The world made me what I was. But faith makes me what I will be. The world is different now. And as we try and adjust to our new world, how should we live? Maybe it’s time to rediscover some old-fashioned ways of living that help us to thrive in this brave new world.
The ‘cult of me’ is proving very intoxicating and it’s a fast road to nowhere good.
(Emma Barnett, BBC Journalist)
Series Outline
24 July
Session 1: Run Away
In an age of freedom, do we ever need to run away from anything? How do we decide?
31 July
Session 2: The Chase
Last week we explored what we need to run away from, and this week we explore the opposite – what we need to run towards. A father figure reminds his protege to chase after the truly important things in life. What does it look like to chase after what is really good, right, loving and gentle? What does it look like to pursue the things of God?
7 Aug
Session 3: The Fight
In 1984, Neil Postman wrote a hugely influential book called ‘Amusing ourselves to death’. He argued that we live in an age of ease and amusement. And maybe we have forgotten that much of life is battling through. Paul reminds his protege that some fights are worth fighting…yes the battles might lead to a few scars and, yes, sometimes it might look like the battle isn’t going way. But, that’s why it is a battle of faith. And maybe the war is already won.
14 Aug
Session 4: Hold On!
Keep your eyes on the prize! Ask any athlete, and they will tell you that you have to keep the finish line in mind. It’s as you remember the goal, you’re able to endure the pain. So too in life. When you remember the eternity that Jesus offers, and hold on to that, it helps makes sense and give perspective on life.
21 Aug
Session 5: I Don’t Trust You!
David Foster Wallace once said, “If you worship money…you will never have enough.” The pandemic has changed how we see life and, with more and more people changing jobs and moving houses, many of us have begun to revaluate whether wealth is really worth sacrificing everything. And yet, with the cost of living going up and up what does it look like to not put trust in wealth?
28 Aug
Session 6: Let Go!
(Generations Service)
Part of the solution to not trusting in wealth (see last week) is giving away….being generous with our money and in general. Part of the beauty of generosity is we learn to let go of trying to hold on. We let go of things that try and control us! What does it look like to do this in practice…?
4 Sep
Session 7: Keep Watch!
The graphic novel Watchmen has spawned several movies and inspired millions. It is about a dubious bunch of vigilante superheroes, and the central premise is ‘who watches the watchmen?’ In a world of brokenness, what does it mean to keep watch over your life and over the calling that God has on your life?
