Renewal and Kingdom Thinking

Renewal leaders spend a lot of time thinking about church.  In his book Kingdom Come, Reggie McNeal suggests we should spend a little less time thinking about church and a lot more time thinking about Kingdom.   Church and Kingdom overlap in beautiful ways, of course, but they are not the same. Kingdom thinking is focused on life beyond the walls of a church.  Kingdom thinking is about living in the immense reality of a world God created and loves.

Here are 6 distinctives unique to Kingdom thinking:

Distinctive 1:  Kingdom Thinking Is Focused On Living The Story

I love a good novel. I can get so wrapped up in some novels that I feel like I’m living the story as I read it.  Kingdom thinking is something like that.  It is living the story we are telling about God and his work in the world. Your life is telling God’s story while you are living that story. 

Distinctive 2:  Kingdom Thinking Is About Mission And Message

The church spends a lot of time focused on message.  That’s important of course, The Kingdom, however, isn’t about passing on information but grabbing hold of the opportunities presented to us to initiate positive change in our communities.

Distinctive 3:  Kingdom Thinking Believes Everything Good Is Kingdom Work

We can find God at work in so many ways in our world.  My brother recently lost his lower leg.  Medical doctors, therapists, wound specialists are all working together, and he is walking again.  I have no idea if any of them acknowledge Christ as King, but they are doing Kingdom work.

Distinctive 4:  Kingdom Thinking Draws Us To Broken Places

Kingdom thinking celebrates that Christ can take the enemies worst intentions and turn them to good.  He takes death and turns it into resurrection!  He takes the Evil One’s greatest victories and turns them into his greatest defeats.  Kingdom thinking draws us to every broken place believing God can redeem every broken thing.

Distinctive 5:  Kingdom Thinking Knows The Story Is Much Longer Than Life

It is humbling to acknowledge (comforting at the same time) to remember we play one small part in God’s great Kingdom plan.  The real impact of our life may come after we are gone.  Will you give your life to lay the foundation for what God wants to do years from now?

Distinctive 6:  Kingdom Thinking Celebrates Life

Like any good story, celebration is part of the journey.  This may be one of the easiest ways to embrace the Kingdom in our world, and one of the most neglected. Find a reason to celebrate God and invite anyone and everyone to join in.