Introduction people, I have good news for you.

God has a
plan for your workplace. Better still: “It is
In the beginning God created the heavens God who works in you to will and to act
and the earth (Gen 1:1) according to his good purpose” (Phil 2:13).
Not only will God be working in you to want
Ever since the first day, God has been on
to do His will, but He also will be working in
mission in His world. He created all that
you to accomplish it!
exists including the human race. It was a
good and perfect creation until Adam and The Seven Realities of Experiencing
Eve sinned. Corruption and death entered the God
world God had created. Since that day “the
whole creation has been groaning” for its Experiencing God (a discipleship course by
redemption (Rom 8:22) Henry Blackaby and Claude King) describes
a relationship where God invites people to
God did not remove Himself from the scene. become involved with Him in His
He has always been at work, and in Christ He redemptive mission. Seven realities describe
was present reconciling the world to Himself. this relationship to God through which He
God is on a redemptive mission to draw works to accomplish His purpose in the
sinful men and women back into a right world. The following diagram illustrates the
relationship with Himself. He invites you to seven realities that are stated below it. Take a
become involved in His mission, and He moment to read the seven realities and see
gave to you the ministry and message of the pattern God works through to invite you
reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19) “We are to be involved with Him in His work.
therefore Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Cor
5:20)
God has not limited His work to church
buildings. He is at work throughout His
creation. He is at work in your workplace
and the people who labor there. You are
God’s ambassador there. God desires to work
through you and other believers to bring His
kingdom rule in the hearts of those who work
there. God has an agenda for your workplace.
He has a plan for establishing His kingdom
rule there. He has chosen you to be involved Seven Realities of Experiencing God.
with Him in His Kingdom Agenda.
1. God is always at work around you.
Many people, however, have difficulty living 2. God pursues a continuing love
out their faith on the job. Consequently, they relationship with you that is real and
come in the place of separating their faith personal.
and church experience from their work and 3. God invites you to become involved
their workplace. If you are one of these with Him in His work.
 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through His redemptive mission in your workplace.
the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and During these six weeks you will study the
the church to reveal Himself, His following topics.
purposes, and His ways.
 The Kingdom Agenda. God rules
5. God’s invitation for you to join Him
over His kingdom. He has a Kingdom
always leads you to a crisis of belief
Agenda or plan to accomplish His
that requires faith and action.
purposes of world redemption. God
6. You must make major adjustment in
has chosen to work through His people
your life to join God in what He is
to accomplish His kingdom purposes.
doing.
His Kingdom Agenda includes you
7. You come to know God by experience
and your workplace. He wants to work
as you obey Him and He accomplishes
through you to accomplish His
His work through you.
purposes in His ways for His glory.
If you have a saving relationship to God  The World’s Agenda. Because of sin-
through Jesus Christ, God has called you to infected human nature, the world has a
be on mission with Him. As you join Him in self-centered agenda or plan to
that mission, you experience Him working accomplish worldly purposes
through you to accomplish His purposes in everywhere. The world’s agenda runs
His mighty ways. Many people who have contrary to God’s purposes for
studied Experiencing God have experienced humanity. People who follow the
Him working mightily in church related world’s agenda reject God’s
ministries. Some still have had difficulty sovereignty, focus upon self, and
making application of these realities in their attempt to satisfy their needs apart
workplace. from God.
Whether you have studied Experiencing  The Workplace God Intended. God
God or not, the Kingdom Agenda is created the workplace where He and
designed to help you live out your faith in His workers work together. It is a
your workplace. God wants to work through place where He is present and His
you to accomplish His purposes where you workers are aware of His presence. He
work. Then as you adjust your life to Him, is Sovereign and the workers are
His purposes, and His ways, you will cooperative. God initiates work and
experience God working redemptively His workers respond to God initiative
through you in your workplace. If you have in obedience. The workplace God
not studied Experiencing God, you may want intended is a place where all God’s
to consider that discipleship suty as a follow- purposes are accomplished and His
up to the Kingdom Agenda. kingdom rule is established.
 The Workplace Sin Corrupted.
