Finding Joy in the Kingdom

“Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you. Do not be afraid, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” ~Luke 12:29–32

This passage in Luke is often used for dealing with stressful situations. And rightly so, it is a charge to have faith in God and His work and provision in our lives. However, it can be easy to focus on the promise of God’s provision and miss the promise of the kingdom and our charge to seek it first in our lives. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of
visiting a church and experiencing a group of people truly excited and rejoicing in the spreading of the kingdom.

On October 10 Jessy and I and three of the girls from the Youth Group, Jessie Jordan, Jenna Bergman, and Kelsey Johnson, traveled to Tennessee. The purpose of this trip was to attend the Missions Conference at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. For the past three years New Life has partnered with First Pres on the Mexico missions trips, and it has been so exciting to see the relationships that have formed between New Life and First Pres.

First Pres has a tremendous heart for and history with missions. The church was actually planted in 1838 by missionaries that came to witness to the Native Americans. Every year they have a weeklong missions conference where they invite over twenty missionaries to come and speak to the congregation, meet with the small groups and Bible studies, and share what God has been doing in their lives and ministries. It was exciting to see so many missionaries from all over the world and hear their exciting stories of God working and how the kingdom is growing. But it was also really exciting and encouraging to see a church body excited and focused on the work of the kingdom.

The girls and Jessy and I instantly felt welcomed and appreciated by the congregation. Not only did we receive a warm welcome and generous hospitality from our brothers and sisters at First Pres, but they also showed such joy and enthusiasm in our ministry and what God was doing at New Life. The girls mentioned that at times they felt like they were being treated just like the missionaries, because the congregation was so excited to hear from them too.

The church has several rooms that are dedicated to supplying missionaries with anything they might need like clothing, travel accessories, and luggage. One of the missionaries shared a story about how all of her luggage had been stolen, but because of the church’s passion for the kingdom God used them to meet all of her needs. This is a vivid example of the passage in Luke 12 at work. It was through First Pres’s kingdom focus and sacrifice that God provided for His people.

As we enter the holiday season and prepare for a time of thanksgiving, let us focus our hearts first on the kingdom trusting in God’s provision for us and looking for how He might use us to provide for others.

In Him,

Adam