Forward by Faith

In this episode we press in a bit more on a few hot topic issues saturating our current cultural and political climate. But first, we begin by looking at God’s act of Creation, which sets the stage for the entire story of God and for the Biblical worldview. God cares about the life he has created and he expects that his followers care as well. How does this worldview get lived out in the everyday stuff of life? And what does this have to do with these hot topics?

Followers of Jesus are kingdom citizens that put the interests of others ahead of their own. As we think of how we live this out in our heated political climate, we need to consider whether or not our interactions with others over policies, political parties and political candidates are demonstrating Jesus’ call to love. Do people matter to us more than politics?

Over the next several weeks we'll be guiding some conversations about our involvement as followers of Jesus in the business of politics in America. In this episode we discuss what it looks like to have a healthy skepticism about political power, and we also consider how to guard our hearts against putting our ultimate hope in politics and politicians.

Many people don’t really understand that being “on mission” is something Jesus wants all of us to experience. We are all missionaries. God wants to use us to spread the gospel. We do it by sharing our stories. We do it through a generous life. And we do it by partnering together to make the advancing of His kingdom possible. In this episode we explore why we need to partner with others as we do the work of ministry in the everyday stuff of life.

Gospel living is generous living. Our life of stewardship and generosity flows from the fact that Jesus himself modeled generosity for us. Hearts that find their treasure in Christ will pump generosity like blood through the veins. If our heart values Jesus above all, we will seek to be like Jesus—and that involves stewarding all God has given us and giving generously of our time, talents, and treasure. 

Followers of Jesus are Storytellers. We have a Story to tell – God's true Story as revealed in the Bible. And each of us also have our own personal stories to share of what God has done in our lives and how that story has shaped us. When we learn to share our story in light of God's true Story, we find that God rescues people from sin and begins the process of making them more and more like Jesus. 

We are living in an angry age where so much around us seems to be intent on exposing each other's faults and weaknesses. There's so much half-truth and so little grace in our culture. In this week's episode we consider what it means to be a people full of truth and grace. Followers of Jesus will extend grace to one another because of the great grace God has given them.

Biblical truth telling is not simply a personal moral behavior – it is a community lifestyle that is rooted in Christ. As we grow in our willingness to be vulnerable and open with other people, we find freedom to pursue the way of Jesus unhindered. Living in a truth-telling community that rehearses the truth of God, the truth about ourselves, and the truth about each other, helps shape us to look more like Jesus in the everyday stuff of life.

Love always takes initiative. Another way to say it – love shows up. This truth is demonstrated most perfectly in the coming of Jesus, who took the initiative to move toward us in love before the foundation of the world. In this episode we explore how followers of Jesus are to seek to live a life of love that moves toward others in grace and truth, in compassion and forgiveness, emulating Jesus himself. 

Over the past few weeks we've been talking about some of the key components to following Jesus. In this episode we talk about what it means to conform our behaviors to the teachings of Christ – or what it means to live a life of humble and faithful obedience. Obedience that is shaped by the gospel will always flow from genuine love for Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.