There is a striking difference between the way that most churches operate today and the way Jesus the conducted his ministry when he was on earth. Most churches today spend their time and resources trying to get people to come into their doors and join their fellowship. But Jesus didn't concern himself with trying to get followers. One time, he even responded to such a request by saying, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:12). The implication to the person making the request was clear: Do you really want to be my follower and lead that kind of life?

Instead, what we find in the Gospels is that the message Jesus taught—and in fact the sole message of the New Testament—was the nature and availability of the kingdom of God. It was now accessible to all people, both Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus revealed much of these scandalous truths about God's kingdom through parables. Yet while these parables constitute some of his best-known teachings, they are also some of the least understood. Even the disciples weren't always sure what they meant.

Perhaps this is why they asked Jesus, "Why do you speak to the people in parables" (Matthew 13:10). Jesus responded by saying, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, not to them" (verse 11). Jesus knew that while the kingdom of God was available to everyone, not everyone would have the desire to go through the work to "ask, seek, knock" and "receive" the truths that had come to bring (see Matthew 7:7–8).

The Scandal of the Kingdom Workbook, which accompanies the book of the same name, presents carefully curated new material from the late Dallas Willard to help readers understand the heart of Jesus' key parables, why Jesus chose story to communicate life's deepest truths, and how these stories are still revolutionary (and even shocking) in showing us how to live out God's kingdom on earth today. With the rich insights and biblical scholarship common to all of Willard's works, this guide will help readers:

• Become more passionate about living the gospel in the full scope of Jesus' vision for them
• Better share their faith with those who have become disillusioned with Christianity
• Unlock the excitement of living in the upside-down kingdom of God

The Scandal of the Kingdom Workbook is for anyone who:

• Wants to explore Jesus' teachings but are confused about what his parables mean
• Loves Dallas Willard's classic works such as The Divine Conspiracy and Life Without Lack
• Enjoys deep teachings about spiritual formation from authors such as John Mark Comer, Richard Foster, and Eugene Peterson
• Wants to share the gospel just as Jesus did during his ministry on earth

The truths of God's kingdom are available to us. Yet like the disciples, we must recognize that questioning, contemplating, and savoring the meaning of Jesus' stories are an important part of the journey.