General Session.

1.      Lesson Four - Review.

a.       Why read a book with a talking snake?

b.      Understanding the story of the Bible.

c.       I Corinthians 15

2.      Lesson Five – Can you think outside the box?

a.       Standing at a crossroads.  We move to a major fork in the road in this Journey.  One road takes us along the biblical worldview.  The other route is the secular worldview.  The road divides because both worldviews cannot be held as true.

b.      Why is there a fork in the road?  The division occurs because of one simple question - Does God exist?  The answer to this question is either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ The answer cannot be both yes and no. 

c.       What is a secular worldview?

                                                  i.      Definitions.

1.      Secular. “Pertaining to the world or things not spiritual or sacred.”

2.      Humanism. “Any system of thought or action concerned with the interests or ideals of people … the intellectual and cultural movement … characterized by an emphasis on human interests rather than … religion.”   —  Webster’s Dictionary

                                                  ii.      A comprehensive, nonreligious lifestance.

1.      Secular humanism is comprehensive, touching every aspect of life including issues of values, meaning, and identity. Thus it is broader than atheism, which concerns only the nonexistence of god or the supernatural. Important as that may be, there’s a lot more to life … and secular humanism addresses it.

2.      Secular humanism is nonreligious, espousing no belief in a realm or beings imagined to transcend ordinary experience.

3.      Secular humanism is a lifestance, or what Council for Secular Humanism founder Paul Kurtz has termed a eupraxsophy: a body of principles suitable for orienting a complete human life. [source:  Council for Secular Humanism; http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=what_is]

                                              iii.      A naturalistic philosophy.

1.   “Secular humanism is philosophically naturalistic. It holds that nature (the world of everyday physical experience) is all there is, and that reliable knowledge is best obtained when we query nature using the scientific method. Naturalism asserts that supernatural entities like God do not exist, and warns us that knowledge gained without appeal to the natural world and without impartial review by multiple observers is unreliable.”

                                                  iv.      A cosmic outlook rooted in science.

1.      “Secular humanism provides a cosmic outlook—a world-view in the broadest sense, grounding our lives in the context of our universe and relying on methods demonstrated by science. Secular humanists see themselves as undesigned, unintended beings who arose through evolution, possessing unique attributes of self-awareness and moral agency.” [source:  Council for Secular Humanism; http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=what_is]

                                                v.      A consequentialist ethical system. 

1.      “Secular humanists hold that ethics is consequential, to be judged by results. This is in contrast to so-called command ethics, in which right and wrong are defined in advance and attributed to divine authority. “No god will save us,” wrote Paul Kurtz in Humanist Manifesto II (1973), “we must save ourselves.” Secular humanists seek to develop and improve their ethical principles by examining the results they yield in the lives of real men and women.” [source:  Council for Secular Humanism; http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=what_is]

d.       Are you “Bright?” What is a bright?

                                                  i.      A Bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview

                                                ii.      A Bright is worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements

                                              iii.      The ethics and actions of a Bright are based on a naturalistic worldview

e.       Is it ‘Bright’ in the ‘Box?’

f.      Conclusion.

                                                  i.       Why are we going in this direction? Anything religious is being marginalized in society.  In our present age, it is the secular worldview that has a growing dominance.  It is occupying the public square as the objective, unbiased, and reasonable perspective.  It is this worldview that is being asked to answer the fundamental questions surrounding life and living. 

g.   What are we trying to accomplish?   Throughout the course, we will try to compare each path and attempt to understand how and why these two worldviews stand in conflict at their core.  In a sense, Journey through the Word becomes a journey along two competing worldviews.
 

Group Discussion.

1.      Quick review from Lesson Four – Read I Corinthians 15.  What is Paul’s argument to the church in Corinth?  What is of ‘first importance?’  Considering Paul’s message, would it matter if Jesus Christ did not rise bodily from the dead?  Would it matter for our lives today?

2.       If someone were to ask you, ‘do you really believe that Jesus rose from the dead?’  What would you say?   Is your belief in Christ just something to make you feel better – something like a general anesthesia to help with the pain of living?

3.      If the first assumption of someone’s worldview is that God do not exist, does that assumption give any indication of how they would answer [or have to answer] the four fundamental questions of a worldview – where did I come from?; why am I here?; how do I live?; and what happens when I die?  Would any possibly answers be ‘off limits’ to them?  In general terms, how does a biblical worldview answer these questions and how do these answers stand in contrast to those from the secular perspective?

4.      Often Christians are accused of using God and faith to make them feel better.  Assuming that this is the litmus test for any belief system, compare what you know about the secular worldview against the biblical worldview. Does one make you ‘feel’ better than the other? Why?

5.      In Matthew 28, we find the Great Commission.   ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." [NIV]  Considering what you know about the secular worldview, how do you begin to share the Gospel message with someone who believes that God is a figment of your imagination?  Is there any common ground in the lives of every person that can serve as a starting point for sharing the Gospel and faith?

6.      Read Acts 17.  Consider these three separate sections – Acts 17:1-9; Acts 17:10-15; and Acts 17:16-32.  How does Paul shape his message to each audience?  Does he give us any hints when trying to share our faith and the Gospel to a world with ‘an unknown God?’  What cues does Paul use from his surroundings?  Are there any cues that we see in our community and culture that can serve as a starting point to share the Gospel and the belief of a personal God?

7.      Read Psalm 19.  How does this inform a biblical worldview?  How can we harmonize these passages with the beliefs of the Brights?  Read Psalm 139.  How do these passages inform a biblical worldview?  How can we harmonize these passages with the beliefs of the Brights?

8.       Do you have any favorite Bible passages that may help to share a biblical worldview with someone? [For example – John 3:16 helps to answer what happens when we die]