The focus of our Sunday morning teaching over the next year will be the topic of listening. God is continuing to form us into a relational, disciple-making community in which all of us are seeking to follow Jesus in all of life and help others to do the same. A key to living with and following after Jesus in this way is cultivating the habit of listening to Him and to others.
This summer, we’ve been marinating in the subject of listening. It hasn’t been the main driving force each week, but the idea of listening to God has purposefully been included in every sermon. During the last three Sundays of August, we’ll explore what it means to be a disciple, laying the foundation for a solid understanding of what a relational, disciple-making community looks like.
September 4th marks the beginning of a 12-week campaign called “Listening to God: The way of Jesus in a distracting world.” Among other things, we’ll explore the theology and implications behind the fact that He is a listening God who created a listening universe and He speaks to us through his Word and Creation.
After a break for Advent, We’ll begin a 12-week winter campaign “Listening to Others: The way of Jesus in a distracting world.” We’ll dive deeper into the vital role that listening plays in our relationships as we learn to listen to our families, to those in pain, to people with views that are different than ours, and to others in the church body.
Small groups won’t be mandated to follow along with the sermon topics, but discussion questions will be provided each week that may be used by any groups who wish to dig deeper.
Another fantastic resource for those who want to learn more is the book The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction. You can order the book through Amazon or Christianbook.com, but we will also make several copies available in the Resource Center for a suggested donation of $5. The book is not a rigid guide for the sermon series, but does provide a helpful framework. The first five chapters are especially relevant for the fall series, which focuses on listening to God, and the final four chapters complement the winter series, which focuses on listening to others.
As we enter this next ministry year, we are grateful for everything God has been teaching us and grateful for a community in which to learn and grow. Feel free to contact Dean if you have any questions.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!