“‘Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’”  Deuteronomy 4:9-10

“‘Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long…You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.’”  Deuteronomy 6:1-2, 7

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  Micah 6:8

THESIS

To glorify the triune God by developing a Christian world - and lifeview - will result in a responsible God-given citizenship that respects authority, has a concern for fellow human beings (image-bearers), pursues justice and embraces merciful living in an attitude of humility (Micah 6:8).

How do we continually develop a healthy biblical world-and lifeview?

1. Know the times. 

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.” Philippians 3:1-2

“It takes a village philosophy is a joke, because the village is now so polluted and desolate of commonly held child-appropriate moral values that my job as a mother is not to rely on the village, but to protect my children from it.”  Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 1/2006

2. The incredible importance of modeling.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus... Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”  Philippians 3:13-14, 17

3. Rooted in the gospel of grace.

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”  Philippians 3:7-9

“It may be stated as follows: every preference of a small good to a great, or partial good to a total good, involves the loss of the small or partial good for which the sacrifice is made…Apparently the world is made that way… You can’t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first…From which it would follow that the question, ‘What things are first?’ is of concern not only to philosophers but to everyone.”  CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

4. Run to the paradigm that gives freedom. 

• Glory in the wonder of Jesus.
• Hate sin (repent).
• Wait upon/Plead for the power of the Holy Spirit.

QUESTIONS:

1. What does this mean: “The church Reformed and always reforming according to the Word of God.”? How does that relate to individuals, families, relationships, etc.?

2. Why does narcissistic, expressive individualism fight against a deep passion for the generations to come? 

3. What do we mean when we say, “Know the times.”?

4. What are some qualities of pace-setting models, worthy of imitation?

5. Consider the CS Lewis quote from the outline. What does it mean if we say, “We will never enjoy the benefits of the gifts of God when we make secondary things the primary calling of our life.”? What does Lewis mean when he says, “The woman who makes the dog the center of her life, loses, not only her human usefulness and dignity but, even the private pleasure of dog-keeping.”?