COMOPOLITAN MOVE OVER

As we introduced our series within a series, we looked at the importance of a foundation for Ethics. It's kind of wierd to talk about foundations in a service that tries to reach those who don't buy into the whole "foundation" philosophy, but no one present objected so...

For Table Talk we looked at Jerry Springer and dialogued about what he means when he tells people to, "Take care of yourself, and each other."
I found a great article that created a fake Jerry Springer show with a traditional Cartesian rationalist, and his postmodern girlfriend, it's pretty funny and you can read it
here.

The cover of our bulletin/magazine/art-by-ryan, mentioned a quiz that one can take to determine whether one's relationship with God is just a fling, and was taken from Tim Kimmel's book, Why Christian Kids Rebel.

1. Do you go through your day thinking of all the things you could do that you know would make God smile?
2. Do you have a passion for worship that goes beyond the time set aside for it in you church service?
3. Do you go through your normal day with a mind-set of wanting to walk closely with God?
4. Do you enjoy the people you go to church with, think of them throughout the week, and pray for them on a regular basis?
5. Do you want more than anything else to be transformed more and more into the image of Christ?
6. Do you feel hurt when you sin?
7. Do you take responsibility for your wrong actions?
8. Do you serve in areas of God’s work that stretch you and force you to function outside all your areas
9. Do you give money sacrificially, offering to God more than “tips” that can be easily spared?
10. Do you have an ongoing love for the lost people that surround you?
11. Do you live and long for opportunities to tell people how your relationship with Jesus started?
12. Do you have special areas of passion God has placed in your heart that you go out of your way to meet, such as the hungry, the homeless, the sick, youth, foreign missions, or the disenfranchised?
13. Is your concern for God’s influence in the world bigger than your immediate family and local community?

Kimmel then explains that, "If you couldn’t answer yes to the majority of those questions, your attitude toward Christ may be more like a hobby than a life-changing relationship."

For the next three weeks, we will continue to look at foundations for:Holiness, Fear, & Love, and maybe will even get someone to challenge the place of foundations at all.

If You Give an Apostle Salvation

If you give Peter salvation,
he will bless the Father for the new birth he grants His people,

this new birth will remind the apostle of the majestic hope of final salvation;
which will make him want to tell those suffering for Jesus, that even though they are suffering, they can rejoice about the final day when Jesus Christ will return, and bring the fullness of salvation,

The fullness of salvation will remind the apostle of all of the ancient prophets of Israel that were waiting for salvation,
but did not live to see it fulfilled.

Thinking about how amazing this fulfillment is, will make Peter think of the angles who are so excited and curious about the final fulfillment, that they eagerly watch and wait.

QUESTIONS:
1. What does “Salvation” make you think of?
(What thoughts does the idea of Salvation trigger in your mind?)

2. What about “Salvation” is offensive to the “World”?

3. “Our Lack of Suffering is, in part, due to a lack of nerve on the part of the church to challenge our world with the message of the cross and to live according to the teachings of Jesus with uncompromising rigor”
-Scot McKnight

Do you agree?

Does the “offensive salvation” necessitate suffering?