Thinking

1 Overall Introduction

1.1 Treating you like young adults.

1.1.1 Everyone needs to learn. Not everyone needs to Go to college.

1.1.2 I want to prepare you for what is next. This may be more tailored to those going to college but there is something here for everyone.

1.2 I am not happy with “traditional Apologetics.” It is far too adversarial, judgmental, anti-intellectual, and feeble.

1.2.1 1 Peter 3.13-16 provides a clear context and compelling challenge for Godly living in an unbelieving culture:

“1Peter 3:13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 1Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE IN DREAD, 1Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; 1Peter 3:16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3:13–16 NAS20)

1.2.2 The dynamic of “youth ministry” is designed to keep you “youth” not prepare you for whatever is next.

1.2.3 I am sorry and ashamed. We have failed you. In these lessons I hope to begin to redress that error.

1.2.4 Two Basic Concepts: Rules & Tools.

1.2.4.1 Rules answer the interrogatories, Why, When, Who, Where.

1.2.4.2 Tools answer the interrogatory, How.

1.2.4.3 Colossians 1.28

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28 NAS20)

1.2.5 Analogies.

1.2.5.1 Fruit

1.2.5.2 Door

1.2.5.3 Box

1.2.5.4 Tribe

2 Fruit

2.1 When I teach the class What Must I do to Be Saved? I always end up by describing the two main functions os a disciple.

2.1.1 Bearing Witness to Jesus.

2.1.2 Bearing fruit.

2.2 The fruit analogy belongs to both Jesus and Paul. Paul wanted to remind believers, even amid disagreement and controversy, even in an environment that may have been hostile, that we are never exempt or excused from the requirement to reflect the character of Christ.

2.2.1 When you leave home, your environment changes but not the expectation.

2.2.1.1 Philippians 4.5

2.2.1.2 Ephesians 4.1-3

2.3 Walking by the Spirit Galatians 5.16-23

2.3.1 Behavioral Benchmarks

2.3.2 that reflect

2.3.3 Belief.

3 The Door

Philippians 4:8 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

3.1 The door of understanding turns upon three hinges. I spend lot of time, a lot of time oiling those hinges. Christian understanding is...

3.1.1 ‌Biblical—>Theological—>Historical

3.1.1.1 ‌What the Bible says...

3.1.1.2 ‌Impinges on what the Church teaches...

3.1.1.3 And what the Church teaches has historical continuity.

4 The Box

4.1 Inside the Box: Grounded in the Faith.

4.1.1 The Bible

4.1.1.1 Corporate Study in public worship

There is a difference between “not getting everything” from the Sunday sermon and “not getting anything” we have not just crossed the line. Most have abandoned the pretense of anything serious going on during corporate worship.

4.1.1.2 Group Discussion

4.1.1.3 Individual exploration

4.1.1.4 Personal Devotions

4.1.2 Theology

Applied reasoning which organizes Biblical data into common topics, themes, or categories.

4.1.2.1 The Great Tradition (Lewis’ Mere Christianity or the catholic faith)

What is believed by everyone everywhere

4.1.2.2 Tribal tradition

4.1.2.3 Coalition.

4.1.3 History

4.1.3.1 Interrogatories:

4.1.3.1.1 Who

4.1.3.1.2 What

4.1.3.1.3 Where

4.1.3.1.4 When

4.1.3.1.5 Why

4.1.3.1.6 How

4.1.3.2 Trajectories

4.1.3.3 Causes and Connections

4.2 Outside the Box: Engaging the World.

4.2.1 Details of Thinking

4.2.1.1 Formal Education

4.2.1.1.1 College?

4.2.1.1.2 Trade?

4.2.1.1.3 Why?

4.2.1.1.3.1 To get a job?

4.2.1.1.3.2 To become a certain kind of person?

4.2.1.2 Books

“Leaders are readers”

4.2.1.2.1 Read promiscuously, omnivorously, and curiously.

4.2.1.2.1.1 Do not judge books by their covers.

4.2.1.2.1.2 Use reviews to provoke not proscribe.

All truth is God’s truth. We need points of contact not only to organize our own thinking but to make evangelistic contact with the unbelieving world.

4.2.1.2.2 Read Critically

4.2.1.2.3 Read Generously

4.2.1.3 New Media

4.2.1.3.1 Film

4.2.1.3.2 Video

4.2.1.3.3 WWW

4.2.1.3.4 Streaming

4.2.1.3.5 Micro-streaming

4.2.2 Departments of Thinking

4.2.2.1 University Curricula

Most universities consist of a number of schools (colleges) which fall into a few broad categories with some necessary cross-pollination.

4.2.2.1.1 Humanities

4.2.2.1.2 Sciences

4.2.2.1.3 Professions

4.2.2.2 Domain knowledge

4.2.2.3 Specialized

4.2.3 Development of Thinking.

4.2.3.1 History of ideas

4.2.3.2 Global Encounters

4.2.3.3 The Word in the World

4.2.3.4 Multi-disciplinary.

4.2.4 Disciplines of Thinking

4.2.4.1 Reading

4.2.4.2 Writing

4.2.4.3 Communicating

4.2.4.3.1 Lecture

4.2.4.3.2 Presenting

4.2.4.3.3 Instructing

4.2.4.3.4 Conversation

4.2.4.3.5 Discussion

4.2.4.3.6 Debate

5 Tribe and Tradition

5.1 Different?

5.1.1 Theological differences.

5.1.2 Practical differences.

5.1.3 Socio/cultural differences.

5.1.4 Local differences.

5.2 Be true to your tribe.

Different congregations of the same tribe can exhibit distinctive beliefs and behaviors.

5.2.1 Know Restoration Movement history.

5.2.2 Know something about the history of your congregation and the sister-churches in your area.

5.2.3 Know something about your parents Christian pilgrimage.

5.3 Embrace the Great Tradition

5.3.1 Mere Christianity

5.3.2 catholicity

5.3.3 What has always been believed everywhere by everyone.

5.3.4 Ecumenical

Stuff to Read

C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

John R.W. Stott Why I am A Christian

William Manchester A World Lit Only by Fire

Robert Heilbroner The Worldly Philosophers.

James Sire The Universe Next Door

James Sire Why Believe Anything At All

Neil Postman Amusing Ourselves to Death

Mortimer Adler How to Read a Book.

Edward Tufte The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint

Janet Kellogg Ray Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it all Fit

William Cook Ducks and how to Make Them Pay

Douglas Adams the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (4-7 volumes in the trilogy)

Bob Beckman Presence in Solitude: The Pastoral promise of the Pandemic

Peter Verkruyse Building Blocks for Bible Study

Scot McKnight The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

Stephen King On Writing