Main Session 1 – Recovering Community
Building community life in the church isn’t a new strategy — it’s integral to how God intended us to live. Scot McKnight is a prolific author who is known for his deep insights on the kind of community that Jesus taught and lived. He will connect us back to the life-giving foundations that have steadied God’s people at every age and phase of His Church.
Scot McKnight
Scot is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University in Chicago, Ill. A popular and witty speaker, Scot has given interviews on radio stations across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of more than 20 books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others, which won the Christianity Today Book of the Year award for Christian Living in 2005. His other books include Embracing Grace, Praying with the Church, The Real Mary, and the recently released A Community Called Atonement. Scot’s blog, Jesus Creed, has been rated by Technorati.com as the number one site for the emerging church. Scot and his wife, Kristen, live in Libertyville, Ill. and have two adult children, Laura and Lukas.
Session Outline
1.0 Shape group life by the principle of the Jesus Creed
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 + Leviticus 19:18
Shema Israel, Adonai Elohim, Adonai Echad. Ahavta eth-Adonai Eloheika, bekol levavka, vu bekol naphsheka, vu bekol meodeka.
“Hear O Israel, The Lord our God. The Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
2.0 The Table in group is life is about presence not technique.
Peter's House (Slide)
Dan Kimball, They Love Jesus But Not the Church
What can we do?
3.0 Group life can break down purity lines by becoming missional
5 “Ls” in Love
Missional means messy
#1: The morally questionable: Luke 7:36-50
#2: The socially excluded: Luke 14:12-14
#3: The politically compromised: Luke 19:1-10
#4: The ethnically and religiously different: Galatians 2:11-14
4.0 Group life is a safe place for honest questions
Rigid view of Scripture
Science and evolution
Christian character
Others
5.0 Aim in group life for community and personal transformation
What was it? Pharisaic kashrut life or Roman symposium?
Life of John: Mark 9:39-40; 10:35-45; Luke 9:51-56
1 John’s focus on “love”
Related Links & Resources
Fast Forward: A History of the Church (opening video) available for purchase here
The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
Information on Peter's house at Capernaum
Worship & Programming
Doxology
Louis Bourgeois and Thomas Ken
Public Domain. Arr. and additional lyrics by Matt Lundgren.
© 2007 Kristi Anna Music
Step By Step (Sometimes By Step)
Rich Mullins and David “Beaker” Strasser. Arr. by Foster
© 1992 BMG Songs, Inc.
Here is Our King
David Crowder
© 2005 worship together.com songs/sixsteps Music
Israel Houghton
© 2001 Integrity's Praise! Music
Doxology
Louis Bourgeois and Thomas Ken
Public Domain. Traditional. Arr. by Foster
Script written by Greg Ferguson © 2007
Music written and scored by Pat Yacono