Gospel in Life is an eight-session course written by Tim Keller on the gospel and how it is lived out in all of life — first in our hearts, then with others in church and also out into the world.
We are going to be using these studies from September 2010 until July 2011 to renew and develop our Home Groups.
Even though the trailer talks about sessions running once a week, our Home Groups will continue to meet once a month. This will give us space us to do justice to the Home Assignments. These are a key part of the course - I am tempted to say the best part. They would be ideal for spouses to do together or for singles to do with a friend. If the demand is there we can run extra 'whole church' sessions to discuss some of the issues raised in more depth (think of them as a homework club!). www.gospelinlife.com has a sample home assignment you can view.
To get involved and join a Home Group sign up on a Sunday or give Ian a ring on 07956 895818.
In Session 1 we learn that we are not just to seek prosperity and peace for ourselves in the city where we live, but we are to seek prosperity and peace for the city itself, as well. We see the reasons that cities were created, how they have fallen under sin, and how we can be a part of redeeming them—how we are a part of God’s story to redeem and restore the whole world for his glory.
SESSION 2: HEART THREE WAYS TO LIVE
In Session 2 we look at the parable of the two lost sons in Luke 15. We conclude that there are three ways to relate to God—irreligion, religion, and the gospel. The irreligious don’t repent at all. The religious only repent of sins. But Christians repent of both their sins and of the reasons for their righteousness. The gospel is something entirely different from religion and irreligion. Only the gospel has the power to transform our hearts.
SESSION 3: IDOLATRY THE SIN BENEATH THE SIN
In Session 3 we look at idolatry. Nothing is to be more important to us than God. We see, however, that we have a talent for adopting idols. An idol is anything besides Jesus Christ that we feel we must have to be happy, anything that is more important to our heart than God, anything that is enslaving our heart through inordinate desires. The only way to remove our passion for idols is to displace it with a greater and purer passion. - a passion to know the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
SESSION 4: COMMUNITY THE CONTEXT FOR CHANGE
In Session 4 we see that the church is “a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). It is a new humanity, a new community of people under the Lordship of Christ. We need to create and belong to a vibrant local church because, according to Jesus in John 17, that is a crucial way to show the world that we are truly followers of Christ. In fact, this session will show that we will not know God, change deeply, or win the world without taking our place in the life of the local church.
SESSION 5: WITNESS AN ALTERNATIVE CITY
In Session 5 we see that our church is to be a “city on a hill” (Matt. 5:14). The world must see in the way our church works what life can be in all its beauty under the kingship of Jesus Christ. We also see that it is important to have gospel-speaking, neighbourhood-loving, community-transformed congregations everywhere. Only the gospel enables us to build an alternate city together.
SESSION 6: WORK CULTIVATING THE GARDEN
In Session 6 we see the gospel is radically opposed to the assumptions of the world, but since we live in the world, we have embraced many of the world’s assumptions. Christian living is therefore a continual process of bringing everything in line with the truth of the gospel. It means that all of our vocations, gifts, and skills are to be mobilized in light of the mission of the kingdom of Christ. We must take the gospel with us to work.
SESSION 7: JUSTICE A PEOPLE FOR OTHERS
In Session 7 we see again that we need to think out the implications of the gospel in every area of our lives. We are to ‘seek the peace of the city’ we are part of. We need to ‘do justice’ and ‘love mercy’ as well as ‘walk humbly with our God’. That means being engaged with our neighbours and with the poor and marginalized around us.
SESSION 8: ETERNITY THE WORLD THAT IS TO COME
Finally in Session 8 we are given a vision of the New Jerusalem. People used to say it was possible to so heavenly minded that you were no earthly use. This session demonstrates that the inverse is true. Only a vision of the world to come will move us to action in the world that we are in now.
