PICK NEXT STUDYPICK 2 OUT OF THE 4

1.WHY – MAKING SENSE OF GOD’S WILL2.WHEN CHRISTIANS GET IT WRONG3.CHANGE THE WORLD – RECOVERING THE MESSAGE AND MISSION OF JESUS4.YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING, SO DO SOMETHING – SMALL WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

2. When Christians get It Wrong by Adam HamiltonMore and more young adults have opted out of Christianity and the church. The reason? Christians. When young adults talk about the problems they have with Christianity and the church, they often name certain attitudes and behaviors they believe are practiced too often by Christians: judging others, condemning people of other faiths, rejecting science, injecting politics into faith, and being anti-homosexual. With his familiar style, Adam Hamilton tackles these issues and addresses the how’s and why’s of Christians getting it right when it comes to being Christ in the world.

3. Change the World by Mike Slaughter

Everybody wants to change the world, and it all starts with a changed heart. As we grow closer to the heart of Christ, we learn to love others the way he did. Passion for justice and desire to serve flows naturally from a faith centered on the message and mission of Jesus: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captive, and sight to the blind.Grow in world-changing faith with six weeks of inspiring, challenging meditations by Mike Slaughter.Weekly themes:1. Hearing Christ’s Call2. Loving God’s People3. Becoming a Disciple4. Living Simply5. Spreading the Word6. Serving Courageously

4. You Can't Do Everything, So Do Something - Small Ways to Change the World by Shane Stanford

The real need for our world is not that we do EVERYONE'S part; just that we do OUR part. And with all of us working together, we will transform the world.Shane Stanford says: “On my office wall is a picture of a small child who lives in a remote village in sub-Saharan Africa. She is an orphan, having lost most of her family to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Each day, the little girl eats only half of her meager lunch. She takes the other half and puts it into her travel sack, so that she can take the leftovers to her dying aunt. The world might look at this child and assess that her little life has little to offer. But don’t tell the child’s aunt. Without this child’s sacrifice and maturity, her aunt would have no food and would die. In spite of this child not being able to do much for her dying aunt, she does something, every day. The real need for our world is not that we do every part; it’s that we just do our part. And working together to do that something God calls us to do--all of us working together--we will transform this world.”

1. Why? Making Sense of God's Will by Adam Hamilton

When the ground shakes, and a poor nation’s economy is destroyed; when the waters rise, washing away a community’s hopes and dreams; when a child suffers neglect and abuse; when violence tears apart nations; where is God? If God is all powerful, and if each one of us is a beloved child of God, then how can God allow tragedy and suffering to infest his creation? When we lift our prayers to God, and no answer seems to come; when we earnestly seek to know the will of God for our lives, yet can't seem to discern it; when God seems far away; where is God? If God counts the hairs on our head, and knows every sparrow that falls, why is finding and understanding God's will so difficult at times?In Why? Making Sense of God's Will best-selling author Adam Hamilton brings fresh insight to the age-old question of how to understand the will of God. Rejecting simplistic answers and unexamined assumptions, Hamilton addresses how we can comprehend God’s plan for the world and ourselves.

Chapters include:1. Why Do the Innocent Suffer?2. Why Do My Prayers Go Unanswered?3. Why Can't I See God's Will for My Life?4. Why God's Love Prevails

THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

Read Revelation 21:1-4

Why a new heaven and a new earth?

The expression heavens and earth seems to speak of God's relationship with mankind.

Read Matthew 5:18

We are conditioned into thinking only in terms of geography we may completely miss the point of what being in covenant with God is all about.

"Heaven" is not so much about a location as it is about a relationship!

Dying and going to heaven is not merely about a change in location but a blessing due to a covenant relationship with God.

It is a misrepresentation of Christianity to think that Christ died so that people could go to heaven.

Christ died so that people could be forgiven of their sin and enter into a “new” covenant relationship with God!

What is a covenant?

A covenant, in the biblical sense, implies much more than a contract or simple agreement. A contract always has an end date, while a covenant is a permanent arrangement.

Another difference is that a contract generally involves only one part of a person, such as a skill, while a covenant covers a person's total being.

The word for covenant in the Old Testament also provides additional insight into the meaning of this important idea. It comes from a Hebrew root word which means "to cut".

Abraham and his children were commanded to be circumcised as a sign of their covenant with GOD.

Moses sprinkled the blood of animals on the altar and upon the people who entered into covenant with GOD at Mount Sinai.

The New Testament makes a clear distinction between covenants of Law and covenants of Promise. The apostle Paul spoke of these "two covenants", the first originating "from Mount Sinai”.

Paul also argued that the covenant established at Mount Sinai, the Law, is a "ministry of death" and "condemnation”.

But with the "covenant of promise” GOD guarantees that He will provide salvation in spite of man's inability to keep his side of the agreement because of his sin.

The New Covenant is the new agreement GOD has made with mankind, based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Even here, we see “cut” and “sacrifice”.

Read Hebrews 8:13

How do you feel about re-examining the concept of heaven and earth in terms of a relationship between us and God and a brand new Covenant sealing this relationship?

So what we see here is that the current covenant relationship between us and God will go away and there will be a new relationship (covenant) between heaven (God) and earth (us).

There will be no more sin and no more death, so a new covenant is needed.

Why no more sea?

In the Bible, The sea often represents restless masses of society, usually unruly and lawless.

There will be no sea aptly represents freedom from conflicting passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from whatever can divide.

What is the New Jerusalem?

This new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant. Its blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him.

John personifies the New Jerusalem as the Bride of the Lamb.

Revelation gave early Christians perspective, especially with regard to matters of good and evil, redemption and judgment.

Revelation pulls back the veil to show that although it appears that evil is winning, God is still in control and in the end all will be right with the world.

Many times, apocalyptic literature like Revelation was written in a time of crisis or for a people experiencing persecution or for a people who feel vulnerable.

Apocalyptic literature often has a political dimension.

There is strong stress on God being in control.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Apocalyptic literature is not to be taken literally, it is filled with metaphors, similes, and hyperboles.

Apocalyptic literature needs to be read and understood in its historical context.

Old and new testament writers were not writing with us in mind. We must enter their world.

Judgment will be handled by Jesus or other divine agents. There will be no Armageddon with human armies. Don’t look at the modern Israel as a sign of Biblical prophecy.

Jew and Gentile will be united in Christ.

Some of the prophecy in Revelation has not yet come to pass such as the second coming of Christ.

IN REVELATION, GOD REVEALS ENOUGH OF THE FUTURE TO GIVE US HOPE, BUT NOT ENOUGH THAT WE NO LONGER NEED TO EXERCISE FAITH.

WHAT KIND OF NEW INSIGHTS DID YOU GAIN FROM THIS STUDY?