This week we’re exploring how to become a church community united by common learning goals, even when we are busy!

We’ve seen that the church is made up of many different complementary gifts and passions, but all put to use pursuing the same goal.  The Bible described this as “maturity, the full stature of Christ”.  The learning goal is learning and emulating Jesus’ character in everything life throws our way.

How?

Well, most topics are learned through a mixture of learning styles, like a textbook, lectures, discussion and homework, and experience.

These are many different learning styles, but the same content is meant to be communicated through them all.

Textbook: We’re going to start to read Bible together.  We study it in in our challenges, but only a little snippet at a time.  Now we’re going to start reading longer portions in sync together.

Lectures: These challenges are obviously one form of teaching, and our live Christianity 101 course that just concluded in Whitby.  Take advantage of whatever future learning opportunities you can!

Discussion: This is critical, so I encourage you almost every day to start a discussion group based on our challenges.  Have you?  This means you’ll be getting encouraged and challenged by those you know, and can see and learn from others trying to follow Jesus.  Make sure to contact Ryan with the good news, and to enjoy some leadership coaching and encouragement.

Lab Experience: Every Thursday we give a challenge, and although they are easy to ignore, this learning process depends on you actually trying to live out Jesus’ teachings in your life, where they will transform you!

In our case, Jesus’ character, lifestyle, spiritual maturity that comes from God alone, is learned through many forms.

Challenge: Start with the textbook learning.  We are going to start to read the Bible in sync as a community every day.  We will add a Bible reading plan to our web site and app, where you’ll find a daily Bible reading starting next Monday!

Ryan Sim - May 29, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Worry

Today we see why worrying is useless…for us, at least. We can't make our lives longer. We can actually shorten our lives with worry. The line that Jesus used could even mean making bodies longer…which is definitely not something that happens after adulthood. God provides in nature - not a direct drop from heaven - but he's readied nature. UN: The greatest scandal of our age is the fact that just under 1 billion people on the planet go to bed hungry every night. This is despite the fact that we produce more than enough to feed every single person in the world. The problem is not a shortage but rather that the undernourished who need food most cannot access it. God also provides through others – generosity God does this in a world where trouble and accidents happen. We will not avoid them. This is not a promise you won’t meet with trouble. But don’t worry, or become anxious about it. You were made for eternity anyway. Jesus is saying you are much more than that - made for heaven. Think of a Panda - it eats bamboo almost all the time it's awake. We humans are made for much more than sustenance. In famines, this kind of single focus may be necessary. But this is not the usual condition for us. More relevantly today in the West, we are meant for more than selfish ambition. We are made for loving, giving, caring, serving. Question: What has God already put in our world to answer your worry concerns?

From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"

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