This is the weekly companion to the weekend’s message, made to spend time with all week. It follows a simple five-part rhythm: a recap of what we heard, the central thought and scripture, a practice for the week, daily scripture and reflection, and a closing prayer.
Recap
The church we meet in the New Testament is always on the move. It reaches people, crosses boundaries, breaks down barriers, goes into cities, and changes lives. All of that began with a promise Jesus made at Caesarea Philippi: “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Empires have risen and fallen since then. Cultures have shifted, and generations have come and gone. Jesus is still building His Church, and His Kingdom will never be shaken. The Kingdom is advancing. The real question is whether we are part of it.
This weekend we heard three ways a follower of the Way takes part. First, the Kingdom must advance in us. We live in a world obsessed with advancement, and the Kingdom runs the other direction: “In the world, advancement is often about becoming more. In the Kingdom, advancement often begins with becoming less.” Second, the Kingdom advances through us, among the people God has entrusted to us and in the places He has positioned us. You don’t have to cross an ocean to advance the Kingdom. Sometimes you just have to walk into your child’s bedroom. Third, the Kingdom advances through His Church, the one thing you can put your hand to that will never be torn down.
Central Thought & Scripture
“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18, NLT)
Before the Kingdom of God will ever advance through you, it must first advance in you, and it advances in you as you become less. Jesus is the builder. The Church belongs to Him, and nothing will tear down what He builds. What He offers us is the privilege of building with Him: in our homes, in our city, and in His Church.
Practice for the Week
This week, practice the order of the message: in, then through, then together.
● Decrease. Each morning, pray: “Jesus, You must become greater. I must become less.” Then name one area of your life you are bringing under His rule that day: your pride, your plans, your resources, your need for control.
● Engage. Choose one person God has entrusted to you and one place He has positioned you, and take one concrete step toward each. Pray with your child at bedtime. Have the conversation at home you’ve been putting off. Volunteer in a classroom, show up at a city council or school board meeting, or ask God honestly whether He is calling you to serve in a larger way.
● Build. Ask God what part He is inviting you to have in what Jesus is building through Victory. Heart for the House is our church’s vision for building at our campuses, for the families, children, and people who have not walked through our doors yet. You can read more at victory.church/buildingupdate. Keep praying about your part leading up to the Heart for the House offering on November 22.
Daily Scripture & Reflection
Set aside some time each day to pray with these Scriptures. Bring your journal and a pen. Begin with a few quiet moments to become aware of God’s presence and invite the Holy Spirit to guide you. Read the day’s Scripture slowly, a few times, and notice what stands out. Read the reflection question and jot down your answer, no need to be elaborate, just a quick note, along with anything else that comes to you. When you finish, look back over what you wrote. Does anything stand out? Does anything call for action? Thank God for being with you and speaking to you, then close with the Lord’s Prayer. All of this fits in about 10 to 15 minutes.
Day 1: Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus names the things that fill our worry: food, clothing, tomorrow. Then He gives them their place. Seeking the Kingdom first means bringing every area of life under the rule of the King and trusting Him to provide the rest. Which area of your life have you kept outside His rule?
Day 2: John 3:26-30
John’s disciples brought him what sounded like bad news: the crowds were leaving him for Jesus. John heard it as good news. He compared himself to the best man at a wedding, glad simply to stand near the groom. Becoming less made his joy complete. What would it free you from to let Jesus have the attention?
Day 3: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
God placed the passing on of faith in the most ordinary moments of a day: sitting at home, walking along the road, lying down, getting up. The kitchen table and the drive to school are places where the Kingdom advances. Who has God entrusted to you, and which ordinary moment this week could you give to Him?
Day 4: Jeremiah 29:4-7
The exiles wanted out of Babylon. God told them to build homes, plant gardens, and seek the good of the very city that had carried them away, because their welfare was bound up with its welfare. Where has God placed you that you have been treating as a waiting room?
Day 5: Matthew 16:13-18
Jesus asked His question in a city named for Caesar and crowded with shrines to other gods. Everyone had an opinion about Him. Then He turned the question to His own followers, and the Church is built on the answer Peter gave. How would you answer Him today?
Day 6: 1 Corinthians 3:5-11
The believers in Corinth wanted heroes, so they lined up behind their favorite leaders. Paul would not let them. One plants, another waters, and God makes it grow. We work on a foundation already laid, and that foundation is Jesus. None of us is the builder, and none of us is left out. What part has God given you in what He is building?
Prayer
Father, Your Kingdom does not rest on my strength, and still You invite me to share in it. Your Son is building His Church, and nothing in hell or on earth will tear down what He builds. Through Him I come to You and ask You to make me less, so that He can become more. Forgive me for the ways I have tried to advance myself and called it serving You. Take my pride, my need for control, and my hunger to be noticed. Open my eyes to the people You have entrusted to me and the places where You have set me. By Your Spirit, send me into my home, my neighborhood, and my city as salt and light, and make me glad to build with Jesus what will last. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (traditional)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
