Defining Right

What a great evening! Last night nearly 50 of our church whānau from age 14 – 80 gathered for the first of our three Grow Nights we’ve called the ‘Defining Right’  series. We are exploring a way by which we can increase our confidence in making good ethical and moral choices in how we live and how we respond to others.  We live in an increasingly complex world with access to more information and technology and differing cultural values than ever before. It can be tough to know how to be loving and accepting, what to listen to, and what not to listen to, whilst not being conformed to unhealthy patterns.

Last night we laid foundations, and explored the different ways people make decisions about how to behave, how to respond, and how resolve issues.  Whether we are conscious of it, we all have a way we make decisions and use a variety of things to help inform us. What does Scripture say? What is the best outcome? What is the guiding principle? What traditions do we have? How did my parents raise me? What do people I trust say? Science? Reason? What would Jesus do?

The Kingdom Ethics approach considers these too, but with a central focus on the character and will of God, which is best known through the person of Jesus Christ who invites us to participate with him in bringing about God’s kingdom.

Jesus and the Kingdom is about justice, peace and righteousness – about restoring lives and standing up for and delivering the oppressed, the excluded, the broken, the exploited and the vulnerable and bringing them into flourishing, healthy, accepting, nurturing community.   

Join us next Tuesday at 7pm as we dig deeper and spend more time applying our learning to real situations.

Adam