The Fourth Week of November

Printable Guide

We Read…

Jesus tells Pilate that his kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. He came as a king but not in the way anyone expected - he didn’t come to fight wars or claim a worldly throne. Instead, he came as the King of Kings, the king of a kingdom that flips what we know upside down. He doesn’t value popularity, wealth, or abusive power. Instead, he values love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

The truth of God coming to earth to love and walk with us reflects the God we see in the Old Testament, too. David shares about the God who rules justly with goodness, and this is still who God is today. The psalmist asks God to stay faithful as God has been, and God acts out this faithfulness by sending Jesus to be with us. Later in the New Testament, Revelation 1 tells us that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. God has loved us from the very beginning. God has been establishing this Kingdom since the very start, and God will continue to do these things until the end of time.

2 Samuel 23:1-7

23 These are David’s last words: 

This is the declaration 

of Jesse’s son David, 

the declaration of a man raised high, 

a man anointed by the God of Jacob, 

a man favored 

by the strong one of Israel. 

2 The Lord’s spirit speaks through me; 

his word is on my tongue. 

3 Israel’s God has spoken, 

Israel’s rock said to me: 

“Whoever rules rightly over people, 

whoever rules in the fear of God, 

4 is like the light of sunrise 

on a morning with no clouds, 

like the bright gleam after the rain 

that brings grass from the ground.” 

5 Yes, my house is this way with God! 

He has made an eternal covenant with me, 

laid out and secure in every detail. 

Yes, he provides every one of my victories 

and brings my every desire to pass. 

6 But despicable people are like thorns, 

all of them good for nothing, 

because they can’t be carried by hand. 

7 No one can touch them, 

except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear. 

They must be burned up with fire 

right on the spot! 

Psalm 132:1-18

1 Lord, remember David— 

all the ways he suffered 

2 and how he swore to the Lord, 

how he promised 

the strong one of Jacob: 

3 “I won’t enter my house, 

won’t get into my bed. 

4 I won’t let my eyes close, 

won’t let my eyelids sleep, 

5 until I find a place for the Lord, 

a dwelling place 

for the strong one of Jacob.” 

6 Yes, we heard about it in Ephrathah; 

we found it in the fields of Jaar. 

7 Let’s enter God’s dwelling place; 

let’s worship at the place 

God rests his feet! 

8 Get up, Lord, go to your residence— 

you and your powerful covenant chest! 

9 Let your priests be dressed 

in righteousness; 

let your faithful shout out with joy! 

10 And for the sake of your servant David, 

do not reject your anointed one. 

11 The Lord swore to David 

a true promise that God won’t take back: 

“I will put one of your own children 

on your throne. 

12 And if your children keep my covenant 

and the laws that I will teach them, 

then their children too 

will rule on your throne forever.” 

13 Because the Lord chose Zion; 

he wanted it for his home. 

14 “This is my residence forever. 

I will live here 

because I wanted it for myself. 

15 I will most certainly 

bless its food supply; 

I will fill its needy full of food! 

16 I will dress its priests in salvation, 

and its faithful 

will shout out loud with joy! 

17 It is there that I will make David’s 

strength thrive. 

I will prepare a lamp 

for my anointed one there. 

18 I will dress his enemies in shame, 

but the crown he wears will shine.” 

Revelation 1:4-8

4 John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: 

Grace and peace to you from the one who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before God’s throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ—the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 

To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 who made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and always. Amen. 

7 Look, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. This is so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.” 

John 18:33-37 

33 Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 

34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?” 

35 Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 

36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.” 

37 “So you are a king?” Pilate said. 

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” 

We Think…

• What stands out to you in these verses?

• Does anything confuse you or not make sense?

• How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church? What are you considering? What questions come to mind?

• Why would David want his last words to be what he shares in 2 Samuel 23?

• What does Jesus mean when he says that his kingdom doesn’t originate or belong to this world?

We Feel…

• What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?

• Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?

• What has God made new in your life? In your heart? 

• How does Revelation 1:8 make you feel? Why is this good news for us?

We Believe…

In the Old Testament, God’s resting place was in the holy of holies, a set-apart room in the temple that only the high priest could enter into. Now, though, we are God’s resting place! God sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts, no longer needing a building or ark to reside in. Instead, our bodies, our hearts, and our minds have become the dwelling place of the most high God. We believe that God lives in us, which should impact our lives.

We Practice…

Take time this week to care for your body. God’s resting place is our hearts, souls, and bodies! We should care for what God has given us, including our own selves. What do you need most this week? Maybe it means taking a nap after a long day, making a healthy meal that fuels your body well, or going for a walk and moving your body.