Work and Faith

INTRODUCTION

Our Locus of Mission

A Prerequisite Question

• Week 2: How does our faith inform our work?
• Week 1: How does our work inform our faith?

A Story-Formed Approach

WORK AND FAITH (ASSORTED PASSAGES)

Redeeming Work (Gen. 1-3)

• Bearing the Burden
• Bearing the Image
• Bearing the Curse

Reviving Faith (Ezek. 37:1-6)

• A Forward Vision

CONCLUSION

Releasing Faith...to Work (John 20:19-22)

• New Life, New Workweek

COMMUNITY MEDITATION QUESTIONS

Know

• Compare/contrast various creation accounts to see how they depict people and their relationship to God and work. Which reflects your actual understanding and experience of work? Bearing the burden (myths), the image (creation), or the curse (fall)?
• How does the storyline from Gen. 1:26-2:9 (cf. 3:17-19) to Ezek. 37:1-6 to John 20:19-22 affect your understanding of the Gospel?

Feel

• Share past and present work experiences (including stay-at-home work). What is especially hard? What is especially joyful?
• For better or worse, describe some ways in which your work experience has affected your faith in God.

Live

• Having heard people share, pray specifically for those whose work experiences have ignored their faith or even negatively affected their faith. Ask God for fresh perspectives and healing, and then, help them brainstorm ways to release faith to effect progress and change.