GOSPEL IN LIFE

[ Group Material ]
A free resource compiled by Terran Williams for Common Ground Church to accompany Gospel in Life, which is written by Dr. Tim Keller and published by Zondervan.

CONTENTS

SESSION 1............................................ CITY: The world that is SESSION 2............................................ HEART: Three ways to live SESSION 3............................................ IDOLATRY: The sin beneath the sin SESSION 4............................................ COMMUNITY: The context for change SESSION 5............................................ WORK: Cultivating the garden SESSION 6............................................ WITNESS: An alternate city SESSION 7............................................ JUSTICE: A people for others SESSION 8............................................ ETERNITY: The world that is to come

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Session 1

CITY: The world that is

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7)
DVD NOTES: Going deeper this week: 1. Write down answers to the following questions a) Do you see yourself as someone planted here by God, or as someone who just happens to be here? In what ways have you seen Gods hand at work in placing you in this city?

b) Ask God by his Holy Spirit to impart his love for the people of your city. Then write out a prayer for the city.

c) Ask the Holy Spirit to show you specific ways that your life can positively impact the city of Cape Town.

2. Listen to a talk by Tim Keller where he more fully opens up Jeremiah 29 http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/meaning-city
Reminder: Please bring your Bibles from next week onwards.

In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

Session 2

HEART: Three ways to live

They did not know the righteousness of God but instead sought to establish their own. (Romans 10:3)
DVD NOTES: Read through the following table which summarizes the difference:

Religion I obey-therefore Im accepted. Motivation is based on fear and insecurity. I obey God in order to get things from God. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe, like Jobs friends, that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

The Gospel Im accepted-therefore I obey. Motivation is based on grateful joy. I obey God to get to God- to delight and resemble Him. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial. When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a good person. My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on Gods love for me in Christ. I can take criticism. My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with God.

In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a good person. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs. My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

Going deeper this week: 1. Listen to a talk by Tim Keller where he opens up Luke 15 more fully: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/prodigal-sons 2. Reflection exercise: The differences between irreligion (rebellious younger brother) and the gospel are easy to spot. It is often harder to discern the differences between religion (self-righteous older brother) and the gospel (grace-motivated obedience).

My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. Im not confident. I feel like a failure. My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral.

My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In Christ I am simul iustus et peccator - simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. My identity and self-worth are centred on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I cant look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am.

Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 16 Now prayerfully re-read it, asking the Holy Spirit to identify and remove religion from your relationship with God, and replacing it entirely with gospel-joy.

Session 3

IDOLATRY: The Sin beneath The Sin

My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
DVD NOTES: people are dependent on me and need me. (Helping Idolatry) someone is there to protect me and keep me safe. (Dependence idolatry) I am completely free from obligations or responsibilities to take care of someone. (Independence idolatry) I am highly productive and getting a lot done. (Work idolatry) I am being recognized for my accomplishments, and I am excelling in my work. (Achievement idolatry) I have a certain level of wealth, financial freedom, and very nice possessions. (Materialism idolatry) I am adhering to my religions moral codes and accomplished in its activities. (Religion idolatry) this one person is in my life and happy to be there, and/or happy with me. (Individual person idolatry) I feel I am totally independent of organized religion and am living by a self-made morality. (Irreligion idolatry) my race and culture is ascendant and recognized as superior. (Racial/ cultural idolatry) In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember? a particular social grouping or professional grouping or other group lets me in. (Inner ring idolatry) my children and/or my parents are happy and happy with me. (Family idolatry) Mr. or Ms. Right is in love with me. (Relationship Idolatry) Going deeper this week: 1. Listen to a talk by Tim Keller on the theme of idols: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/world-idols 2. Reflection and prayer exercise: Take out an hour to get free of your idols in a three-step process: Identify your idols. Repent of your idols. Rejoice in Christ. First, identify your idols. Do this by considering which of the statements you most resonate with. I have the life I most deeply want when
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am hurting, in a problem; only then do I feel worthy of love or able to deal with guilt. (Suffering idolatry) my political or social cause is making progress and ascending in influence or power. (Ideology idolatry) I have a particular kind of look or body image. (Image idolatry) I have power and influence over others. (Power Idolatry) I am loved and respected by (Approval Idolatry) I have this kind of pleasure experience, a particular quality of life. (Comfort idolatry) I am able to get mastery over my life in the area of (Control idolatry)
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The final 4 idols in the list above are, according to Alfred Adler, the most basic idols of the heart, so they deserve extra comment: If you seek POWER (success, winning, influence): Your greatest nightmare: Humiliation People around you often feel: Used Your problem emotion: Anger If you seek APPROVAL (affirmation, love, relationships): Your greatest nightmare: Rejection People around you often feel: Smothered Your problem emotion: Cowardice If you seek COMFORT (privacy, lack of stress, freedom): Your greatest nightmare: Stress, demands People around you often feel: Neglected Your problem emotion: Boredom If you seek CONTROL (self-discipline, certainty, standards): Your greatest nightmare: Uncertainty People around you often feel: Condemned Your problem emotion: Worry Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 43-44 Second, repent of your idols. Name your idol(s) and then pray: as a counterfeit god, a Lord, I confess I have treated functional saviour. It is a good thing, yet why have I made it ultimate? What is this compared to you? If I have you, I dont need to have this. This cannot love me and help me and forgive me as you do. This is not my life Jesus, you are my life.

