Sunday, September 9, 2018

In the beginning...



3-2-1 - a tract-like video presentation of the Gospel.

 Reading Between the Lines - Many phrases in the English language have originated from the Bible, such as ‘given up the ghost‘, or ‘Pride comes before a fall‘. Glen Scrivener, takes one phrase at a time, and unpacks spiritual truths, starting from the first book of the Bible, Genesis. In September 2018, we start with #204 (next Sunday we will discuss #211). 

Some initial discussion questions:

  • Do you have a Bible (maybe the one that was given you)
  • Do you have a habit of reading it regularly? - or when might you read it, how do you pick what you read?
  • Do you have friends (or others) that you talk about faith with – who do you go to if you have questions?
  • Do you feel like you have a good grasp of what being a Christian is all about or is it a bit confusing?
  • Who would you see as a Christian role model?
  • Do you have an idea of what you want to get out this Sunday school class?

 What is a catechism?

A Catechism ( /ˈkætəˌkizəm/; from Greek: κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts.[1] Catechisms are doctrinal manuals – often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorised – a format that has been used in non-religious or secular contexts as well. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechism)

“The answer to [Question 1] sums up in itself the entire content of the Catechism: it forms as it were a majestic portico through which we are invited to enter into the knowledge of our salvation, into the very presence of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.” The Heidelberg Catechism with Commentary, United Church Press, 1966, p. 18

“comfort” - the question is the theme of the whole catechism. Comfort deals with how we live in the world and how we approach the difficulties we confront in the world.

Comfort is from a German word, “trost”, or the Latin, “consolatio”. Trost is related to “trust” and has the root meaning of certainty and protection or security. (The Good News We Almost Forgot, Kevin DeYoung, Moody, 2010)

3 things we must know:
  1. we need to know of our sin or we will be too confident in our own abilities to do right or make the world a better place and we will not see that sin is our most fundamental problem
  2. we need to know how we can truly be set free or we will try to fix ourselves
  3. we need to know how to respond (DeYoung p. 23)


Did anything surprise you about “Kingdom Come”?
What are the things that we “remember” - i.e., who are we praying to and where has Christ brought us?
What does “hallowed” mean? What more familiar word this is related to?

Hallow: verb (used with object)
1. to make holy; sanctify; consecrate.
2. to honor as holy; consider sacred; venerate

What is the “direction” of the Kingdom? Whose Kingdom is it; who is bringing/building it?
Where is the Kingdom? What determines where the Kingdom is established?
“Uranifying” - bringing heaven to earth - “heavenization” of earth.
Going to heaven vs. heaven coming to earth.

John 6:40 (NIV)
40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

at