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.
November 1st: "Work that Serves Others" (Genesis 41:46-57; 50:15-21)
SERMON SUMMARY:
SERMON SUMMARY: The story ends with renewed creation. God comes to dwell with humanity and everything broken by sin is finally made whole. That future changes the meaning of our work in the present. Because resurrection and renewal are coming, Paul tells us that our labor in the Lord is never wasted. The things we create, cultivate, heal, repair, and give ourselves to in love serve the common good now as foretastes of the world God has promised to make new. We work with hope because God intends to finish what he began.
CONVERSATION STARTERS:
Kids
If you could make one thing in your neighborhood, school, or world better, what would you change? What could you do to help?
Sometimes we do good work, but we don't get to see how it helps someone else. The Bible says that God is making all things new. How does this help us work well, even when we don’t get to see the outcome or result of our work?
Students
What's something you've put time and effort into that felt meaningful, even if you didn't get a reward, recognition, or the outcome you hoped for? What made it worth doing?
This passage in Revelation 21 says God is making all things new. What does this suggest about God's intentions for the world and the people in it? Do you think this should impact how Jesus-followers engage with the world and their communities? How?
How might believing that God is going to restore and renew the world change the way you approach things that seem small, ordinary, or insignificant? What kinds of work or actions might matter more than we realize?
Adults
Think about a time when you invested yourself in something that didn't produce immediate results or receive much recognition. What made that investment meaningful? Did you see its value over time or is the impact of that work still a mystery?
Revelation 21 gives us a picture of God's ultimate intention for creation: not abandonment, but renewal. How does this vision challenge or expand the way you think about the future God has promised? How might it reshape the way you understand your responsibilities in the present?
Paul says that our labor in the Lord is not in vain because of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:58). How does the promise of renewed creation give lasting significance to ordinary work, service, and acts of love? What difference might this make in areas where you feel discouraged or wonder whether your efforts matter?