Overview of the Kingdom Agenda Because of sin, the workplace God
The Kingdom Agenda is a six-week intended was corrupted or spoiled.
discipleship course to hep you join God in Workers denied God’s rule. Their
 focus was on self. They depended on strategy to receive assignments and
themselves for direction, resources, join God in His work. He or she builds
and success. Their actions became redemptive relationships through
self-serving. As workers rejected which God works to reconcile people
God’s involvement, the workplace to Himself. The Kingdom work even
became stressful, difficult, and less brings about change in the social,
fruitful. moral, and ethical fabric of a
 The Workplace Christ Restores. workplace. The work is accomplished
Jesus Christ cme to redeem sinful in such a way that God receives glory
humanity and restore the sovereignty and His kingdom advances.
of God in the hearts of people. Jesus
calls workers to deny self and follow Learning Objectives
Him as King. He calls workers to seek God is the only One who can
His kingdom first and trust Him for all accomplish anything of Kingdom
other provisions. He seeks to restore values in you and your workplace.
the workplace to Gods original Without Him you can do nothing
intentions where work is sacred and (John 15:4-5). He will be actively at
fruitful. In cooperation with Jesus, wok in you to bring His purposes to
God’s work is well fitted for you and pass. He wants to bear fruit through
the burden is light. your life. Here are some of the
 The Kingdom Worker. Not every objectives God may have for you
worker is suitable for Kingdom work. during this study:
The Kingdom worker finds motivation  To understand the nature of the
in the love of Christ. He or she enters, workplace god originally intended and
remains in, and functions in a right demonstrate your determination to
relationship to the King (God) through seek this ideal in our own workplace.
faith. The Kingdom worker’s character  To understand how sin has corrupted
is shaped by God to reflect Christ. God the workplace and demonstrate your
provides everything the Kingdom dissatisfaction with the world’s
worker needs. agenda.
 The Kingdom Work. God does not  To understand how Christ restores the
give jobs just so workers can earn a workplace and demonstrate your
paycheck. God has a redemptive commitment to the Kingdom Agenda.
mission that He intends to accomplish  To understand the required nature of a
through His workers. Every job has a kingdom worker and demonstrate your
Kingdom job description that reflects surrender to God’s transformation of
God’s purposes in the context of work. your own character into Christlikeness.
The Kingdom worker has the  To understand your role in kingdom
opportunity and the assignment ot join work and demonstrate your
God in His work in the workplace. The cooperation by joining God in His
Kingdom worker develops a prayer work in your workplace.
In each of the objectives above you probably Each day you also will be given a
noticed the dual focus. The first part of each Scripture verse for you to meditate on
objective focuses on your understanding. I through the day.
want you to develop a biblical understanding According to the Psalmist, God’s
of work as God intended it. However, I don’t Word “is a lamp unto thy feet and a
want you to settle for understanding alone. light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
God wants to bring about change in your God’s word is filled with insight that
workplace, and He wants to involve you. will help know how to live in a way
Consequently, the second part of each that pleases Him and pursue to His
objective focuses on ways you can respond Kingdom Agenda for your work.
to what you are learning. My prayer is that Scripture verses will give you
you will join God in seeing His kingdom rule instruction from God that will orient
come to pass in your workplace and in your you to His Kingdom Agenda. You
coworkers. may want to write out some of these
verses on index cards to carry with you
Using this Course for review throughout the day.
To gain from this study, I ask you to do two At the end of each daily lesson, you
things: will be encouraged to respond to the
Lord in some way through prayer. You
1. Individual Study. Study the daily
will find that prayer is not just an
lessons five days each week. Study
activity but a relationship with God.
only one lesson each day and allow
This is one way you stay connected to
God to assist you in applying kingdom
Jesus- “the vine.” In the Kingdom
truths to your own work. Each lesson
Agenda, this kind of prayer
would take about 30 minutes. You
relationship needs to become your
may choose, however, to spend more
primary work strategy.
time in personal prayer and meditation
Occasionally a “For Further Study”
on Scripture. In each lesson you will
section is included at the end of a
encounter learning activities that begin
lesson. This section is optional but
like this:
may proved to be helpful as you
Turn to page 16 and find the first
examine the teaching of Scripture for
learning activity in lesson 1.
