Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Hey there, Friend,

It's the Smart Edit!
The Kingdom is breaking in now—and its complete expression will arrive when Christ returns.

A short edit this week. Happy Thanksgiving in America and (I think) Canada! Of course, giving thanks to the Creator is a 365-day rhythm.

This issue: Yoking with Jesus to become an apprentice in His Kingdom. Plus, the 3 holiday trifecta.

Each week, we highlight a Kingdom Dynamic, a key insight into how God’s Kingdom works in real life …

Jesus said something unsettling … Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it (Luke 9.24 NIV).

Wait—lose my life? That sounds like a horrible offer.

But here's what Jesus actually means: the life you're protecting and curating isn't your real life. It's the knockoff version.

It's like clutching Monopoly money while someone offers you actual wealth. "But this says $100!" Sure. It’s play 💵. And it's worthless outside the game.

We spend decades building a carefully protected self—the image we project, the reputation we guard. We think this is us. Jesus says it's a costume.

Many who identify as Christians have not really learned Christ. They've learned about Him. But they haven't been apprenticed under Him.

Paul confronts this. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4.20-21).

Jesus’ offer is set before us. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me (Read the end of Matthew 11).

This isn't about losing yourself. It's about losing what you think is yourself so you discover who you actually are.

As you walk daily with Jesus, the false self begins to crack. And underneath? Your true life is emerging.

The one worth living. The one that lasts into eternity.

Prayer
Christ, I want to learn you. I’m your apprentice. I yoke myself with you. I want to pull with you in this world. Thank you.

We’re using the New American Standard Bible for Scripture quotes, unless we note otherwise.

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Pay attention to the rhythm of these next six weeks—there's a pattern here. A progressive momentum.

Thanksgiving sets the table. Gratitude reorients everything—our posture, our perspective. We begin by acknowledging what's true. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1.17).

Christmas reveals what’s possible. Heaven and earth merge in the Incarnation. God doesn't just visit—He moves in. Emmanuel. And what that means for us is staggering: the life of God becomes accessible, the Kingdom breaks into our ordinary existence.

New Year's offers the reset. With gratitude established and the Incarnation celebrated, we're positioned to anticipate new beginnings. Not just calendar-flipping optimism, but Kingdom momentum. The same God who entered history at Bethlehem continues His work in us.

Three holidays. One movement.
Gratitude opens the door. Christ enters. And we step forward into what's next.

WalkCast: A Kingdom Framework – Prayer + Planning + Spirit-Fueled Execution (EP 358). What if the secret to breakthrough isn’t just prayer, planning, or hard work—but a powerful combination of all 3, with God’s zeal backing our obedience?

Follow the link to listen. The JesusSmartX podcast is also available on your favorite listening app including Spotify.

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