This course was written over 25 years ago for Tunbridge Wells Baptist Church Learning Centre and published by the Baptist Union in 1992 as part of Handy Extra Learning Pack (HELP) 1 which I co-authored. The original course contained the following units. We may not look at all of them, in particular we covered Unit 8 comprehensively in “Prepared To Answer”.
1. Integrity: white lies and speed limits
2. “Box”ing clever
3. To everything there is a season
4. Whose money is it anyway?
5. Never mind Sunday trading, what about Sunday buying?
6. To abstain or not to abstain?
7. The meaning of “Church Membership”
8. How to give away your faith

We will take one week to talk about “Leave or Remain: the Referendum on the European Union”.
We will also look at any other topics on Christian Living which you would like to suggest.
For each week there will be a page of notes like this available in advance on paper and also online at www.pbthomas.com/blog which you may like to think about before the evening.

BOOK LIST
There aren’t many which are really practical! These are helpful:-
Michael Griffiths ‘‘Consistent Christianity’’ (IVP)
A.N.Triton ‘‘Whose World?’’ (SU)
William MacDonald ‘‘True Discipleship’’ (STL)
David Watson ‘‘Discipleship’’ (Hodder)
John White ‘‘The Fight’’ & ‘‘The Race’’ (IVP)
Larry Christenson ‘‘The Renewed Mind’’
A.W.Tozer any title starts you thinking

There is a separate “Leader’s Guide” which contains further material. Each week his will be posted online after our discussion

Some Emerging Churches and Fresh Expressions teach that people should be allowed to belong before they believe. While that is a familiar idea for Anglicans and Methodists who are comfortable with a “mixed church” as a community including believers and not-yet-believers, this is a radical idea for congregationally governed churches. What are the implications of “belonging before believing” for Baptist understandings of church membership? We enjoyed a very helpful discussion around the topic this evening. Nevertheless we are convinced that church membership should be reserved for those who are professing faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and their Lord. Our thinking is this.

The “Believers’ Church”

The supreme authority for faith and practice in the Christian life is the Bible, God’s inspired Word as received by the Churches and correctly interpreted. Christians are “the people of the Book”. Whatever the relativising Post-Modern world around may say, we Baptists are committed to the authority, reliability and sufficiency of Scripture. And on two matters, Scripture is very clear.

Firstly, every person either is a Christian or they are not. A Christian is somebody who has been born again to a living hope, they have passed from death to life and from darkness into light. They are in Christ and there has been a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. Either a person is a Christian or they are not. Just as either they are in England or they are not in England, but they cannot be in some strange place in between. They are either alive or dead. They cannot be “on the way to being alive.” Either they are saved or they are not saved. Either Christ is in them and their destiny is to spend eternity with Christ in glory, or it is not.

Secondly, the Bible makes clear that the true church is the gathered community of all true believers, those who are “called out” of the world to be the Body of Christ which is made up of all who are truly saved. The church is the Living Temple, the Family of God and the Household of faith. The true church is the fellowship of true Christians. It is “the Believers’ Church.”

In this life, we may not be able to tell who actually is saved and who is not, who is a true believer and who is not. The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds tells us that we will not know for certain who is saved until the final judgment. The Parable of the Sower tells us that some who initially seem to be strong Christians actually will prove not to be so. Nevertheless, the true Church is defined and delimited by the company of true believers.

Most instances of “Emerging Church” or “Fresh Expressions of Church” deliberately consist of a mixture of those who are already saved and those who are not. Indeed the blurring of boundaries, so that folk “belong before they believe” is a major feature and strength of Emerging Churches. But according to the Biblical definition embraced by “Believers’ Church” traditions like the Baptists, such mixed groups are not “churches”.

The following remarks come from http://www.varsityfaith.com/2010/09/can-you-belong-before-you-believe.html

Jim Belcher, author of Deep Church, describes 2 circles of people who surround Jesus through the gospel narratives. There is an outer circle of consuming seekers and an inner circle of investing disciples. All the while, Jesus invites and summons those in the outer circle a place in the inner circle. Translating this sketch for the church in the 21st century would mean the unrestricted welcome of all people into the outer circle of Christian community. They are free to come and go and speak and listen as frequently or infrequently as they like. In other words, they are free to “belong” as the emerging leaders use the term. But there is an inner circle of “belonging” that is entered only after “believing.” This is the circle of familial responsibility and accountability that should not be minimized, lest the church implode on itself for lack of definitional boundaries.

