Considering Social Justice

We wrap up our year-long conversation on the image of God. How does the Christian worldview differ from our culture's efforts to promote the idea of "social justice"? Should Christians support that? Or is social justice "evil"?

Part 1

Part 2

Key Themes

•  Christian worldview:
• The ground of human rights: image of God
• Luke 6:27–38
• Luke 15
• Luke 22
• Romans 8:1, 14–17

• Excerpt: Compelled by Love, featuring missionary Heidi Baker 

• Our culture's view of "social justice" vs. a biblical vision for equality

Digging Deeper

• Book: On Social Justice, by St. Basil the Great

• Book: Real Christianity, William Wilberforce

• Book: Common Grace, by Abraham Kuyper 

• Book: Social Justice and the Church, by Ron Nash

• Resource Ministry: Acton Institute

Dignity for the Dying

Christians believe each person is created in God’s image. How can we work to preserve the dignity, value and worth of the dying? We explore the ethics of end-of-life concerns.

Part 1

Part 2
 

Key Themes

• Review: creation, fall, redemption and glorification

• Christian view of death

• Loving the dying

• The dying process

• Care options

• Dealing with the irreversibly unconscious

• Strategies for making moral choices

Digging Deeper

•  Book: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae

•  Video: "Christian Ethics on Death and Dying" with Scott Rae

Dignity for the Developmentally Disabled

Christians believe that the developmentally disabled are created in God’s image. How can we work as agents of transformation to preserve the dignity, value and worth of this vulnerable population?

Created for Connection

God created us for connection, not isolation. How is technology impacting our most important/most valued relationships? Is technology bringing us closer together? Or it separating us from my family and friends? Are we controlling technology? Or is it “controlling” us/our children?



Key Themes:

• Christian worldview:
• Creation: Gen. 2:18, 26
• Fall: Gen. 3:16; 4:1–8
• Redemption: Deut. 6:1–9
• Glorification: Rev. 21:22–27; 22:4–5
  

•  Struggle of parenting and mobile devices and social media
  

Digging Deeper:

• Article: "The Tech Industry's War on Kids"

• Article: "The Silent Tragedy Affecting Today's Children"

• Book: Growing Up Social, by Arlene Pellicane

• Video: "Growing Up Social" (Ted style talk; abridged version of Arlene's book, Growing Up Social)

• Practical ideas: Downloads for parents/grandparents

Who's in Your OIKOS? Atheists

Since we're at about the mid-way point in the class for this year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to review some basic concepts about why we're here. I also wanted to share a very special message by Sean McDowell called, "What Skeptics Wish Christians Knew." This message was originally part of the 2017 AMP Conference sponsored by Reasons to Believe.




Key Themes:

• OIKOS strategy for evangelism
  

Digging Deeper:

• Web site: Check out more about Sean McDowell and his ministry to the emerging generation. 

• Book: Apologetics for a New Generation, by Sean McDowell

• Book: 8 to 15: The World is Smaller Than You Think, by Tom Mercer

Are Humans Animals?

We are continuing our fall teaching series, "Christian Values in Changing Times." We're launching a three-week conversation exploring the image of God from a scientific point of view.

Part 1


Key Themes:

• Our church's statement of faith as it pertains to creation and human origins
• "What We Believe" at Grace Church of Glendora

• Biblical case for human and animals being different in kind (not just degree)

• Discussion with Dr. Fazale Rana: 3 Christian views on the meaning of the "image of God"

• Class member question: Why does it matter if Adam and Eve are real historical persons? Is Genesis history?
  

Digging Deeper:

• Book: Old Earth or Evolutionary Creation?

• Book: Who Was Adam?
  

Part 2


Key Themes:

• Brief review of part 1

• Discussion with Dr. Fazale Rana: 
• Is there any scientific evidence that humans are different than animals? 

• Who were the Neanderthals?

Digging Deeper:

• Article: "Neanderthal Population Data Raises Doubt about Human-Neanderthal Interbreeding"
  

Part 3


Key Themes:

• Romans 1 as a description of our current reality

• Atheistic evolution as a worldview 

• What is the "good" in an atheistic worldview?

• Discussion with Dr. Fazale Rana
  

Digging Deeper:

• Article: "Do Genes Dictate Our Choices?" by Anjeanette Roberts

  
Part 4


Key Themes:

• God's plan for human life spans 

• The future of human evolution

• Key terms: transhumanism, techno-faith, body augmentation

Digging Deeper:

• Video: "Transhumanism" with Dr. Fazale Rana

• Radio interview: "Transhumanism" with Dr. Fazale Rana

• Article: "Does Development of Artificial Intelligence Undermine Human Exceptionalism?" by Dr. Fazale Rana

What Does It Mean to be Pro-Life?

We are continuing our teaching series, "Christian Values in Changing Times" into the New Year. This week we're starting a four-week conversation on various biblical and practical issues related to pro-life questions.

Part 1




Key Themes:

• What does it mean to be "pro-life"?

• Infanticide in history
• "The Trash Heap of Ephesus" from Day of Discovery

• Interview with a former teenage mother about adoption

• Interviews about abortion recovery 
• Tam Hodge

Digging Deeper:

• Need help with a crisis pregnancy or abortion recovery? Search for a local "pregnancy resource center" and find out your options and get support.

• Book: And Now I Choose, by Tam Hodge

• Group Study: Healing a Father's Heart (abortion recovery for fathers)

• Group Study: Forgiven and Set Free (abortion recovery for mothers)

• Podcast: "Sex and Abortion in the Roman Empire: How Did Early Christians Respond?" with Alisa Childers

Part 2
 


Key Themes:

• What does the Bible say about abortion? (discussion of Exodus 21:22–24)

• Making the Case for the Unborn  
• Simply the argument
• Making the case from science

Digging Deeper:

• Book: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae 

  
Part 3




Key Themes:

• Making the Case for the Unborn  
• Making the case from philosophy
• SLED argument with Scott Klusendorf 

• Student perspectives on abortion and unborn

Digging Deeper:

• Book: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae

Part 4


Key Themes:

• Birth control: barrier methods vs. hormonal methods 

• Ethics of reproduction: IVF and "snowflake" adoption

Digging Deeper:

• Book: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae