Kingdom Come - Leader's Guide
This course centers around the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives to His children equipping them to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. It is filled with holy scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and prayer. Each lesson has a Creative Insight exercise at the end that will stretch your God given creativity. This course will help you become fully alive in the Holy Spirit, evangelize to those around you, discover your calling and purpose, your gifts and talents, and how to put them into action and honor God.
The leader's guide is essential for anyone leading a group through this study. It provides all the answers and directions to help you lead your class well. I recommend that you purchase both the Leaders Guide and the Student Workbook.
You can sample the introduction and the commentary of the first lesson below.
KINGDOM COME
STUDENT WORKBOOK
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Bible study journey entitled, Kingdom Come!
This course centers around the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives to His children equipping them to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. It is filled with holy scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayer, and exercises that will stretch your God given creativity. This course will help you become fully alive in the Holy Spirit, evangelize to those around you, discover your calling and purpose, your gifts and talents, and how to put them into action and honor God.
Begin each class with a prayer of your choice. I also invite you to pray the scriptural prayer of blessing over yourself that is provided at the beginning of each week out loud.
The goal of this Bible study is to release you into ACTION!
All the answers are based on the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) unless otherwise stated. You can find the other translations that have also been approved by the United States Catholic Bishops on www.biblegateway.com
Read through the following scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church thoughtfully. Make some notes along the way when something strikes your spirit.
Matthew 6:10 (NABRE)
‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (emphasis added)
This verse from the prayer that Jesus Himself taught us should cause us to pause, ponder, and ask ourselves, “What exactly does that mean?” Instead, most of us rattle the prayer without ever stopping to ask that question.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2825 (106 Origen, De orat. 26:PG 11,501B) says:
“In committing ourselves to Christ, we can become one spirit with him, and thereby accomplish his will, in such wise that it will be perfect on earth as it is in heaven.” (emphasis added)
What does scripture tell us about the will of God?
The will of God is:
~ That we may live to praise His glory (Eph. 1:12)
~ To seek His Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33)
~ That we may be forgiven and saved (Rom. 10:9&13, Eph. 1:7, Jn 1:9, 3:16,
1 Tim. 2:4, Jn.6:40)
~ To be made new (Eph. 4:22-23)
~ That we may be Sanctified and be Holy (1 Thess. 4:3)
~ That our Minds may be Renewed (Rom. 12:2)
~ That we would have Discernment (Jn. 7:17), Wisdom (Eph. 5:17, James 1:5)
Understanding (Eph.5:17, 2 Tim. 2:7), Endurance (Heb.10:36),
make our way Straight (Pro.3:5-6), supply all our Needs (Phil.4:19),
the Desires of our heart (Ps.37:4), Power, Love and Self-control
(2 Tim. 1:7), be Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1:9), Peace (Jn.14:27),
~ To equip us for every good work (Heb. 13:20-21)
~ To give us a Future and a Hope (Jer. 20:11)
~ For us to do Good (1 Peter 2:15)
~ To go and Make Disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19)
~ Signs and Wonders (Mark 16:15-18)
~ To do Greater Things than Jesus (Jn. 15:12)
These scriptures help us to see that God’s will is not only to save us and sanctify us but to equip us for every good work. It’s not enough to work on our own holiness and learn to live His Kingdom here on earth, we must also work to bring others into the Kingdom.
Ephesians 4:1-16 explains our divine calling, the grace gifts that Christ has given us, and the purpose and result of us using them.
Read through the scriptures and annunciate the parts that I have written in bold. Ponder them and make some notes.
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 (GNT)
The Unity of the Body
1 I urge you, then — I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. 2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. 3 Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.
7 Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given. 8 As the scripture says,
“When he went up to the very heights,
he took many captives with him;
he gave gifts to people.”
9 Now, what does “he went up” mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth. 10 So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence. 11 It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. 12 He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. 13 And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature. 14 Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. 15 Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. 16 Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love. (emphasis added)
As part of the body of Christ we must all grow up in our knowledge of Him and of the gifts He has given us so that we can build up the rest of His body. Once we begin to use our gifts and build up others in theirs, His presence will be able to function more effectively on earth. It is a grave responsibility and one that I hope this study will help you with.
In Ephesians 5:1-24, Paul is very clear on exactly what we should avoid and how to speak and live so that the Holy Spirit can fill us with enough light to freely choose God’s will.
Take a second and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His light and pierce you with divine understanding before you read the scripture. Emphasize the words in bold as you read it then have a brief discussion about it.
Ephesians 5:1-20 (GNT)
Living in the Light
5 Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him. 2 Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.
3 Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.
4 Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God. 5 You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. 7 So have nothing at all to do with such people. 8 You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, 9 for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (12 It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) 13 And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; 14 for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said,
“Wake up, sleeper,
and rise from death,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people. 16 Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. 17 Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.
18 Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. 20 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father.
Close out your time of reading and reflection with a prayer of thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit.
LESSON 1
SCRIPTURAL PRAYER OF BLESSING
Ephesians 1:18 (GNT)
I pray that my mind will be opened to see the Holy Spirit’s light, so that I will know what is the hope to which He has called me and how rich are the wonderful blessings he has for me.
Who are You, Holy Spirit?
Let Me introduce Myself.
My name is Holy
And I am here
Amidst the chaos
So, don’t let it frighten you dear
I’m ever present
And blowing through
Stand still for a second
And you’ll see it’s true
My name is Spirit
And I am Divine
I’m here to teach you
All that is mine
You are my child
With wings to fly
Release your spirit
And go for a ride
My name is Holy
And power is my jam
I’ll go where you take me
And bring freedom to the damned
Don’t worry about how you’ll do it
The problem is Mine to solve
Just create what I’m creating
And you’ll make a haul
My name is Spirit
And there is no other like Me
I go where the Father sends Me
And speak when there’s a need
Impossible is my song
And it’s My will to sing
Creating melodies that blast
Through the hearts of the unredeemed
Child, move when I am moving
And bring heaven here to earth
Bring a new thing where there’s nothing
And we will generate new birth
My name is Holy Spirit
It’s nice to meet you
~ Ivonne Sherman
If you’ve never met the Holy Spirit, I hope His introduction gave you some insight into who He is. He is the third person of the Trinity. The One who is in us and among us, our Helper, our Consoler, our Advocate, the Paraclete (Counselor). He is the breath of God that goes forth with His Word. He is the anointing of Jesus, the One that Jesus sent us once He was seated at the right hand of the Father after His ascension. He is the One who reveals Jesus to us as Lord. He is everything we need, the power of God within us activated by faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit are inseparable.
689 The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church's faith also professes the distinction of persons. When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him.