingdom? 

Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.

We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Benediction
Now may the God of steadfast love, who promised David an eternal throne and fulfilled that promise in Jesus Christ our King, grant you the faith to trust in his sovereign plan and story, moving you to live above your own religious activities and achievements. May the Lord plant us securely in his kingdom work where we experience true rest from our enemies, and may he establish our lives to be threads in the tapestry of his eternal purpose. Father, help me now to go forth in the confidence that the same covenant faithfulness that raised Christ from the dead is working in me now as a member of his Church, and may your peace guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, as I trust in you today. Amen

Scripture Memory for this season
Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV): The Prophet’s Vision of the Messianic King: Isaiah’s Testimony
⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.

Books We Are Reading this Church Year, and When
• The Most Amazing Story Ever Told, Dr. Don Davis (during season of Advent)
• Get Your Pretense On, Dr. Don Davis (during season of Christmas)
• Destined for the Throne, Paul Billheimer (during seasons of Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Resurrection)
• The Presence of the Future, George Eldon Ladd (during seasons of Ascension and Coming of Holy Spirit)
• Kingdom, Church and World, Howard Snyder (during seasons of Headship and Harvest)
• The Gospel of the Kingdom, George Eldon Ladd (during the seasons of Hope and Remembering the Saints, Exalting the King)

Book Reading Reflection: Destined for the Throne
(Reading “Destined for the Throne” during season of Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Resurrection)

“Prayer is not begging God to do something which he is loath to do. It is not overcoming reluctance in God. It is enforcing Christ’s victory over Satan. It is implementing upon earth heaven’s decisions concerning the affairs of men. Calvary legally destroyed Satan and cancelled all of his claims. God placed the enrollment of Calvary’s victory in the hands of the Church (Matthew 18:18 and Luke 10:17-19). He has given to her “power of attorney.” She is his “deputy.” But this delegated authority is wholly inoperative apart from the prayers of a believing church. Therefore, prayer is where the action is. Any church without a well-organized and systematic prayer program is simply operating a religious treadmill.

A program of prayer without faith is powerless. The missing element that is necessary to energize prevailing prayer that binds and casts out Satan is triumphant faith. And the missing element that is necessary to energize triumphant faith is praise–perpetual, purposeful, aggressive praise. Praise is the highest form of prayer because it combines petition with faith. Praise is the spark plug of faith. It is the one thing needed to get faith airborne, enabling it to soar above the deadly miasma of doubt. Praise is the detergent which purifies faith and purges doubt from the heart. The secret of answered prayer is faith without doubt (Mark 11:23). And the secret of faith without doubt is praise, triumphant praise, continuous praise, praise that is a way of life. That is the solution to the problem of a living faith and successful prayer.

The secret of success in overcoming Satan and qualifying for the throne is a massive program of effective prayer. The secret of effective prayer is a massive program of praise.”

~ Billheimer, Paul. Destined for the Throne: How Spiritual Warfare Prepares the Bride of Christ for Her Eternal Destiny. Bethany House, Minneapolis, MN, KS, 1975. Electronic Edition. Location 17-18.

On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
The Time is Fulfilled: The Fall of Humankind and the Curse Overturned, Mark 1:14-15 (cf. Gen 3:1-15)

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