In this powerful Kingdom Conversation, Pastor Robby Stock sits down with one of our valued ministry partners, Dr. Melody Curtiss, Executive Director of Helping Children Worldwide. This non-profit organization is working alongside local communities around the world to strengthen families, improve health and education, and build sustainable, child-centered solutions rooted in collaboration, trust, and empowerment. 

 In this conversation, you’ll hear how God is moving through global partnerships and how the Church can come alongside communities in ways that reflect the heart of Christ. 

For more information about Helping Children Worldwide, or to donate, please go to their website. https://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org

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Sermon Outline
Focus: Kingdom citizens are revealed not by words but by foundations. Jesus
calls us to build our lives on His teaching so that when the storms come, our
faith stands firm.

I. Kingdom citizens don’t just admire Jesus – they obey Him.
       Jesus warns that saying “Lord, Lord” is not the same as doing the Father’s will.
       What does God’s will look like?
            Trusting Jesus as Savior (John 6:40)
            Obeying Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 7:24)
            Bearing the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22–23)
            Loving God & neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40)
            Pursuing holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
       Fans admire. Followers obey.
       Kingdom citizenship means allegiance to Jesus as King.

2. Kingdom citizens bear good fruit because Jesus reigns within.
       Fruit is the outward evidence of an inward surrender. It looks like love, joy,
       peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
       Fruit isn’t perfection — it’s direction. A changed life evidences a changed
       foundation.
3. Kingdom citizens build on the Rock – not the sand.
       Jesus contrasts two builders: Same house. Same storm. Different foundations.
       Sand = anything unstable: success, money, comfort, self-reliance, shallow
              religion.
       Rock = practicing Jesus’ teaching with surrendered obedience.
       Storms don’t create collapse; they expose foundations.
       Only a life anchored to Jesus will stand.

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Sermon Outline
Focus: Jesus teaches that Kingdom peace comes when we seek God’s Kingdom first—trusting our Father, reshaping our values, and surrendering the anxious grip of earthly priorities.
I. Kingdom Priorities begin with trusting your Father
       Jesus commands: “Do not worry” not because your problems aren’t real, but                  because your Father is real and faithful.
       Birds display God’s daily provision; you are of far greater value.
       Worry shrinks your world to your ability; trust expands it to God’s ability.
       Peace doesn’t come when circumstances get easier – peace begins where               trust deepens.
       Where has worry replacing trust in your heart?
II. Kingdom Priorities reset what we value
       Jesus points to lilies – effortless beauty sustained by God.
       Worry reveals what we value, chase, and cling to.
       The world “runs after” security, image, control, and approval.
       Kingdom citizens are shaped by the presence of Jesus, not the pressures of             life.
       What do you “run after” when stressed?
III. Kingdom Priorities lead to Kingdom peace
       Jesus’ command: “Seek first the Kingdom… and all these things will be added         to you.”
       Something is always getting your “first.”
       Seeking God’s Kingdom first means:
             The Kingdom frames your decisions
             Shapes how you work
             Guides how you spend
             Anchors how you hope
       Like Peter walking on water – where your focus lands is where your peace                 lives.
       What area of your life needs a new King?

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 How do others see us as Christians—and do they see Jesus through us? In this episode of Kingdom Conversations, we reflect on what it truly means to live out our faith in everyday life. Through honest discussion, we explore whether our lives, homes, and relationships reflect Christ, how seriously we take our walk with Him, and how intentionally we invite others to encounter Jesus. This conversation challenges believers to examine not just what we believe, but how we live. 

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 Sermon Outline

Focus: Kingdom citizens are shaped by Kingdom habits – practices that train our hearts to live under the gracious reign of King Jesus. 

I. Kingdom Citizens give because they trust their Father
     Jesus assumes giving: “When you give…” 
     Generosity isn’t about wealth – it’s about trust. 
     Two motivations for giving: 
          To be seen: Giving for approval, applause, reputation 
          From trust: Giving in secret, confident the Father sees 
     Generosity trains are heart to say: My security isn’t in what I keep, but in the God who provides 

II. Kingdom Citizens pray because prayer aligns us with the King
      Jesus teaches not if you pray but when you pray. 
      Two kinds of prayer: 
          Performance prayer: praying to impress people 
          Kingdom prayer: praying to connect with the Father 
    The Lord’s Prayer provides a framework of alignment: 
          Our Father – identity 
          Your kingdom come – surrender 
          Give us daily bread – dependence 
          Forgive us – grace 
          Lead us – trust 
     Comfort in public prayer grows from consistency in private prayer 

III. Kingdom Citizens fast to train the heart to hunger for God 
         Jesus again says: “When you fast…” 
         Fasting is the most forgotten discipline, yet one of the most spiritually forming. 
         Fasting teaches us to say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit. 
         “Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food” (Dallas Willard). 

