The Upside-Down Kingdom

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 14th Sermon, Day 2

The values of God's kingdom often stand in stark contrast to the values of our world. Our culture celebrates strength, success, influence, and self-sufficiency. We admire those who have it all together, who need nothing from anyone.

But Jesus introduces us to an upside-down kingdom with radically different values. In this kingdom, blessing doesn't come to those who have achieved the most but to those who recognize their need the most. Think about the cultural messages that bombard us daily: be strong, be independent, be sufficient. Now contrast that with Jesus' message: acknowledge your weakness, embrace your dependence, recognize your insufficiency apart from God.

This isn't just counter-cultural—it's counter-intuitive. We naturally want to hide our weaknesses and showcase our strengths. But in God's kingdom, our admission of weakness becomes the very channel through which His strength flows. The beautiful paradox of the gospel is that our emptiness becomes the space where God's fullness dwells.

Our poverty becomes the stage for His riches. Our admission of need becomes the doorway to His provision. Today, instead of hiding your weaknesses or pretending to have it all together, try embracing your need for God. There's freedom in admitting that you don't have all the answers, that you can't do it all on your own.

Bible Verse

"For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:10

Reflection Question

In what ways have you been trying to appear strong or self-sufficient to others or to God, and how might embracing your weakness actually allow God's strength to be more visible in your life?

Quote "The Romans of that day would have said, blessed are the strong, blessed are the victorious. Blessed is Caesar. The Greeks might have said, blessed are the wise, the philosophers, the enlightened. In our day, we say, blessed are the influencers, the beautiful, right, the successful. But Jesus comes along and says, blessed are the poor in spirit."

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I've been taught to value strength and self-sufficiency, but You call me to acknowledge my weakness. Help me to find freedom in dependence on You and to experience Your strength flowing through my limitations. Amen.

The Doorway to the Kingdom

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 14th Sermon, Day 1

Jesus begins His most famous sermon with a paradox: the blessed life starts with emptiness. In a world that celebrates fullness—full bank accounts, full schedules, full resumes—Jesus declares that spiritual emptiness is the prerequisite for divine blessing.

When we approach God, our natural instinct is to come with our hands full. We bring our good deeds, our religious knowledge, our moral achievements. We want to show God what we've accomplished, hoping He'll be impressed.

But Jesus flips this understanding upside down. The kingdom of heaven doesn't operate on merit or achievement. It functions on grace. And grace can only be received with empty hands. Think about it—if your hands are already full of your own goodness, how can you receive God's gift?

This first beatitude isn't a call to self-loathing but to honest self-assessment. It's recognizing that before a perfect God, our righteousness is insufficient. This realization isn't meant to crush us but to free us from the exhausting work of trying to earn what can only be given. Today, consider what you're holding onto. What self-righteousness or self-sufficiency might be preventing you from fully receiving God's grace?

The doorway to the kingdom is low, and we can only enter by bowing in humility.

Bible Verse

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3

Reflection Question

What areas of your life do you find most difficult to surrender control over to God, and why might acknowledging your spiritual poverty in these areas actually lead to greater freedom?

Quote 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. These words launch what we call the Sermon on the Mount, the greatest sermon ever preached. And this opening is a blessing, or what people call a Beatitude. And it's not just an inspirational saying. This opener is actually a doorway."

Prayer

Lord, I confess that I often come to You with hands full of my own accomplishments and goodness. Help me to recognize my spiritual poverty and to approach You with empty, open hands ready to receive Your grace. Amen.

A Lifelong Commitment to Kindness

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 7th Sermon, Day 5

Throughout this week, we've explored different dimensions of kindness – how it goes deeper than niceness, how it should flow from our character like Boaz, how it crosses boundaries like the Good Samaritan, and how it extends even to ourselves as we approach God with childlike faith.

What ties all these together is that true kindness isn't a one-time event or occasional choice. It's a lifelong commitment – a fruit of the Spirit that grows and multiplies as we abide in Christ.

Kindness doesn't stand alone among the fruits of the Spirit. It's nourished by love, strengthened by patience, guided by goodness, and expressed with gentleness. As one fruit grows, it feeds the others, creating a beautiful cycle of Christlike character development in our lives.

The beautiful thing about committing to kindness is that it transforms not just individual moments but entire relationships and communities. Imagine a church where kindness is the default response to every situation – where people consistently go the extra mile, cross uncomfortable boundaries, and extend grace to themselves and others. This is the church Jesus is building.

