Activities to grow in Seeking the Kingdom

Aloha Friends,

This last quarter, we shared a lot about the roots behind sexual dysfunction. We also brought it back to Jesus and how building daily abiding rhythms can help us renew our minds and take our thought life captive. We loved your feedback and encouragement. Thank you.

Jesus is the reason for this season, yet He is also present in every season of our lives.

We want to encourage you to take intentional, Christ-centered moments of rest throughout this holiday season. Take a time-out with Jesus, whether alone, with your family, friends, neighbors, or church community, to make room for Him in your heart, your mind, and your daily rhythms.

Sometimes we imagine that an abiding life resembles that of a monk in a monastery, but abiding simply means acknowledging Him in the big and small things each day, the joyful and the sorrowful, the hard and the easy.

Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV) reminds us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Make room for Him in the secret places where you struggle in your own heart and mind. Invite Him in and let Him illuminate and heal the parts that still ache. So many of our struggles with sexual identity, immorality, addiction, and hidden desires arise from wounded or unsatisfied places within us. But He offers us the gift of life and life more abundantly. He offers living water that satisfies and freedom from the restraints of sin and death.

What a good, kind, and benevolent King.

What a generous God who not only gives but also washes away the former things if we let Him.

Below is a simple family activity, or something you can do on your own, to help make room for the King this season.

Preparing Room for the King

The goal of this activity is to intentionally prepare our hearts for the King by removing what competes for our attention and affection. As we identify distractions and surrender them to Jesus, we practice seeking His Kingdom first and learn to prioritize His presence over noise, hurry, and pressure.

“Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for Him.” — Isaiah 40:3

Once this week, gather as a family and reflect together:

• “What distractions are crowding our hearts right now?”

• “What makes it hard to slow down and notice God?”

Have each person write down one thing on a small piece of paper, such as:

• A worry

• A habit

• A distraction

Place the papers in a bowl and pray: “Jesus, we make room for You.” Release the written burdens in a safe manner that is appropriate for your situation/area.

Then choose one small distraction to remove or limit this week, such as TV, extra activities, or scrolling.

Hope grows where space is created. This simple practice trains the heart to say, “The King is more important than my noise.”

Have a blessed week,

The Explicit Movement Team