The New Covenant - Christ in You, The Hope of Glory
Applied Christianity
Welcome back to Applied Christianity. This is episode 5 of a 52-week journey to becoming a true disciple of Christ. Over the last four weeks, we’ve been laying a foundation. In , we asked what it actually means to be a disciple — not a Christian label, but a life that follows Jesus. In , we asked who is actually in charge of our lives — because discipleship only makes sense if authority has shifted. In , we looked at the Kingdom of God — not as heaven after death, but as the present reign of God that demands allegiance. In , we came to a word that has been deeply misunderstood,...
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Repentance - Change of Mind, Direction and Desire
Applied Christianity
Welcome back to Applied Christianity. This is episode 4 of a 52-week journey to becoming a true disciple of Christ Over the last three weeks, we’ve been laying a foundation. In , we asked what it actually means to be a disciple — not a Christian label, but a life that follows Jesus. In , we asked who is actually in charge of our lives — because discipleship only makes sense if authority has shifted. In , we looked at the Kingdom of God — not as heaven after death, but as the present reign of God that demands allegiance. Today, we come to a word that has been deeply misunderstood,...
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The Kingdom of God — What Jesus Was Actually Teaching
Applied Christianity
Welcome back to Applied Christianity This is week 3 of a 52-week discipleship journey designed for people who want to understand what Jesus actually taught and how to live it. In weeks 1 and 2 we are laying a foundation. In Week One, we asked a basic but uncomfortable question: What is a disciple? Not a label. Not a belief system. But a life that actually follows Jesus. In Week Two, we asked another question that determines everything: Who is actually in charge of my life? Because following Jesus only makes sense if He has authority. Today, we take the next step. Authority only...
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Authority: Who Is Actually in Charge of My Life?
Applied Christianity
Week 2: Welcome back to another episode of Applied Christianity. This is Episode 2 of a 52-week journey towards becoming a true disciple of Christ Last week, we talked about what a disciple actually is. Not a label. Not a belief system. But a person who is learning to live the way Jesus lived. Today, we need to talk about something even more foundational — authority. Because many people believe in Jesus, admire Jesus, even talk about Jesus, but quietly remain in charge of their own lives. Discipleship does not begin with effort. It begins with surrender. THE AUTHORITY PROBLEM...
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What Is a Disciple?
Applied Christianity
Week 1: Before we begin, I want to explain what this series is and why it exists. Applied Christianity is starting a 52-week discipleship journey designed for people who want to understand what Jesus actually taught and how to live it. This isn’t a program you have to keep up with, and it’s not something you can fall behind on. You can start anytime. Each episode is meant to be taken slowly, one week at a time, because formation doesn’t happen through information alone. Too many Christians struggle not because they don’t care, but because they were never given a foundation. They...
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The Subtle Shift: When Good Things Become Ultimate Things
Applied Christianity
Episode 28: In this episode, host Gary Morris dives into how modern Christians often drift away from Christ not by choosing sin, but because "good things" slowly become ultimate priorities in their lives. Idolatry is not just about golden calves but includes things like work, success, entertainment, and even family when they move to the center of our hearts. Parents are challenged to consider whether they are training their children to love winning and applause more than they are training them to love Christ. Fathers, specifically, are reminded of their responsibility, under Ephesians 6:4, to...
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The Lie of Moral Injury: Why the World Can't Heal Your Soul
Applied Christianity
Episode 27: In this episode, host Gary Morris addresses skyrocketing anxiety, depression and suicide rates in our technologically advanced, prosperous world. Depression has doubled and suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people under 35, highlighting a direct correlation between this despair and a decrease in faith. The world’s tendency is to invent new secular explanations, such as "moral injury," defined as psychological and spiritual damage resulting from working in systems that force individuals to act against their values. It sounds logical, right? However, Gary...
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The Lost Mission: Making Disciples, not Donors
Applied Christianity
Episode 26: In this episode, host Gary Morris investigates some common problems in Western Christianity, such as increased suicide and divorce rates, widespread anxiety, and the lack of true understanding among many calling themselves Christians. The root cause? It’s wrapped up in how organized religion is drifting away from Jesus' sole mission: to go and make disciples, defined as learners and followers, not merely churchgoers or social club attendees. Instead of focusing on true discipleship, some churches are concentrating on secondary issues, such as tithing, thereby emphasizing...
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Why True Forgiveness Requires Repentance
Applied Christianity
Episode 25: In this episode, host Gary Morris unpacks the connection between forgiveness and repentance. Repentance must come before forgiveness. When repentance in removed, so it the necessity for change. It’s slowly eroding the foundation of our Christian community. Our next episode will launch in 2 weeks! Be sure to click on the Subscribe and Follow buttons. It's free. This way you'll received a notification when the next episode is available. 👉 Listen to some previous episodes: Escaping Chaos and Returning to God’s Divine Order ...
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Escaping Chaos and Returning to God's Divine Order
Applied Christianity
Episode 24: In today's episode, host Gary Morris dives into the question, “Why do we as Christians make decisions that make our lives so much more difficult?” The fact is, in today’s world, we’re surrounded by chaos. But remember, our God is a God of order. It’s right there in Genesis. Gary explains how can we turn back to His design for our lives and our world. Our next episode will launch in 2 weeks! Be sure to click on the Subscribe and Follow buttons. It's free. This way you'll received a notification when the next episode is available. 👉 Listen to...
info_outlineWelcome back to Applied Christianity
This is week 3 of a 52-week discipleship journey designed for people who want to understand what Jesus actually taught and how to live it.
In weeks 1 and 2 we are laying a foundation.
In Week One, we asked a basic but uncomfortable question:
What is a disciple?
Not a label.
Not a belief system.
