Pastor Dave explores one of the enemy’s greatest deceptions to the Church throughout history.

We live and direct our “kingdom” (power to choose) within the realms of what the Scripture refers to as “the kingdoms of the world” and “the Kingdom of God”. And yet, what is meant by those terms and how they intersect is rarely understood and lies at the heart of the tensions and divisions that only seem to be escalating all around us.

Pastor Dave opens the series with a look at the three primary systems of power or “kingdoms” that shape our lives and the relationship between them.

Pastors Dave, Lindsey and Grant close the series with some discussion and reflection around the questions that were submitted during the series.

Pastor Dave brings the series full circle with the reminder of the priority of relationships within the Kingdom of God and how closely related they are to what Jesus calls “eternal life”.

“Becoming one…” as Jesus prayed that we would, and in doing so gaining the capacity to transcend any divide that separates or threatens to separate us in “us/them” categories requires three very intentional practices: seeing, immersing and contending. As we develop those practices in our daily lives, we enable and participate in God’s grand dream for all of creation: RESTORATION

The 3rd way of the Kingdom both issues the calling and provides the means by which can learn to transcend the divides in a way that sees the “other” as someone made in the image of God and worthy of my efforts to want and work for their flourishing as well as my own. The final practice of “contending”, as we witness it in the life and teaching of Jesus, will be the most challenging…

As we learn to love, we are invited to see and then engage in practices of immersion that cultivate the kind of Oneness that Jesus prays for us in John 17. These practices of commitment, humility, and vulnerability - demonstrated to us in the story of the Good Samaritan - will surely immerse us in authentic experiences of what God promises to us, “I am with you.”

Living the Third Way of the Kingdom in pursuit of Shalom in order to transcend the divides that tend to surface with those who have significant differences from us and they way we engage the world requires a new way of engaging those around us. Today we explore the first of four practices that will enable us to actually participate in the reconciliation and restoration of all things.

In John 17, right before his journey to the cross begins, Jesus prays an intimate and interesting prayer on behalf of his followers and all those who, over time, would become his followers. What’s interesting is that, given all the things he could pray for in this final petition, he prays for his followers to be one, as he and the Father are one. What does that mean and why does he include this particular request?