New Series - Worldview: Seeing the World in Light of the Gospel
by Pastor Jim Essian
This Sunday we start our Fall sermon series, Worldview. Our hope for us is that we would be equipped to put on Gospel lenses by which we can see all that is happening in the world around us.As C.S Lewis has said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”We all view the world through glasses, through a narrative, a story, that helps us interpret the culture we breathe in and breathe out. We are all culture makers and culture exegetes—that is, we participate in the making of our culture and, at the same time, we are constantly making value and moral judgements of the culture that is being made.The Gospel—the story of Jesus’ worldwide rescue—are lenses we need to put on in order to make and exegete in a way that brings joy to ourselves and those around us, and also brings glory to God.So we will first work to put on these Gospel lenses. And then we will look at various aspects of culture, turning them around in our hands like different facets of a jewel, viewing them through new eyes. Here is the schedule for the series:Bible - God’s Story (8/21)Bible - Putting on Lenses (8/28)Individualism (9/4)Morality - Part 1 (9/11)Morality - Part 2 (9/18)Tolerance (10/2)Sexuality (10/9)Education - Why? (10/16)Education - How? (10/23)Politics - Part 1 (10/30)Politics - Part 2 (11/6)Materialism (11/13)Consumerism (11/20)The End - New Heavens/New Earth (11/27)Our hope for us is that you are equipped to think deeply about these things, and to have at least one conversation each week with someone that doesn’t believe what you believe about them.We will introduce a podcast for this series to help continue the conversation, and each week provide additional resources for you. This is a good season, as a Biblically Formed people, to engage in thoughtful discourse with our friends and family around us.I pray it blesses us greatly, and stirs our hearts more towards Jesus.For his fame,Pastor Jim Essian