This is not my righteousness and worthiness. You are! It cannot give me that but you can and have. Lord, I now see how dangerous and repulsive idolizing this good thing really is. In yearning after this, I have been trampling on your love for me. Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 47-48 Third, rejoice in Christ. Prayerfully read and ponder this excerpt from Thomas Chalmers: It is seldom that any of our bad habits disappear by natural extinction. It is seldom done through reasoning or by determination. But what cannot be destroyed can be dispossessed one taste may give way to another. For a reigning affection to lose its power it must be replaced by the expulsive power of a new affection (passion). It is through faith in Jesus Christ, as the Spirit of adoption is freshly poured into us it is then that the heart, brought under the mastery of one great and predominant affection, is delivered from the tyranny of is former desires. Its the only way in which deliverance is possible. Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 46-47
Pray this faith-declaring prayer aloud: Jesus Christ you are enough for me! By your death, you have accepted me. By your resurrection, you have made me your own. By your Spirit, you have loved me. You are supremely worthy of my one and only life. Only you can truly satisfy me, forgive me, free me and carry me. Only you will never forsake or abandon me. You are my life, my treasure, my all. I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit you would become the central passion of my heart. Come and expel every idol from my heart. Let me find my happiness, my meaning and my identity in you ultimately. Let every other desire of my life be secondary to you. And as you sit upon the throne of my life, keep this good thing that I have made an ultimate thing in its proper place. Amen.

This can be done in a time of solitude, but it is also important to do this the moment you catch yourself turning to an idol.

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Session 4

COMMUNITY: the context for change

Jesus praying: I have given my disciples the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them. (John 17:22-23)
DVD NOTES: PRACTICE 1: Affirm one anothers strengths, abilities and gifts Romans 12:10: Honour one another. James 5:9: Dont grumble against each other. Romans 12:3-8: Confirm the gifts of one another. PRACTICE 2: Affirm one anothers equal importance to Christ Romans 15:7: Accept one another as Christ accepted you. 1 Corinthians 12:25: Have equal concern for each other. 1 Peter 5:5: Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. James 2:1: Dont show favouritism. PRACTICE 3: Affirm one another through visible affection Romans 16:16: Greet one another with a holy kiss. James 1:16: Be quick to listen, slow to speak. Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate toward one another. 1 Thessalonians 3:2: Your love increase and overflow for each other. PRACTICE 4: Share one anothers space, goods and time 1 Peter 4:9: Offer hospitality to one another. Galatians 6:9: As we have opportunity, let us do good, especially to the family of God. PRACTICE 5: Share one anothers needs and problems In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember? Galatians 6:2: Carry each others burdens. 1 Thessalonians 5:11: Encourage one another and build each other up. Hebrews 3:13: Encourage one another daily. PRACTICE 6: Share one anothers beliefs, thinking and spirituality Going deeper this week: 1. Listen to a sermon by Tim Keller on the theme of community: http://download.redeemer.com/rpcsermons/vision2005/ Community_-_10-09-05.mp3 2. Prayerfully work through the one another texts of the New Testament. Tim Keller divides them up into 9 Practices:
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Colossians 3:16: Teach and admonish one another. Ephesians 5:19: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Romans 12:16: Live in harmony with one another. 1 Corinthians 1:10: Agree with one another.

PRACTICE 7: Serve one another through accountability James 5:16: Confess yours sins to each other and pray for each other. Romans 15:14: Instruct one another. Ephesians 4:25: Speak truthfully. PRACTICE 8: Serve one another through forgiveness and reconciliation Ephesians 4:2: Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Colossians 3:13: Forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Galatians 5:26: Dont provoke or envy one another. James 4:11: Do not slander one another. Matthew 5:23-24, 18:15: Re-establish broken relationships with one another. PRACTICE 9: Serve one anothers interests rather than your own Hebrews 10:24: Spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Romans 15:1-2: Dont please yourself, but please others. Galatians 5:13: Serve one another. Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 58-72 Now, evaluate your current relating to community. In each of the 9 Practices, rate out of 10, your current relating to those Christians youre most tightly connected to. Then take the areas where youre weakest, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow stronger in them. Perhaps jot down a single step you can take to do better in that area.

Practice: Affirm one anothers strengths, abilities and gifts Affirm one anothers equal importance to Christ. Affirm one another through visible affection Share one anothers space, goods and time Share one anothers needs and problems Serve one another through accountability Share one anothers beliefs, thinking and spirituality Serve one another through forgiveness and reconciliation Serve one anothers interests rather than your own

Rating: 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8 , 9, 10

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Session 5

WORK: cultivating the garden

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23)
DVD NOTES: 1. We work as an expression of worship to God. All of life should be conducted as a form of worship. When the Olympic runner Eric Liddell described his gift of running to his sister in the classic film, Chariots of Fire, he said, When I run, I feel His pleasure. We, too, should feel His pleasure when we work unto Him. We work as unto the Lord. Colossians 3:23 says that we should work with all our hearts as working for the Lord, not for human masters. When we work diligently, and for his glory, it brings a smile to his face. 2. We work to lovingly serve others. He gave everyone a unique DNA to pursue a vocation that would meet a human need. In this sense all work is love made visible. We should seek work that intersects both the way were wired by God and the needs in our world. Work usually involves serving others. Interestingly the Greek word for service is the same word as ministry. We are to use our work as a platform to demonstrate the love of God as we serve them with a humble spirit, a spirit that Christ demonstrated in his sacrificial death on the cross. 3. We work because were made in the image of a God who works. Gods work is the work of creation and redemption. As Creator, God creates; either something from nothing (only God can do this!) but also something orderly out of something disorderly. In fact, the latter is something Adam and Eve were asked to do - take care of the garden, to maintain its order (Genesis 2:15). As Redeemer, God undoes the effects of the fall. The fall of humanity led to several new problems - separation of people from God (Genesis 3:8), conflict between people (Genesis 3:12), conflict between people and nature (Genesis 3:17-18), and disintegration of creation - pain and death (Genesis 3:16, 19). Since the fall, Gods work is now to undo the effect of the fall - bring people back to him, back to each other, restore the creation, in short to re-Eden the world. Were His image bearers (Genesis 1:28). In other words, our work is a reflection of Gods own work. Like God, were also creators (small c) and redeemers (small r). If this is what work is for (creating and redeeming) - except for criminal work, there is no such thing as good or bad work. Yes, we often view full time church ministry, helping the poor or disadvantaged, and counselling as more Christian or more useful to God. But all work should be seen as a kind of full-time ministry since it all reflects Gods image. For example, working in the financial industry helps to bring order into our economical dealing with each other. Insurance helps us to pool the risks and hence deal with difficult situations in life, like disease or a loss of family
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In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

Going deeper this week: 1. Listen to a sermon by Tim Keller on the theme of cultural renewal: http://download.redeemer.com/rpcsermons/vision2005/Culture_-_10-30-05. mp3 2. Explore the following website, looking through some of its numerous articles that seek to integrate work and faith: http://www.intheworkplace.com 3. Become deeply motivated in your work by prayerfully reading the following article which gives seven reasons God designed work. After each of its seven points ask yourself: 1. Is this a motivation for my work? 2. What prayer can I pray right now that will help me absorb this insight into my approach to work? WHY WORK? Tragically Christians often find it difficult to make meaning of work. Yet the Bible gives seven strong motivations for why God designed work.
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provider. Creating music is about bringing beauty out of chaos of sounds and allows us to better understand the beauty of Gods creation. The doctors job is to bring a falling apart physical body back into unity. Like God, we work toward the flourishing of all humanity, and all creation. We create. We redeem. Oh, the dignity of being an image-bearer! 4. We work in order to earn money to survive, to advance Gods kingdom and to benefit others. For most of us, work will be the primary means of supplying our needs for food and clothing. But Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that God gives us the ability to create wealth in order to establish His covenant upon the earth. For starters, this means we underwrote kingdom ventures with our money. For example, the book of Acts tells story after story of the church putting their money at the feet of the leaders, entrusting to them to most effective use of that money for the advance of Gods kingdom through the church. Without the consistent generous provision of Gods people, the church would be greatly crippled in its attempts at advancing the gospel. In addition to giving money to the church, we give some of our hard earned cash to help dependents, and the poor. Ephesians 4:28 says, Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 5. We work to create and transform culture. The first instruction given to humankind has been called the cultural mandate. In Genesis 1:28, God instructs us to create civilization. In Genesis 2:15, were instructed to cultivate the earth. The root word for cultivate is the root word for culture. From the beginning, God intended that man would reflect His glory through mans work, that it might affect all of culture. God cares about our cities and nations and wants to see every person influenced for Jesus Christ. Jesus echoes this cultural mandate in Matthew 5:13-16 where he urges us to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. We are to bring out Gods colours and Gods flavour in the workplaces and spheres of industry we find ourselves in. High levels of excellence, thoughtfulness, integrity, humility, working in team, and courageous entrepreneurship are all ways that we renew the culture. So doing we raise the bar, calling even unbelievers to do their very best to promote human flourishing and godly cultural progress. One key aspect of a godly culture is that the strong look out for the weak. For example, when Boaz allowed the gleanings to be left behind from his harvest, he was establishing a kingdom principle for those of us in business. He allowed the poor to come and collect what was left.
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They still had to work, but the owner of the field intentionally left the gleanings for the poor (Ruth 2:16). Businesses should think of how this principle applies to how we benefit the poor. 6. We work because it is the environment in which our character is formed. The great destiny of every believer is not ultimately what they accomplish, but rather what they become. Romans 8:29 says were destined to be conformed to the image of Gods Son. And its the hustle and bustle, the pressures and challenges, the dealings with friends and strangers, enemies and colleagues that happens in daily life that is the raw material with which God fashions our character. Since work takes up the largest share of our daily lives, it is also the number one environment God uses to make us more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22-23). 7. We work because work exposes us to people who need Christs salvation. God is in the habit of placing his children in the presence of people whom he intends to adopt into his family. For example Acts 18:2-3 tells us how he placed Paul in the same industry and work place as a couple, which then opened up the opportunity for him to share the gospel with them: There Paul met a Jew named Aquila with his wife Priscilla, because he was a tentmaker as they were. He then stayed and worked with them. The amount of hours spent with co-workers provides the ideal environment for relationship to form. And those relationships in turn become natural bridges for sharing our faith. For example, Zachary Levi, an actor says, My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents? And I can turn to them and say without blinking, Jesus Christ.

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SESSION 6

wITness: an alTernaTe CITY

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone. Let your light shine before others. (Matthew 5:14-16)
dVd notes: 2. Read this adapted article which explains the meaning of oikos and then list six people in your oikos. (Source: 1. www.thedisciplemakers.com/?p=42 and 2. Source: The Gospel in Life, Study Guide (Zondervan, 2010), page 81) The book of Acts details the amazing spread of the gospel. The main method we find there is what could be called household evangelism. Underline the word household in each of these verses:
Acts 10:24: The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. Acts 16:15: 15 When Lydia and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. If you consider me a believer in the Lord, she said, come and stay at my house. Acts 16:31: They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be savedyou and your household. Acts 18:8: Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

In each case, the Greek word translated household is oikos. Oikos means much more than household. It refers to ones primary relational connections. An oikos tended to include relatives, neighbours, co-workers and just plain friends. Still today, the average person has an oikos of 8 to 15 people with whom they have deep bonds of connection, and therefore people over whom they have the capacity for influence. In this oikos evangelism we see God saving one person, and then reaching that persons entire oikos through them. Gods plan is not just to save individuals, but to then save that persons entire oikos. For example, throughout the New Testament, when Gods Spirit changed a life, a world-changer was born. Whether it was a demon-possessed man, a swindler named Zacchaeus, a royal official with a dying son, a tax collector named Matthew, a Centurion named Cornelius, a businesswoman named Lydia, or a recently unemployed Philippian jailor, they all were sent back home to their oikos.