Aim: To explore the responsibility of Christians to care for Creation

What the Bible says
Psalm 24:1-2
Genesis 1:26-28
Genesis 2:15
Leviticus 25:23
Romans 8:19-22
Romans 13:10

The most important issues
Clean and renewable energy sources, nuclear power and green technologies.
Global warming: fossil fuels and carbon footprints, climate change and its impacts
Pollution: water & air & light: the ozone layer; e.g. acid rain; persistent organic pollutants; microbeads
Conservation and ecology: habitats, fisheries, metals and minerals, mining and fracking.
Biodiversity and species depletion, protecting wildlife, deforestation.
Sustainable and ethical food production: genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms.
Consumerism and minimising waste, recycling, landfill, hazardous waste.
Population balance for both animal and human populations.
The impacts of any of these issues on the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
The balance between caring for and saving the planet and caring for and saving people

DO NOT Turn a blind eye – fossil fuels are running out – oil will soon be too precious to burn
DO NOT Burden the developing nations with the problem of global warming
DO NOT Pursue “solutions” which save the planet but hurt people.
DO Pursue sensible new technologies: fuel cells; nuclear fission to bridge the gap until nuclear fusion
DO Care for the victims of global warming
DO PLAY YOUR PART: Saving electricity: turn it off, turn it down, go solar. Recycle. Shop wisely: avoid food waste; consider food miles. Drive wisely; fly wisely.

There is an excellent introductory article by Howard Snyder at http://www.christiansforthemountains.org/snyder_creationhealedkc_rev_.pdf
Don’t miss Global Warming – What should be done? See http://pbthomas.com/blog/?p=210
Reading lists at http://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/mtsmodular/reading-rooms/ethics/creation

AIM: To explore the issue of abstinence from alcohol

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have
studied aspects of Bible teaching on drinking alcohol;
discussed other moral considerations on the issue
discussed other similar matters of conscience.

SESSION OUTLINE:
Introduction and recap of Christian Mind (page 4) 10 min
Bible Basis (page 10) discuss in small groups 10 – 15 min
then report back 10 – 20 min
Other Considerations (page 10 – suggestions below) 5 – 10 min
then Weaker Brother and Freedom of Conscience (page 11) 5 – 10 min
“Also to think about” (page 11) – discuss: 5 – 10 min
Conclusions and intro unit 7 (hand out page 12) 5 min

Obviously there is plenty to talk about! Choose which parts of the topic you want to concentrate on and vary timings to suit your group.

KEY ISSUES:
The Bible does not list drinking alcoholic drinks as a sin, but it does strongly condemn drunkenness. There is NOT a water-tight biblical case for total abstinence, but there are plenty of grounds for the obligation to moderation at all times and abstinence in many situations (e.g. when driving, or in the presence of others who might be adversely affected by your example) and for certain individuals at all times. Other medical and moral considerations reinforce such a position. Tobacco and illicit drugs may also be controversial!

CONTROVERSIAL AREAS:
Opinions on these issues often derive as much from church tradition and social background as considered Biblical thinking. Personal experience is often significant too (e.g. if your group knows alcoholics, or those who have suffered as a result of drunken driving). Much humility and understanding will be needed on every side with these (as with all) matters of conscience.

POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
Other moral considerations might include the dangers of drink and driving, the risks of immorality, the expense of alcohol / smoking, the medical effects of these, the temptation to crime (especially with illicit drugs) and the social effects on family, job and community.

As an additional area to explore, discuss WHY people (begin and continue to) drink or smoke – social/peer-group pressures, advertising, stress, boredom medical dependency, etc.

Aim: To explore how we make decisions about drinking alcohol, smoking, etc.

Introduction
There are a number of aspects of everyday Christian living where different believers and traditions hold divergent views with equal conviction. In such cases, how do we decide what to believe and what to do? And how do we stay on speaking terms with others who hold the opposite view?!
We should bear in mind what we said earlier about the different “voices” which affect what we think is right and wrong: what the Bible says; what our church traditions say; what our upbringing says; what “the world” around says. We should also be aware of the many unrecognised influences around us, especially the powerful “Hidden Persuaders” of advertising and the Media.

Question
“Is total abstinence from alcoholic drinks obligatory for all Christians?”_

Bible passages
What does the Bible say? Some examples:-
Psalm 104:15,
Isaiah 55:1,
John 2:1-10,
1 Timothy 5:23,
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 BUT c.f. v.21
1 Corinthians 5:11, 6:10,
Romans 13:13,
Galatians 5:21,
1 Peter 4:3
1 Timothy 3:3,8,
Ephesians 5:18,
1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
Romans 14:21

Other considerations
The Over-Sensitive Conscience and the Weaker Brother
1 Corinthians 10:23-33 BUT ALSO 8:1-13.
Romans 14:1 – 15:7

The Baptist Heritage – Freedom of Conscience
Baptists and other Dissenters through history have taken the lead in arguing that each individual (whether a believer or not) should always have the liberty to act as his or her own conscience dictates. This is based on the firm conviction that since each person can fairly be judged by a righteous God, each one must be competent to make their own moral and religious decisions for themselves. This belief is at the heart of the pattern of Baptist Churches being independent, each one governed by its own Church Members Meeting.
Tolerance (and even welcoming) of legitimate diversity on matters of conscience should be a strength of all Baptist Churches. But how should this be expressed in the matter of abstinence?
Are there other Biblical or moral considerations which might apply here too?