But a life that actually follows Jesus.
In Week Two, we asked another question that determines everything:
Who is actually in charge of my life?
Because following Jesus only makes sense if He has authority.
Today, we take the next step.
Authority only makes sense if there is a Kingdom.
And that brings us to the heart of Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus’ central message was not,
“How do you go to heaven when you die?”
It was this:
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.”
If we misunderstand the Kingdom,
we misunderstand Jesus.
One reason the Kingdom of God feels confusing
is because many of us were never taught what it is —
only what it isn’t.
The Kingdom of God is not heaven after death.
Jesus didn’t say,
“The Kingdom will arrive someday when you leave this world.”
He said,
“The Kingdom is near.”
“The Kingdom is among you.”
The Kingdom of God is also not a political system.
Jesus did not come to seize earthly power
or align Himself with a political agenda.
And the Kingdom of God is not a church denomination.
The church is meant to reflect the Kingdom —
but it is not the Kingdom itself.
Finally, the Kingdom of God is not moral self-improvement.
Jesus did not preach better behavior.
He preached a new reality.
He didn’t say,
“Try harder.”
He said,
“Repent — because something has arrived.”
To understand Jesus, we have to understand what a kingdom is.
A kingdom is not abstract.
A kingdom has:
- a king
- authority
- a way of life
- a set of values
- and citizenship
You don’t vote in a kingdom.
You don’t negotiate with a king.
You don’t redefine the rules.
You enter — and you submit.
That’s why Jesus didn’t say,
“Agree with Me.”
He said,
“Follow Me.”
Because the Kingdom of God is not an idea you adopt.
It is a rule you come under.
This is where many Western Christians feel tension,
even if they can’t name it.
Most Christians today live as forgiven individuals,
but not as Kingdom citizens.
We want salvation benefits
without Kingdom allegiance.
Imagine a kingdom that offers everything a broken world longs for.
Life instead of death.
Forgiveness instead of condemnation.
Restoration instead of decay.
An end to pain, suffering, and fear.
The invitation is clear:
Enter the kingdom.
Come under the authority of the king.
Learn to live according to his rule.
And become like his son in every way.
Now imagine people agreeing to enter that kingdom —
but slowly, quietly, they begin changing its meaning.
They tell others,
“You don’t really have to change.”
“Belief is enough.”
“The kingdom exists to serve you.”
Some say,
“You were already chosen — so nothing is really required.”
Others say,
“If you give something to the kingdom,
the kingdom will give you permission
to remain the center of your own life.”
At that point, the issue is no longer confusion.
It’s not misunderstanding.
It’s not immaturity.
It’s the attempt to receive the benefits of a kingdom
while refusing the authority of its king.
A kingdom cannot survive if its citizens rewrite its purpose.
And allegiance cannot be optional in a kingdom
without emptying it of meaning.
That tension —
wanting the kingdom’s promises
without the king’s rule —
explains much of the confusion, frustration,
and shallow discipleship we see today.
Forgiveness
without reorientation.
Grace
without governance.
And when that happens, faith becomes shallow —
not because people are insincere,
but because something essential is missing.
A Kingdom changes how you live.
What you value.
What you trust.
What you obey.
When we reduce Christianity to belief alone,
we strip it of the very thing Jesus emphasized most.
Jesus’ invitation was clear: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
Repent does not mean feel bad.
It means change your mind.
A changed mind leads to a changed direction.
A changed direction leads to a changed life.
You don’t add the Kingdom to your existing life.
You reorient your life around it.
That’s why seeking the Kingdom always feels disruptive.
It challenges:
- my priorities
- my assumptions
- my sense of control
But it also brings clarity.
Because the Kingdom of God is not something you wait for.
It is something you live under. THE END
Scripture
Read slowly. Do not rush. Pay attention to Jesus’ language.
- Mark 1:14–15
This is Jesus’ opening message. Notice what He announces before He explains anything. The Kingdom is not an afterthought — it is the starting point. - Luke 17:20–21
Watch how Jesus corrects expectations about the Kingdom. He does not point people to the future, but to a present reality they are missing. - Matthew 6:33
Pay attention to the order Jesus gives. What comes first — and what is promised to follow? - Matthew 13:44–46
Notice the language of value and cost. The Kingdom is not forced on anyone; it is chosen when it is truly seen.
Christian Thinkers
C. S. Lewis — Mere Christianity
- Book IV, Chapter 1 — Making and Begetting
- Book IV, Chapter 2 — The Three-Personal God
Why these chapters:
Lewis makes a clear distinction between moral improvement and receiving a new kind of life. The Kingdom of God is not about becoming a slightly better version of yourself — it is about entering into a life that originates in God Himself.
George MacDonald — Unspoken Sermons
- The Kingdom of God
- The Child in the Midst
Why MacDonald:
MacDonald insists that the Kingdom is not postponed or symbolic. It is present wherever God is trusted and obeyed. Childlikeness is not immaturity — it is wholehearted allegiance.
Weekly Reflection Questions
- Do I think of Christianity more as forgiveness, or as a new way of living?
- Where in my life do I still act as if I am the final authority?
- What would it look like to seek the Kingdom first — not someday, but now?
Take one reading this week. Sit with it. Don’t rush.
The Kingdom of God is not something you think about —
it is something you learn to live under.
Next week, we’ll look at what it actually means to live as a citizen of that Kingdom — in ordinary, everyday life.
Listen to Previous Weeks:
Week 2: Authority: Who Is Actually In Charge of My Life: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/57d663b6-abf7-4ed7-98d4-e9c9d6829813/id/39741365
Week 1: What is a Disciple?
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/57d663b6-abf7-4ed7-98d4-e9c9d6829813/id/39615860