God’s kingdom is present today and will be established in full when Christ returns.

Luke 17:20-35; Matthew 24:45-51

Central Truth

We experience God’s kingdom in part now, but one day we will experience it fully. Until then, we long for the day His reign is revealed on earth.

Key Question

If we are citizens of god’s kingdom now, how do we make that clear to others?

Keep in Mind

Explaining to students what God’s kingdom is like can sometimes be difficult because we can’t entirely know. Right now, we only see it in part. The Holy Spirit dwells within believers, prompting us to live as citizens of heaven while temporarily residing on earth. But we do have Scripture that points us to the reality of God’s kingdom when it comes in its fullness. 

We want to make sure to convey that God’s kingdom is more than we can even imagine. When it is fully revealed, it will be similar to a restored Eden. We will see God in His glory, and we will have the ability to see Him and walk with Him in a way we can’t quite yet. For further reading, students can check out Revelation 21–22. 

APPLICATION

How can you be faithful while you wait for Christ’s return? What does he ask believers to do while we wait?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: We all have the same calling to spread the gospel throughout the ends of the earth (see Matt. 28:19), but God also gives us unique roles according to our gifts. We shouldn’t waste them! We should use everything we have for the kingdom. 

FOR THE LEADER: It’s tempting to forget that Christ will return to judge our obedience. Because we can’t physically see Jesus right now, we tend to get lazy in our daily lives. We can begin to live as though He is absent, but Jesus is very much present—and this truth should motivate us to live for Him and tell others about Him. Our desire should be for Jesus to find us faithful when He returns.