To think about
How do these principles apply to other areas of “conscience”, e.g. smoking?

What about other drugs, from illicit drugs like cocaine, to caffeine in coffee and tea?

What reasons do we have for condemning the use of some drugs, while praising God for others which save and improve lives? (Remember that opium has had both kinds of use!)

What about issues like pacifism, and even our use of Sundays?

Can we extend these principles to other areas of our lives which some Christians see as matters of taste but other people regard as questions of conscience?
Some examples might be styles of worship, fashions in clothing or music, and lifestyle.

To help Christians think about this most important issue here are some websites offering Christian comments.

The Baptist Times has a list of Baptist contributions to the debate at http://baptist.org.uk/Articles/467100/Baptists_blog_on.aspx
Resources have been produced by the Joint Public Issues Team which represents Baptists, Methodists and the United Reformed Church at http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/issues/eu-referendum/
Church of England also has a website http://www.reimaginingeurope.co.uk/

I have written a piece on the topic on my theology/ministry/mission blog at www.pbthomas.com/thoughts

AIM: To explore different Christian approaches to Sunday

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have
discussed a number of situations involving choices about Sunday;
studied some Bible passages on the subject.

SESSION OUTLINE:
Introduction 5 min
Discussion of Situations (page 8) 20 – 25 min
Bible Survey (page 9 – pairs study, then report back) 10 – 20 min
Recap of Christian Mind (page 4) 5 min
“Also to think about” (page 9) – discuss 5 min
Conclusions and introduce unit 6 (hand out page 10 THIS week) 5 min

KEY ISSUES:
“The Sabbath was made for man” but some traditions reject any idea of Keeping Sunday Special while others are almost Pharisaical in their observance. The priority here is to focus on practical decisions we all have to make about Sundays, rather than theoretical arguments about the morality of Sunday Trading. The challenge is for each of us to honour God by keeping one day special for Him, for worship, learning, fellowship, family and recreation, as a sign of our love and commitment to Him.

CONTROVERSIAL AREAS:
Many folk have firm convictions in this area, often deriving from their upbringing and church traditions rather than from any Biblical thinking.

ANECDOTES: Invite some of the older members of the group to share some memories of Sundays in their childhood. Ask them how their attitudes differ from those of their parents.

POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
Situations : (2) would be common practice for Christians in USA.
(6) buying the Bible used to be illegal
(9) the Early Church met early in the morning on “the Lord’s day” to celebrate the Resurrection. This was the FIRST day of the week, and so for a long time a WORKING day.
(10) You may care to discuss the peculiar situation of the Christian Minister. How does he/she “Keep Sunday Special”?

BIBLE PASSAGES – some surprises here! See page 9 of Participants notes
Jesus did NOT repeat the 4th commandment in the gospels. Acts 15 did not impose Sabbath observance on Gentile believers. A strong case can be made that keeping the Lord’s day special is a command for believers as a sign of the covenant (Ezek 20). It is not necessarily for the whole of mankind, although a very beneficial idea for workers and family and community life.

WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Prepare for unit 6 (page 10). As a leader look at the Leader’s Guide and decide what issues you want to concentrate on next time.

Aim: To explore different Christian approaches to Sunday.

Discussion starter
WHICH OF THESE THINGS would you NOT do on a Sunday? Why not?

1. Watch television. Does your answer include “Songs of Praise”?
2. Go out to a restaurant for a main meal.
3. Buy and read a Sunday Newspaper.
4. Travel a long distance. (Is your answer affected by the means of transport you take, or by the purpose of the journey?)
5. Buy something from a DIY shop or a Garden Centre.
6. Visit a Cathedral and buy a Bible from the bookshop.
7. Watch a football match / theatre play / pop concert / Christian concert or play (delete whichever doesn’t apply !).
8. Do housework / washing / ironing / gardening / cooking a “Sunday Lunch”.
9. Do work related to your employment / homework / an extra job to earn money.
10. Do “the Lord’s work”.

Why do Christians want to “Keep Sunday Special” anyway?

 
Bible passages
Are the passages below relevant, or not?
Exodus 20:8-11
Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Isaiah 58:13-14
Ezekiel 20:10-26
Mark 2:23-3:6
Acts 15:27-29 (what DOESN’T it say?)
Colossians 2:16??