guidance on your lifestyle and your
The learning activities begin with an
work. As time permits, complete these
arrow and indented boldface
sections or mark them for study later.
instructions. Do not skip the timing
activities. They are designed to help 2. Small Group Sharing. Once each
you learn and apply what you learn. week you should join with one or more
You not only want to know about believers in a time to share and discuss
God’s agenda for your workplace, but what God is saying to you about your
you also will want to experience Him profession or your workplace. You
actively working in your workplace. should try to spend about one hour
 sharing and praying together each Christian business owners may even want to
week. This could happen during a considering offering this study during regular
lunch hour, before or after work, on a work hours. Christian managers, team
Saturday morning, a Sunday members, committees, boards, and
afternoon, or any other time that is employees could work together to examine
most convenient. You group could be: their workplace. By seeking God’s help,
 Coworker in your immediate these groups could identify ways their
workplace workplace may be functioning on the world’s
 Coworker in your company or agenda. Under Christ’s Sovereign leadership,
larger corporation these groups then could join Him in restoring
 Christian from your same line of the workers and workplace to God’s original
work (for example: accountants, intention. What do you think might happen if
assembly line workers, lawyers, whole companies or even multi-nation
nurses, school teachers, truck corporation began to seek first the Kingdom
drivers, bankers, salespersons, Agenda for God’s glory? Only God knows
pastors, missionaries, and so the vast potential of such workplaces.
forth) Leadership
 Business persons who meet in a
central location like a downtown Select a leader or facilitator for your sharing
church or the YMCA time. This could be the same person for the
 Fellow church members entire study or it could be a different person
 A discipleship training group each week. No separate leader’s guide is
 A home cell group provided. However, in the back of the book
(being on p. 156) general suggestions are
 Or other
given for guiding your sharing time.
Whatever location or grouping you choose,
Following each week’s lessons, you will find
keep the size of your sharing group small (six
a two=page outline for a “Kingdom Strategy
to eight). This will allow everyone to
Meeting.” The facilitator can lead the
participate actively. If you do use this study
discussion, sharing, and praying following
for a larger number, divide into several
the suggestions on these pages. You should
smaller groups for more personal sharing.
feel free to adapt the suggestions to meet the
You may want to get several small groups
specific work needs of your group. One
together once or twice during the study to
primary role of the facilitator is to guide the
report on what God is saying and doing in
group to seek the Lord and His counsel
their workplaces. If several groups are
regarding the Kingdom Agenda for your
meeting in the same company or workplace,
respective workplaces.
they will want to meet together at some point
to share what God has been saying and Because members will need to complete the
doing. There also will be great value in first week’s lessons prior to your first
praying together with the larger group for strategy meeting, the facilitator will need to
God’s agenda in the workplace. conduct an introductory session prior to your
first official session. (See page 158 for other business). See pages 159-160 for
suggestions.) suggestions for a commissioning
service.
The Role of the Church
 The members can function as a house
The local church is the body of Christ of prayer and underground lay
functioning in the world. Christ commission missionaries in their work.
to the church was to go into all the world. The ways are almost endless. Christ
This going is not just for missionaries and Himself is Head of your church. He
Tuesday night visitation. Imagine the impact can direct you to join Him in Kingdom
for the Kingdom if every church member purposes that I would never dream of.
saw his workplace as his personal I challenge you to seek the Lord’s
assignment to make disciples of every directions regarding this course and do
coworker . God wants every member everything He desires.
functioning where He has placed them so
that the whole body will be built up. Think
you your church as a diplomatic corps with
ambassadors to the high school, the hospital,
the manufacturing plant, restaurants,
government, the unemployment office, and
every other workplace in your community.
 The church can assist by equipping
every member to understand the
Kingdom Agenda and by encouraging
one another to join God in their
respective workplaces.
 Pastors can preach sermons about
application of Kingdom principles in
the workplace.
 Study, discussion, and support groups
can provide a forum for problem
solving and decision making in
Kingdom ways.
 Times of testimony can encourage
believers and glorify God as
“marketplace ministers” share the
results of God’s activity in the
workplace.
 The church can commission teams of
lay missionaries to carry the light of
the gospel to the local factory (or any