The picture of the marriage feast calls us to look ahead with active anticipation and response. Therefore, we must not be indifferent, opposed, or unchanged as ones invited to his kingdom. So seeking first his Kingdom means active preparation now even as we are called to wait with patience and faith.

To be in God's Kingdom involves being a good neighbor. And to be a good neighbor means to move in compassion towards those in need. As such, compassion involves seeing people in need, taking on inconvenient action, and refusing to draw artificial boundaries. By entering into the world, Jesus proves Himself to be the ultimate Good Neighbor.

Through this parable, Jesus teaches his disciples how they are to live as they wait for His return. As we wait for King Jesus to return, we should be faithful stewards of His resources for His Kingdom purposes. Those who truly belong to the Kingdom will faithfully live for the King.

With this parable, Jesus teaches that in the Kingdom of God, we ought to extend forgiveness to others because we have received forgiveness from God. At the heart of forgiveness is paying the debt of the wrongdoer yourself rather than making them pay for it. Forgiveness is the way of the Kingdom because forgiveness is the way of our King.

Parables were teaching methods used by Jesus where an earthly story was used to illustrate a heavenly or kingdom truth. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus teaches the crowds that a person's heart must be in the right condition and posture for the reception of God's Word, which in turn will determine the fruit he or she bears. The Spirit is at work and the seed is there. But we must be willing, diligent, and focused for it to bear fruit.

The practice of serving is humbly seeing the needs of others and ministering to those needs. When we engage in the practice of serving, we are formed to become truly great in God's Kingdom. We grow to become like our humble King. We can engage in the practice of serving by carrying out ordinary acts of kindness, by getting involved with ministry at church, and by faithfully engaging with our vocations.

The practice of generosity is faithfully stewarding God's resources for God's purposes. Generosity is so important because it frees us from the love of money, which actually enslaves us and keeps us from truly loving God or loving our neighbors. We can practice generosity as we give thanks to God, wisely budget our finances, and joyfully contribute to the work that God does through the local church.

The practice of community is sharing life together as brothers and sisters in the family of God. As a practice, community is never just found, but it is always built. As such, the practice of community forms us to become people of commitment. We can aim to build community together especially through exercising hospitality and pursuing reconciliation.

The spiritual formation of Scripture is to know God and to obey his word. It is relationship building but one that is focused on trust and surrender. In committing to his word, we are like the house built on a solid foundation able to withstand the harshness of life. But one who is not formed by Scripture is one who is set up to fall.

Solitude is intentionally setting aside time and space to be alone with God. We encounter God in our practice of solitude. But that’s not the only thing we encounter. In solitude, we also encounter ourselves as well as our enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil). But it is our encounter with God that is deeply formative and allows us to honestly encounter ourselves and to victoriously encounter our enemies.