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father-son covenant relationship with David’s offspring marked by steadfast love that, unlike with Saul, will never be withdrawn despite necessary discipline.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.
Our Focus Today
God Will Form A Father-Son Covenant Relationship With David’s Lineage, 2 Sam. 7:14-15
The Lord God will be a father to David’s offspring and the offspring will be his son, and God will maintain his covenant loyalty even through discipline. Jesus perfectly embodies this sonship, the beloved Son who perfectly fulfilled in all things his Father’s will.
Invocation
Faithful Father, you promised David that you would be a father to his offspring and maintain your steadfast love to his lineage even through seasons where they needed correction and discipline. I want to understand better the depth of my covenant relationship in Christ Jesus. Like David’s descendants, I am prone to failure and in need of correction, and I have often felt that my failures would cause you to reject me as you did Saul. Help me to understand your grace and open my mind to receive the security of your unchanging commitment to me in Christ. Thank you for your loving discipline that proves I am one of your own, adopted into your family through Jesus, the perfect Son who always pleased you. 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.
Friday: Numbers 32-33
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Friday: Psalm 6, 36, 66, 96, 126 and Proverbs 6
God Will Form A Father-Son Covenant Relationship With David’s Lineage, 2 Sam. 7:14-15
The Lord God will be a father to David’s offspring and the offspring will be his son, and God will maintain his covenant loyalty even through discipline. Jesus perfectly embodies this sonship, the beloved Son who perfectly fulfilled in all things his Father’s will.
Reflection
The father-son covenant relationship God establishes with David’s offspring involves both unconditional love and loving discipline. David’s line of kings would be secure through God’s unwavering commitment though they would remain accountable to him in his fatherly correction. God’s promised David that his steadfast love would never depart, even when discipline became necessary. God set David’s lineage free from the fear that their failures would result in permanent rejection. This contrasts with Saul’s reign, showing the security of God’s covenant commitment to David’s line built on his grace and covenant faithfulness. Jesus of Nazareth, the Father’s Beloved Son, never sinned nor required correction, but rather fulfilled God’s will perfectly, making him the source of our adoption into an unbreakable covenant relationship with God.
Engaging God’s Word Today
How can a good understanding God’s discipline of us as children change the way we respond when his fatherly correction comes into our lives? What fears of abandonment or rejection do you need to surrender to him in light of his promise that nothing can separate those who belong to him from the love of Christ?
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
O God of all comfort and grace in Christ, you promised to be a father to David’s offspring and never withdrew your steadfast love from his royal line. Now, establish me securely in my own identity as your own beloved child through Christ Jesus, your Son who perfectly fulfilled all your good will. Grant me the wisdom to receive your discipline as evidence of my adoption into your family rather than viewing it as the threat of you rejecting me. Give me renewed confidence to approach your throne of grace knowing that no failure can separate me from the covenant love you secured for me in Jesus Christ. I want to live in the joy of being your child, so train me in your steadfast love that never departs and correct me as my Father who disciplines those whom you love. Thank you that because I am now in Christ, your beloved Son, I am forgiven and accepted in him. Thank you for your love for me in him. 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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