As we conclude this devotional series, let's commit to being people of kindness – not just when it's convenient or visible, but as a lifelong expression of Christ in us. Let's be filled with His kindness so that we can pour it out to others, creating ripples of grace that extend far beyond what we can see.

Bible Verse

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

Reflection Question

How might your relationships, community, and witness be transformed if you made a lifelong commitment to growing in kindness as a fruit of the Spirit?

Quote

Being nice is often just a moment. But kindness is a lifelong commitment.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for modeling perfect kindness through Your life and sacrifice. Fill me with Your Spirit so that kindness becomes not just an occasional action but a consistent fruit in my life. Help me to commit to kindness for the long haul – in easy and difficult relationships, in public and private moments, toward others and myself. Make our church a community known for extraordinary kindness that reflects Your heart. Amen.

Childlike Faith: Kindness Toward Yourself

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 7th Sermon, Day 4

When Jesus' disciples tried to prevent children from approaching Him, Jesus was indignant. "Let the little children come to me," He insisted, adding that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. This moment reveals something profound not just about Jesus' love for children, but about how we should approach Him and treat ourselves.

Children approach life with remarkable resilience. They fall down and get back up. They make mistakes and try again. They don't carry the weight of past failures the way adults do. They trust easily and forgive quickly – including themselves.

As we grow older, we often lose this childlike quality. We become harsh critics of ourselves, dwelling on past mistakes and allowing them to define us. We convince ourselves we're too broken, too flawed, or too late for God's purposes. We stop trying because we're afraid to fail again.

But Jesus invites us to come to Him like children – with simple trust, ready to receive forgiveness and begin again. This is a form of kindness we rarely discuss: kindness toward ourselves. It means accepting God's forgiveness when we've fallen short. It means refusing to live in regret when grace is available. It means approaching each day with the fresh expectation that God is still working in and through us.

Today, practice showing kindness to yourself by receiving God's grace and refusing to be defined by your failures.

Bible Verse

"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." - Mark 10:14

Reflection Question

In what ways have you been unkind to yourself by holding onto past failures or refusing to accept God's forgiveness and grace?

Quote

As a child we have a lot of kindness and grace for ourselves. I think about how Jesus says that anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it.

Prayer

Father, thank You for welcoming me just as I am. Help me to approach You with childlike faith – trusting in Your forgiveness, believing in Your love, and accepting Your grace. Teach me to be kind to myself as I learn and grow, remembering that You see me not as my failures but as Your beloved child. Amen.

Crossing Boundaries: Kindness to Those Unlike Us

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 7th Sermon, Day 3

The parable of the Good Samaritan remains one of the most powerful stories about kindness ever told. What makes it so revolutionary is not just the act of helping someone in need – it's who helped whom. A Samaritan helping a Jew was unthinkable in that cultural context. These groups shared centuries of mutual hatred and distrust.

Yet in Jesus' story, it was the Samaritan who stopped to help when the Jewish priest and Levite – the victim's own countrymen – passed by. The Samaritan didn't just offer minimal assistance; he bandaged wounds, transported the injured man, paid for his lodging, and promised to return to check on him. This was extravagant kindness that crossed every social boundary.

This parable challenges us to examine our own boundaries of kindness. Who have we deemed unworthy of our compassion? Where have cultural, political, or religious differences become barriers to showing Christ's love? True kindness, as Jesus defines it, doesn't stop at comfortable boundaries.

The most powerful witness we can offer in our divided world is kindness that transcends expected lines. When we show genuine care to those who might consider us enemies or who hold views opposite to ours, we demonstrate the revolutionary nature of Christ's love. This isn't easy – it may even make our own community uncomfortable – but it's the kindness Jesus modeled and calls us to practice.

Bible Verse

"But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion." - Luke 10:33

Reflection Question

What boundaries or prejudices might be limiting your expression of kindness, and how might God be calling you to cross those lines to show His love to someone unexpected?

Quote

The Samaritan is the one who is able to rise above the bigotry and prejudices of centuries and show mercy and compassion for the injured Jew after the Jew's own countrymen passed him by.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I've limited my kindness to those who are like me or agree with me. Give me Your eyes to see beyond differences and Your heart to respond with compassion. Help me to be brave enough to cross boundaries with kindness, even when it's uncomfortable or misunderstood. Amen.