IV. These are not habits of performance, but habits of hiddenness, trust, and  formation. 
         Habits don’t save us – they shape us as people who live under the King 

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 Sermon Outline 

Focus: Kingdom righteousness is not about external rule-keeping but internal heart transformation that flows from living under the reign of King Jesus. 

I. Jesus Didn’t Cancel the Law; He Completed It
       Jesus did not lower the standard – He fulfilled it
       The Law was never the destination, but a signpost
       The Law: Reveals God’s character, exposes our sin, and shows us our need
       Jesus fulfills the Law:
              For us – His righteousness becomes ours by grace
              In us – His Spirit reshapes our hearts and lives
      Kingdom righteousness flows from who reigns in our hearts, not fear of                    consequences

II. Kingdom Righteousness Goes Deeper Than Behavior
       The Pharisees focused on external compliance
       Jesus calls us to internal transformation
       External compliance asks: “What’s the minimum required?”
       Internal transformation asks: “What is love calling me to?”

III. This Righteousness Is Impossible Without the Gospel
       Jesus doesn’t just reveal the standard—He fulfills it
       He lived the righteousness we could never live
       At the cross, the Law-keeper died for lawbreakers
       Kingdom righteousness is not achieved by effort, but received by surrender
       When Jesus reigns: Obedience becomes a response of love
               Righteousness becomes fruit, not a burden

IV. Jesus invites us to surrender, receive His righteousness, and live as citizens of         His Kingdom

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At Church of the Lakes, our mission is: “Connecting all to Christ to become healthy in God and courageous in love.” In 2026, we are emphasizing a Kingdom Mindset in all of our ministries and missions by being more like Jesus and countercultural in our living. Listen to Pastor’s Jared and Robby share this vision in this Kingdom Conversation.

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This is sermon 2 of an eight-part series. Today’s sermon explores how the Kingdom of God operates by radically different values than the world. Jesus redefines what it means to be blessed, calling blessed those the world often overlooks, and showing that God’s blessing often comes through dependence, not self-sufficiency. The Beatitudes are not a checklist of behaviors but a portrait of a transformed heart shaped by God’s reign. As Kingdom people live differently—marked by meekness, mercy, and peacemaking—their lives become a compelling witness to the world. Ultimately, the message points us to the gospel invitation: not to strive harder, but to surrender control, receive grace, and trust Jesus as King.

Sermon Outline:

 I. The Kingdom of God redefines what it means to be blessed 

• Jesus begins with blessings, not commands 
• He calls “blessed” those the world would overlook 
• The world defines blessing by addition: more success, security, clarity, control 
• God often blesses through subtraction: removing self-reliance so we can depend on Him 

II. The Beatitudes describe the kind of people the Kingdom produces 

• The Beatitudes are not a checklist, but a portrait 
• They show what grows where God’s reign is welcomed
• Kingdom life flows from the heart, not performance 
• If our lives look indistinguishable from the world: It may not be an effort problem, but a leadership problem 
• The question is not whether Jesus is present, but whether He is preeminent 

III. Kingdom living becomes a witness to the world 

• Kingdom values confront worldly assumptions 
• Meekness disrupts pride, mercy interrupts revenge, peacemaking exposes division The early church changed culture by living differently – their lives raised a question the culture couldn’t ignore 
• Our calling is not to be impressive, but distinct 

IV. The Gospel invitation 

• The Beatitudes reveal our need for grace, not self-effort 
• Jesus lived the upside-down life perfectly in our place 
• At the cross, He offers forgiveness, renewal, and a new heart 
• The invitation is not to do more, but to receive: to surrender control and trust Jesus as King 

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Pastor Jared Priset launches a new eight-part sermon series titled Kingdom Citizenship, exploring what it truly means for Christians to live as citizens of God’s kingdom.

When Jesus came to earth, He did not simply bring a new set of teachings—He came announcing a kingdom. Through His birth, life, death, and resurrection, God’s reign broke into our world, inviting people everywhere to live under His rule and authority.

Throughout 2026, Church of the Lakes will be intentionally cultivating a kingdom mindset—learning to see every area of life through the lens of God’s reign. This series will challenge and encourage us to examine our lives, relationships, priorities, and purpose, asking what it looks like to live faithfully as citizens of God’s kingdom in a world shaped by competing loyalties.

Together, we will discover our role in God’s kingdom, learn how kingdom values shape daily life, and grow in what it means to reflect Christ as ambassadors of His rule and grace. Join us as we learn to cultivate our citizenship in the kingdom that will never end.

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