Godly Success: Success in Society (Randy)

For thousands of years, God sent prophets to Israel to teach the people about him, and they began to view following the law as the path to righteousness and acceptance in God’s eyes. By the time Jesus was born, the Pharisees had codified the law into over 600 specific rules and added thousands of additional precepts and guidelines. Like us, they knew their main goal was to love God and one another, yet they failed miserably. In many ways, we are like modern-day Pharisees, striving to follow the rules and live a moral, upright life as if that will somehow save us. Is that what God truly desires? Is that what it means to live a successful life? Knowing the nature of our hearts, God spoke to us not only through words, but also through his actions on earth.  What do the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection tell us about the true nature of Godly success?

Listen to Success in Society

Godly Success: God's Society Part 2 (Chris)

This Sunday, we will continue the conversation started last week about what God considers a successful society.  Society is made up of the elements that bring people together in life: family, neighborhood, community, country.  Our lives are made up largely of the relationships that exist within these elements.  Considering the nature of God (love / justice; order / inversion) and the teachings of Jesus, how are we called to live engaged with each other?  We will consider several passages of Scripture connecting these themes together.

Listen to God's Society Part 2

Handout

Godly Success: God's Society Part 1 (Chris)

Society is made up of the elements that bring people together in life: family, neighborhood, community, country.  Our lives are made up largely of the relationships that exist within these elements.  Considering the nature of God (love / justice; order / inversion) and the teachings of Jesus, how are we called to live engaged with each other?  This session is discussion-focused, and we will consider several passages of Scripture connecting these themes together.

Listen to God's Society Part 1
Handout

Godly Success: God's Economy (Chris)

The old adage is that politics and religion are two subjects you should avoid in polite company.  In our world of 21st Century American materialism, economics may be an even bigger landmine.  There is a reason that Jesus preached so often on money.  We can get very anxious ourselves on the topic and quick to wall off what is "mine" from what is "yours."  Continuing last week's theme, what is success to God when it comes to economics?  The short reply is "stewardship," but the New Testament offers even more subtle and challenging answers.  This week, we will explore the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) and the practices of the early Christian church for lessons that still apply to us today.

Listen to God's Economy
Handout