First Presbyterian Church

"Surprise the World: Living 'Questionable" Lives

In the coming of Jesus, the Lord God Almighty acted to surprise the world with his mercy and justice by dealing with our rebellion and sin. Jesus continues to do so through his disciples, whose words and lives bear witness to God’s grace.
In Matthew 5, said to his disciples:

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father
in heaven.






To follow Jesus is to live:




· the questionable life




· the missional life




· the habitual life

According to Michael Frost, here are five habits that generate questions as we learn to live on mission for Jesus:

Bless

Eat

Learn

Listen

Sent

Ask yourself with others:

Which of the rhythms of your life are motivated primarily by your faith? Of those, which rhythms qualify as ‘questionable’ – practices that the non-Christians in your life would find surprising or intriguing?

Reflect on the habits you’ve developed that are related to your Christian faith. To what extent have these practices become familiarized to the point of being rote or routine?

In what ways might these habits more consistently propel you upward, inward, or outward as expression so the reign and rule of God


(**Title, insert information, and questions are adapted from Michael Frost, Surprise the World, Navpress, 2016, chapters 1 and 2))