Introduction

If you came in today with a to-do list longer than a week and a heart full of what-ifs, you’re in the right place. The King is kind, and His words are clear. He speaks to grocery-getters and diaper-changers, to students and seniors, to the weary and the wide-awake. He leans close and whispers a promise steady enough to steady any soul: aim your eyes at My Kingdom first, and I will take care of what you cannot carry.

I think of a kitchen table—maybe yours. Coffee ring on the wood, bills in a stack, Bible open to a page you’ve read before. You’re wondering how to hold all the pieces together. And right there, a sentence as bright as morning: Seek first. Seek first, and trust the Father who feeds sparrows and arrays lilies and keeps watch over you while you sleep.

I also think of a heart that knows it needs turning. Repentance sounds like a hard word, yet it’s a healing word. It is the King’s kindness calling us away from what is killing us and into what is truly life. Repentance means our backs to the shadows and our faces to the Son. It’s fresh air for a tired soul, a new song for a tongue that forgot the melody.

And then there is the great sending—simple and strong. Jesus tells us to go. Not to go alone. Not to go uncertain. To go under His authority, with His presence, for His purpose. He does not say, “Figure it out.” He says, “I am with you always.” That promise is a pillow for our heads and a banner over our days.

Hear this word from John Wesley, a pastor whose heart burned with holy fire: “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God; and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth.” That’s the kind of courage the Spirit gives. Not bluster. Not bravado. A holy hunger for God that makes ordinary people radiant and ready.

We are going to set our hearts to do three simple, saving things: seek the Kingdom first with enduring hope; become a repentant people shaped for holy community; go together to make disciples under Jesus’ authority. This is not a plan for professionals. It’s daily bread for ordinary saints. It meets us in traffic and kitchens, classrooms and cubicles. It gives shape to our Mondays and strength to our midnights.

Listen now to Jesus’ words.

Scripture Reading (NKJV) Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

What would it look like if a whole church family took these words at face value? If we really believed that when we seek Him first, He carries what we cannot? If we embraced repentance as a daily grace, a turning again and again toward the smile of our Savior? If we went together—parents and teens, singles and seniors, new believers and seasoned saints—shoulder to shoulder, into our neighborhoods and nations with the Name above every name?

Picture it: - Breakfast tables where prayers rise like perfume. - Workplaces where integrity sings louder than ambition. - Streets where kindness cuts through cynicism. - Living rooms where Scripture is read and children feel safe. - Hospitals where hope holds hands with the hurting. - Neighborhoods where the lonely are invited, where laughter is heard, where Jesus is honored.

This is the steady, sturdy way of the Kingdom—seeking, turning, going. It’s simple enough for a child, strong enough for a storm, and sweet enough to sustain a lifetime. When we aim first at His Kingdom, the clutter of fear finds an exit. When we turn from sin, the ache of shame finds a Healer. When we go to make disciples, the world—our world—meets Jesus in the faces of His friends.

So take a breath. Lift your chin. The Father sees you. The Son has spoken over you. The Spirit goes before you. Worries may whisper; His Word wins. Needs may knock; His nearness never leaves. Plans may change; His purpose holds.

Let’s ask Him to make this more than a message we hear. Let’s ask Him to make it a heartbeat we live.

Opening Prayer Father, we quiet our hearts before You. We have hurried and worried and tried to carry what belongs in Your hands. Today we seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. King Jesus, turn our hearts. Where we are tangled in sin, untie us with Your mercy. Where we are tired, lift us with Your gentleness. Where we are unsure, steady us with Your authority. Holy Spirit, stir a fresh affection for Jesus within us. Teach us to repent quickly, to obey gladly, to go boldly—and to do it together. Make our homes bright with Your presence, our mouths ready with Your gospel, our hands open in Your service. We believe Your promise: You are with us always, even to the end of the age. We rest in that, and we rise because of that. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Seek the Kingdom first with enduring hope

There is a way to live that puts God’s reign at the center of every choice. It is steady. It is clear. It makes our minds quiet and our hearts strong.

This way starts with what we want most. We set our desire on the King. We set our time in His hands. We set our plans under His word. Hope begins to hold when we do this again and again.

Hope lasts when it has a strong place to stand. The strongest place is God’s rule and God’s character. He is wise. He is near. He knows what we need and when we need it.

This is not about adding a little faith to a busy life. This is a new way to order everything. It changes how we think about money, work, rest, and relationships. It touches how we speak and how we decide. It shapes the start of our day and the last thought before sleep.

This way also grows best together. A whole church can carry this. We can remind one another. We can practice it in small ways and large ones. Over time, endurance forms, and hope keeps going when the road feels long.

Seeking is active. Jesus uses a strong word. It means to aim, to look, to chase. It is hunger in motion. It is eyes up and feet moving. It is a daily reach of the heart toward God’s will.

“First” speaks to order. There are many good things in life. The Lord tells us where to place Him among them. He comes before goals, fears, and comfort. He comes before our own names. When we set Him first, the rest finds its right place.

This kind of seeking is not a rush. It is steady and regular. It looks like pausing to ask, “What would the King want here?” It looks like checking our motives and our tone. It looks like asking for power to do what we know is right.

Hope grows inside this practice. We look to a faithful King, so our seeking is not empty. We expect to meet Him in the middle of real days. We expect Him to guide, to correct, to supply. The promise attached to this command gives our hope a future. He will add what is needed as we put Him first.

The kingdom is God’s rule breaking in. It is His will done on earth as it is in heaven. It shows up where Jesus is trusted and obeyed. It looks like mercy that actually helps. It looks like truth that is spoken with care. It looks like justice that protects the weak. It looks like purity that honors God in hidden places.

His righteousness is His way of being and doing. It is the character of the King reflected in His people. It changes what we love. It changes how we treat others. It changes the stories we tell ourselves when no one can hear.

When we seek this reign and this righteousness, we are asking God to realign us. We are asking Him to set our habits, our budgets, and our calendars under His command. We are asking Him to plant His word so deep in us that it shapes our reflexes.

This is not only personal. It is also shared. A home can seek the kingdom. A small group can seek the kingdom. A church can seek the kingdom. Laws, schools, and markets can feel the light of the kingdom when God’s people walk in righteousness together. It is quiet sometimes, but it is real change.

This “first” seeking shows up in simple patterns. Begin the day with God before you begin it with your phone or your plans. Speak to Him before you speak to others. A short honest prayer is fine. A whispered song is fine. Open hands are fine.

Let God’s word set the tone for decisions. When a choice comes, ask for a verse, a command, or a promise that fits. Write it. Say it. Obey it. If you do not know, ask a mature believer to help you hear and apply the Scriptures. Obedience in small things builds strength for larger things.

Order your time and money to show His worth. Give before you consume. Schedule what matters for the kingdom before you fill the week with lesser things. Put servant love on the calendar. Put rest that honors God on the calendar. Put people on the calendar.

Carry this into conflict and stress. When anger rises, pause and seek the King’s way. When fear speaks, pause and seek the King’s word. When a door opens, ask, “Does this advance His reign in me and through me?” Then act with courage and kindness.

The promise at the end of the command is strong and tender. God knows the ordinary needs that tug at us. He names them in the passage. He speaks to food, clothing, and the details that press on a normal day. He tells us that as we put His reign first, He will see to these needs.

This does not erase work or wisdom. It fills them with trust. We keep working. We keep planning. We do it with a calm heart. We expect the Father to meet us in the effort. We expect provision to come through paychecks, through friends, through ideas, and through help we did not see coming.

Hope lasts when we have a promise like this. It keeps us steady when answers seem slow. It keeps us generous when margins feel thin. It keeps us honest when shortcuts tempt us. We remember that our King adds what we cannot secure on our own.

This promise also frees us to be present with others. Worry shrinks our world. Trust opens it. When we believe the Father will add what is needed, we can give attention to people, to prayer, and to obedience. We can keep going in hard seasons, knowing our King does not forget.

Become a repentant people shaped for holy community

Jesus said a clear word that still lands with weight and warmth: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO