The Common Good
Here’s a short description of our current sermon series.
Our life for the Common Good grows out of the Common Life we share in Christ, where we gather and are shaped together. Like grapes in a cluster, we are joined to one another, so that what God forms among us is carried into every place he sends us. In our everyday work, we have opportunities to love our neighbors and participate with God in the renewal of all things. Working from the grace we have already received, our ordinary efforts can become glimpses of the world God is making new, for the good of his world and the renown of Jesus’ name.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE - Vocation
We believe that Jesus’ teaching is more than just knowledge for our minds (though it certainly includes that). It transforms us from within and flows outward into our actions. By practicing the ways of Jesus, we are being shaped into a people who look more and more like Him.
We commonly think of work as a job or career, but our work is everything we put our hands to. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that work was God’s idea! When He created the very first humans, he invited them to partner with him in the good stewardship and management of His world. Part of growing in spiritual maturity is learning to view our vocation from this perspective. In the next few weeks, take some time to consider how your daily work–whether at home, in the marketplace, in the church, at school/university, or somewhere else–contributes to the Common Good. Here are some questions to prayerfully consider:
Where does my work (everything I put my hands to each day) bring order, clarity, or beauty to something that is disordered, confusing, or neglected? How does my work make something better, healthier, safer, more useful, or more beautiful?
Who benefits from the work I do, and in what ways does it contribute to their well-being? How does my work contribute to a healthy community, organization, family, or neighborhood?
What problems does my work help solve? What burdens does it help carry? Where does my work protect, preserve, restore, or repair something valuable?
What resources—time, money, knowledge, materials, land, technology, or people—am I responsible for stewarding well?
Where does my work reflect God’s character (His creativity, generosity, order, justice, wisdom, beauty, or care)?
ENGAGING WITH THE TEXT
Read the listed passage individually or as a group. Use the questions below to explore the passage together. The conversation starters are typically applicational questions that can be used to further your discussion during mealtimes or other connection points throughout the week.
What stands out to you in this passage? (a word, phrase, image, or idea that caught your attention)
What does this passage reveal about God? (His character, heart, actions, or promises)
What questions does this passage raise for you? (anything confusing, challenging, or unresolved)
What response does this passage invite from us? (a way of seeing, trusting, living, or hoping differently)
PRAYER
Creator God,
You made us to partner with You, to rest in You, and to delight in You. As we consider our own work–everything we put our hands to–help us to see it through your eyes. Holy Spirit, give us a sense of sacred purpose and satisfaction in the role you have given us in this season. Equip us to bring order, clarity, and beauty to spaces and places that are disordered, confusing, or neglected. Show us how our work can contribute to a healthy community, organization, family, or neighborhood. Protect us from frustration, exhaustion, and disappointment. Please draw us to Yourself; help us to work faithfully as we look to the day when Your resurrection and renewal will come in full.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
October 18th: "Work that Renews" (Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Corinthians 15:13-21, 50-58)
SERMON SUMMARY: Jesus is at work reconciling all things to himself, and those who belong to him are invited to live every part of life under his lordship. Paul’s command that whatever we do, in word or deed, be done in the name of Jesus gives ordinary work a distinctly different orientation. We work as people shaped by compassion, humility, and love. When our work is offered under the lordship of Jesus, even in ways we may not fully see, the work itself can become part of God’s renewing work in the world. The barista who pours a cup of coffee, the welder who shapes a piece of metal, the nurse who administers a medication. These ordinary acts contribute to the common good and help our communities experience something of the goodness of God’s kingdom.
CONVERSATION STARTERS:
Kids
What do you think heaven will be like? Imagine God’s world completely filled with peace, joy, and goodness. What kinds of jobs or activities do you think people might still do there? Why?
When we remember that the things we do each day are done for God, not just our parents, friends, or others, how should that shape our attitude and behavior? For example, if you are asked to clean your room, will you do it differently or better if you think about doing it for God? Why or why not?
Students
What do you think heaven will be like? Imagine God’s world completely filled with peace, joy, and goodness. What do you think the things you see, touch, work on, and cultivate now will look like in that renewed world? What roles do you think humans will play in heaven?
Sometimes it feels like the things we do every day don't make much of a difference. How might Jesus’ resurrection challenge that feeling?
If God intends to renew his creation, rather than simply discard it, what might that mean for how Christians care for the environment, serve their communities, or pursue their future careers?
Adults
What do you think heaven will be like? What roles will humans play there? How did you develop this idea of heaven? Have you received any teaching that shaped your vision of what heaven will be like? Or did your ideas come from something or somewhere else?
Imagine this world, God’s world, completely filled with peace, joy, and goodness. What do you think the things you see, touch, work on, and cultivate now will look like in that renewed world?
How might the work we do today—teaching, building, healing, creating, caring for others, cultivating, or repairing —have significance beyond what we can immediately see in this life? How does the hope of resurrection influence your answer?
What are some ways our culture encourages us to measure the value of work? How might following Jesus reshape those measures around faithfulness, love, service, and the common good?
