“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10

In many ways, this yearning prayer forms the central theme of this “first sermon” of Jesus recorded in the Bible. This collection of teachings and sayings revolutionized the faith of Jesus’ listeners, who came from all across the spectrum of life: some wanted nothing to do with faith at all. Others longed for depth and truth and rescue, but didn’t know how to get there. And for some, their devotion to the Old Testament Law, to religion, and to outward, empty displays of obedience consumed their lives.

Theologian John Stott says, “The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably the least understood, and certainly the least-obeyed.” Far from being simply a new moral code, a list of ethics, or a new or expanded list of Ten Commandments, these chapters are a cutting look into our hearts, motives, character, and especially our authority and pursuits. In other words, the Sermon on the Mount “describes what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.”

From the opening collection of paradoxical statements known as Beatitudes, to the closing shock seen in his audience’s faces, every glimpse at this sermon will bring challenging, rich discussion. In All-Church Gatherings,  Villages, and in other ways described on the back of this card, we’re asking the question across our church family, “what should life look like if ‘thy kingdom has truly come,’ in many different aspects of our lives?” Thy kingdom come, in how we treat our enemies. Thy kingdom come, in how we view tomorrow. Thy kingdom come, in how we battle sin. Thy kingdom come, in our finances; our marriages; our prayers. Thy kingdom come, in our reliance; our trust; our faith. And much more.

In every aspect of life, Jesus’ rich words lead us to view our entire lives in light of this unified key theme: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”