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Body Life:
A Whole New Way of Living Finding the Secret of the Satisfied
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ost of us feel the tension. Something just doesn’t fit. The lives that we live don’t ever quite match up to what we once expected or what we sense they should be. It’s not about stuff, material goods. Most of us have plenty. It’s not about activity, or opportunities. It’s not even about having enough people around us. Many are lonely right in the middle of the crowd. Some of our young people don’t even feel alive. What’s wrong? Surely this isn’t life as it was meant to be. People are willing to go to almost any end to feel like they are really living; they will try just about anything.
God has the answer. Of course He does! He is the one who made life in the first place. And His answer is a very simple one. He calls it His Kingdom. His Kingdom is very simply the place where He reigns as King. It is the King’s domain. Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom and He encouraged people to repent – change the way they were thinking - about life (See last month’s article for more on that.) Then He made a remarkable promise to those who were worried about not getting what they needed in this life. He said, “If you seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, you will have everything that you need.” (Matt. 6:33) The Kingdom of God is amazing. It is bigger than our universe and has as many dimensions, and yet it can impact something as minute as the smallest atomic particle. It can be as grand as the Himalayas, and as powerful as the greatest bomb, and yet as subtle as the lightest puff of air. The Kingdom is remarkable and pervades everything it touches. God can do His Kingdom work in the womb on an unborn child and in the heart of the most hardened sinner. He can change the course of nations and can alter the route you take driving your car. His Kingdom is remarkable and the forces at work in it are fascinating. And He has a place for YOU in His Kingdom. He has a role
for you to play, and a work for you to do. He has relationships – people for you to embrace, for you to belong with - and He has places for you to go. His Kingdom runs concurrently with the lives we lead and usually occupies the same space. I like to call Kingdom living “a whole new way of living.” Kingdom living has its own values, priorities, callings, gifts and abilities, personality traits, principles, and leadership style. It is different than the rest of the world in many ways. At its core is a relationship with God Himself. He wants us to know Him as He really is, because that knowledge alone will bring a radical transformation. He is our first love and highest purpose. And He is perfect in every detail: His love is the greatest expression of love, His knowledge is true knowledge, and His wisdom is the highest wisdom. In His Kingdom we learn His way – a whole new way of living. If you want a short introduction to His way, you
should read Matthew, chapters 5-7, where He in essence says, “You have been taught in this way, but I will teach you My way.” In His Kingdom you will find a different kind of relationship with others. The current culture likes to present the church as radical and intolerant, but you will find the vast majority of His true followers to be full of love and grace. And His Kingdom offers many opportunities for your life to really count for something – not just for the short term - but for all of eternity! Are you looking for a whole new way of living? I urge you to seek to discover the “secret of the satisfied.” Seek first His Kingdom.
John Pound
Pastor, New Hope Community Church
Meet AFF's SALES REP! Susan Stern
Susan is Austin Faith & Family's advertising guru. Her expertise runs deep, with a degree in advertising from UT and 13 years of experience working at ad agencies and radio and TV stations in Dallas and Austin. In her current role at AFF, Susan feels blessed to be able to use her
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