1. WELCOME TO…

2. WHY JESUS? DOES HE REALLY KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT?

3. WHO IS JESUS?  Man?  God?  Lord?  Lunatic?  What did He talk about?  Why?

4. JESUS? WHO DECIDES?

5. WHO IS JESUS TO YOU? WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEAR “JESUS?”

6. 4 GREAT QUESTIONS  Humans ask questions…  It matters what questions you ask…  Something to understand about Jesus…  In the 2 nd and 3 rd centuries, intellectuals converted in droves..  Why? Because He provided answers to the questions that all the philosophers were asking. Is Jesus smart?  What are they?

7. WHERE WE ARE TODAY…  We have a system today that largely ignores moral development…  “We have defined knowledge in such a way that the most important things in life aren’t even discussed.”  Argument is now judged by your conclusion rather than your argument.  3 basic stories of life (worldviews)…  1. Naturalism  2. Nirvana  3. Theistic  Which one do you think dominates?

8. QUESTION #1: WHAT IS REALITY?  What you have to deal with?  What you run into when you’re wrong?  Truth helps you harmonize with reality!  What is reality for our culture?  Look at the magazine racks…  What does our culture define as real? Is it true?

9. QUESTION #1: WHAT IS REALITY? WHAT IS REAL?

10. REALITY ACCORDING TO JESUS?  God and His kingdom…  Huh?  Everyone has a kingdom…  History is full of conflicting kingdoms…  “Can’t we all just get along?”  “Seek first…”

11. QUESTION #2: WHO IS WELL-OFF?  Who’s got the good life?  Those with the most toys?  Does pleasure, success, power=happiness?  What answers do colleges provide to this question?  What answers do advertisers provide to this question?  What does our culture define as “well-off?”

12. QUESTION # 2: WHO IS WELL OFF? WHO HAS THE GOOD LIFE?

13. THE GOOD LIFE ACCORDING TO JESUS?  Anyone alive in the kingdom of God…  Matthew 5  Matthew 6:20  Matthew 6:25  Luke 16:9  Picture of generosity, love (even of enemies), creating not destroying, and hope!

14. QUESTION #3: WHO IS A REALLY GOOD PERSON?  What character qualities make someone good?  One of the deepest questions human beings ask themselves…  Connected to questions like, “Am I worthwhile?”  This is the one that causes fights…  We all want to be known as good people!  This is NOT explicitly stated…  What does our culture describe as a good person?

15. QUESTION #3: WHO IS A REALLY GOOD PERSON?

16. THE GOOD PERSON ACCORDING TO JESUS?  Anyone pervaded with love…  Mark 12:28-34  Luke 6:27-36  Good Samaritan story  Not “love” the way we define it…  Seeks the good of the object that is being loved…

17. QUESTION #4: HOW DOES ONE BECOME A GOOD PERSON?  Is this question even on the radar?  Seems like there are just assumptions, not suggestions…  Is it vague?  Is it culturally conditioned?  Is there such a thing as a universal morality?  What’s the standard?

18. QUESTION #4: HOW DOES ONE BECOME A REALLY GOOD PERSON?

19. HOW TO BECOME A GOOD PERSON ACCORDING TO JESUS?  NOT…  Go to church…  Be nice…  Help the poor…  Take care of the earth…  Place your confidence in Jesus Christ and become his student or apprentice…  John 8:31-32, Titus 2:11-14

20. WHAT ABOUT THE CROSS?  Biblically, the cross is the means by which God restores relationship with humanity…  Why? For what purpose?  To set a people free to fulfill the mission He laid out for Israel  To be a people for the world…

21. A BIGGER STORY?  In your pocket, you have access to all the information in the world!  We are the most entertained generation on the face of the planet…  So why are we so bored?  Our story is too small.

22. NEXT WEEK…