Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s amazing to be here with you today.
Today is April 30.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

We carry so much around every day — financial worries, relational stress, anxiety about the future, and the pressure to succeed.
Now is the time to set those things down for a few minutes and enjoy some time with Jesus.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, Your kingdom is coming.”
As you exhale, pray: “Let me be someone who presses in.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!  (Matthew 11:11–15, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?
Is there a phrase that surprises or challenges you?
Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread

Hear these words again, and pay attention to the tension Jesus is describing — a kingdom that is advancing, and a resistance that is real.

Meditate

Jesus makes a breathtaking declaration: no one born of a woman has been greater than John the Baptist. And yet — the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is. Why? Because John stood at the threshold. He pointed toward the kingdom but never entered it in the way that those who follow Jesus now can.
To be in the Kingdom of Heaven — to live in the reality of Jesus’ reign, filled with His Spirit, reconciled to the Father — is a privilege greater than any prophet of the old era could fully know. That includes you, right now, in this moment.
Then Jesus says something striking: the kingdom has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people lay hold of it. This is not a passive faith. The Kingdom of God does not come to those who drift — it comes to those who press in. Those who hunger and thirst for it. Those who, like the centurion, take Jesus at His word. Those who, like the widow of Nain, find themselves met by a God who moves toward them.
The resistance is real — forces that push back against the kingdom’s advance, and the inertia of our own comfort and passivity.
But so is the advance. And you are invited to be part of it.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Am I actively pressing into the Kingdom of God — pursuing it with hunger and intentionality — or have I settled into a passive faith that waits for the kingdom to come to me?

Respond

Jesus, thank You for the extraordinary privilege of living on this side of Your coming — of knowing You, being filled with Your Spirit, and being part of Your kingdom’s advance. I don’t want to take that for granted or live it passively. Stir in me a hunger that presses in — for more of You, more of Your kingdom, more of the life You died to give me.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Pressing In
— Choose One Intentional Step to Pursue the Kingdom More Actively This Week
Today’s habit closes this month with a forward-looking act of intention: choose one specific, concrete step you will take this week to press more actively into the Kingdom of God.
Maybe it’s committing to a daily prayer time you’ve been inconsistent with. Maybe it’s joining a small group, serving somewhere, or finally having the honest conversation you’ve been avoiding. Maybe it’s fasting for a day, giving sacrificially, or simply choosing to read the Gospels slowly and obediently.
The form matters less than the intention: I am not going to drift. I am going to press in.
Write it down. Tell someone who will ask you about it. And begin today.
Before you do, pray: “Jesus, I want to be someone who lays hold of Your kingdom — not passively, not occasionally, but with everything I have. Show me the one step in front of me, and give me the courage and the hunger to take it.”

I have one ask of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today? One person at a time will grow this podcast to help more people walk with Jesus.
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.