“The kingdom of God” was Jesus’s most frequent teaching topic, yet it’s often the least understood. This plan explores six facets of what he meant by it.
Day 1 — The Kingdom Is Near
Read Mark 1:14-15.
Jesus’s opening message: “the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe.” His arrival itself is the announcement that God’s reign is breaking into the world.
Try this: Consider what it means that God’s kingdom isn’t just a future hope, but something already breaking in now.
Day 2 — Parables of the Kingdom
Read Matthew 13:31-33.
The mustard seed and the leaven both describe something small that grows into something significant — the kingdom’s quiet, gradual, unstoppable growth.
Try this: Where might a small act of faithfulness today be a “mustard seed” you can’t yet see the full growth of?
Day 3 — Seek First the Kingdom
Read Matthew 6:33.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Priority, not exclusivity — the kingdom comes first, and other needs follow.
Try this: Examine what’s actually first in your priorities today, and reorder if needed.
Day 4 — The Kingdom Belongs to Such as These
Read Mark 10:14-15.
Jesus welcomes children specifically, saying the kingdom belongs to those who receive it like they do — without status or self-sufficiency to offer.
Try this: Practice childlike receiving today, rather than trying to earn your way into something.
Day 5 — Not of This World
Read John 18:36.
Jesus tells Pilate his kingdom isn’t of this world — a different kind of power altogether, not built on force or political maneuvering.
Try this: Where might you be tempted to advance God’s kingdom through worldly means rather than his actual methods?
Day 6 — Thy Kingdom Come
Read Matthew 6:9-10.
Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come, his will to be done — an ongoing prayer for God’s reign to expand, not a one-time request.
Try this: Pray “your kingdom come” specifically over one area of your life or community today.
Closing thought: The kingdom of God isn’t a place you go to someday — it’s God’s reign, already breaking into the world through Christ, that you’re invited to live inside of now.