Do these verses apply to everybody, or only to Christians as God’s covenant people?

To think about
WHY do we make the decisions we do about how we live?
What factors affect our thinking and our choices? Here are a few:-

What the Bible says:

What our church traditions say:

What our upbringing says:

What ‘‘the world’’ around says:

What other ‘‘voices’’ also influence our behaviour?

Which are the most important for our view of Sundays?

AIM: To consider our attitudes to and use of money and possessions.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have
reflected on their own use of money and possessions;
discussed the question of Christian giving from a Biblical perspective.

SESSION OUTLINE:
Introduction 5 min
How we spend our money – discussion of analysis (page 6) 15 – 20 min
Christian Giving (page 7) 5 – 10 min
Recap “The Christian Mind” from page 4 5 min
Bible Basis (passages below) 5 min
Our use of Possessions (page 7) 10 – 20 min
Conclusion and intro unit 5 (Hand out page 8 this week!) 5 min

KEY ISSUES:
We are responsible to God for the way in which we use money and possessions. Richard Foster in “Money Sex and Power” warns that wealth and money is not neutral, but can be an idol and indeed can be manipulated by the evil powers. Jesus repeatedly warned of the dangers of wealth, the false god Mammon. We can so easily be trapped by the materialism which grips society around us. God’s antidote to greed is joyful and generous giving.

CONTROVERSIAL AREAS AND PITFALLS:
We need to be very sensitive to the differing circumstances of members of the group. One person’s luxury may be another person’s necessity.

POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
See Key Issues above, and Foster’s book. A few practical ideas worth exploring might be:
* Suggest that Christians with substantial savings may feel able to offer interest free loans or even gifts to other members in need.
* Remember we can give in kind by sharing and lending our goods, or giving or selling items cheaply to other Christians rather than seeking “the best price” (even houses and cars!).
* Showing hospitality is both commanded and neglected.
* It might be hoped that “two-car families” could be especially generous in making one available to “no-car families” for holidays, outings, etc.

EXTRA QUESTIONS: Ask the participants for the advice they would give the minister as to how he should dispense the church Communion fund. (Then ask them to suggest ways THEY could meet those needs themselves).

BIBLE PASSAGES:
Deut 14:22-29; 2 Cor 8; 9:6-8; James 2:1-17; Matt 6:19-24; Luke 18:18-27.

READING FOR PARTICIPANTS AND LEADERS:
Money Sex and Power, by Richard Foster

WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Prepare for unit 5 (page 8 – hand out this week!)

Aim: To consider our attitudes to and use of money and possessions.

To start you thinking

How do you spend money? Take a little time to complete the table below. Be prepared for surprises!
THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN STUDY ONLY. You may care to discuss what you discover but you will NOT be expected to show this sheet to anybody else!!_

Purpose of money Amount £ per week Amount £ per year % of total
Housing
Food
Travel
Clothing
Holidays
Entertainments
Household expenses
Giving to the church
Other giving
Saving
Repayments
Other purposes
LOST WITHOUT TRACE
TOTALS =

 
To discuss
How should being a Christian affect the way we spend money. You may find the categories above a helpful starting point. You will NOT need to talk about precise amounts, but you may wish to comment on the proportions of your resources which are used for different purposes.
In what ways do you think we can be (or already are!) trapped by the materialism of society today?
Why does God care about how we use money?
How much should we give to the church and to Christian causes?
To guide their giving, some Christians like to use the Old Testament principles of TITHES (giving 10%) and OFFERINGS.
But in that case, 10% of WHAT? Before tax, or after? What about national insurance?
There is an obvious difference between ‘‘stewardship giving’’ (our planned regular gifts to support our own church and mission overseas) and ‘‘spontaneous giving’’ (as we respond to a particular need brought to our attention).
What would be the right balance between these two forms of giving.
Should we tithe our TIME too?

God also cares about how we use ‘‘our’’ possessions. Discuss how we can serve God practically with ‘‘our’’ homes and belongings.

How should Luke 19:22 apply to us today?

What should Christians and churches be doing to help folk caught in ‘‘the debt trap’’ or ‘‘the poverty trap’’ or ‘‘the mortgage trap’’? What action should we be taking to help prevent such injustices from happening?
In fact, ‘‘our’’ time and talents, money and possessions do not belong to US at in any sense. Surely ALL our time, treasures and talents belong to GOD alone? They are entrusted to us to look after on His behalf – we are His stewards. We can’t just give God a fraction of our lives and think we can keep everything else for ourselves! We are responsible for how we use what we give AND what we keep.

HOW WILL YOUR USE OF MONEY AND POSSESSIONS BE DIFFERENT AS A RESULT OF THIS STUDY?