GoinG deeper this week: 1. Listen to a talk by Stephen Van Rhyn (Jubilee Church) on how the book of Jonah sends us out on a mission. http://media.jubilee.org.za/Jubilee/Sermons/Stephen-GiL-witness.mp3

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Oikos, the Greek word for extended family, encompasses our relational worlds whom God has strategically placed in our spheres of influence. And, if those relationships frame our primary evangelistic targets, then that reality must frame our primary ministry strategies for the church. When believers, representing any generation or culture, come to understand their specific evangelistic assignment, oikos becomes the great equalizer in any churchthe simplest, yet most important common denominator in any ministry. It doesnt matter how good-looking or unattractive you think you might be. It doesnt matter how tall you are or how short you are. It doesnt matter if you have money or if youre flat broke. Your ethnicity, theological background, language, and age dont matter either. We all have 8 to 15 people whom God has placed in our relational worlds. We are all Christs partners in world-change. Oikos is not an evangelism program. It is essentially a worldview, a paradigm through which a Christ-follower evaluates life, its purpose and events. Not only is the oikos formula not new to the Church, its not new to yours. The overwhelming majority of the people in any local church came to Christ through an oikos relationship. If you were to ask the average Christian in the average church how it is that they came to faith, they would refer to someone in their oikos who introduced them to faith. The profound conclusion to draw from this simple exercise is that the oikos paradigm is already alive and well in every ministry. Embracing the oikos phenomenon is not about introducing a new idea to any local church; its about accelerating it through intentionality. For example, imagine a church of 100 people. If someone were to ask a member of this church, How large is your church? an appropriate answer would be About 1500 people. After the questioner reels back, this person could then add: Oh, but 1400 of them dont come yet. Thats intentionality. It is for the 1400 that the 100 have been asked to live another day. In oikos evangelism our life is under observation by those who dont yet believe. Our life is the attractor and evidence for the truth of the faith. The humbling nature of the gospel leads us to approach people in our oikos without superiority, and with deep respect.

In oikos evangelism, because this person will be around for much time, we can pace the process of reaching them. They get to ask questions and determine the speed of the process. The other person is in the drivers seat. Sometimes people in your oikos respond to the gospel immediately, other times they take many years to come to faith. In light of the above article, list 6 people in your oikos who dont yet know Christ. Pray for them often. Thank God that he has placed them within his reach through you. Ask God to give you opportunities to naturally share your faith with them. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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SESSION 7

JUsTICe: a PeoPle for oThers

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
dVd notes:
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places. Its not a coincidence that in the scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. Its not an accident. Thats a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. (You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.) As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor. And finally, its not about charity after all, is it? Its about justice. Let me repeat that: Its not about charity, its about justice. But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment. A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lords blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it? I have a family, please look after them? I have this crazy idea... And this wise man said: stop. He said, stop asking God to bless what youre doing. Get involved in what God is doing because its already blessed. Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing. And that is what Hes calling us to do.

In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

GoinG deeper this week: 1. On YouTube watch Bonos 2006 speech at the USA Presidents National Breakfast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJihFEDoLA4 Alternatively, read the script from his speech here
Look, whatever thoughts you have about God, who He is or if He exists, most will agree that if there is a God, He has a special place for the poor. In fact, the poor are where God lives. Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone. I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill. I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff. Maybe, maybe not. But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.
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Anything in his speech that most impacts you?

2. Listen to a talk by David Adams of Jubilee church, Cape Town. Go to http://www.jubilee.org.za/sermons.html and scroll down to the Gospel in Life series. Download Gospel in Life Justice: A People For Others (10 Apr 2011).

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Session 8

ETERNITY: The world that is to come

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelations 22:3)
DVD NOTES:

City: The world that is Heart: Three ways to live Idolatry: The sin beneath the sin Community: The context for change Work: Cultivating the garden Witness: An alternate city Justice: A people for others Eternity: The world that is to come

In light of the DVD and conversation, what is one thing you want to change or remember?

Going deeper this week: 1. Listen to a talk by Keller on how life in our city now can be shaped by the promise of the future city: http://redeemercitytocity.com/resources/library.jsp?Library_item_ param=361 2. Think of the 8 topics weve explored. Jot down next to each the primary insight or lasting impression that you gained from it:
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