Conversations at Mars Hill (Part 2) - The Journey

“In each of our lives, we are all on a JOURNEY. There are many different paths in a journey – which path are you on?” A brief recap of week 1 in our 3 part series reminds us that we are all on a “SEARCH”. Wherever it is that we see our thirst quenched and our SEARCH fulfilled, the truth is that we are all on a search for fulfillment, longing for intimacy, for identity and for meaning.

The Creator has us on a SEARCH to show that idolatry is empty and that looking for meaning in any other place than in Him is futile.

So, this week we are continuing our SEARCH, going on a JOURNEY. This week we’ll look at trends and philosophies which emerge as people JOURNEY or SEARCH, and ask the questions:

“Where are those around me in their JOURNEY?” and “Where am I in my own JOURNEY?”

As we consider where we are in our journey, we can look back and draw from what Paul said to the Athenians at the Areopagus in Acts 17:22, 23. (Look this up and read this verse together) . If this is what Paul said to the Athenians what would he say to us today in Melbourne?

He would see that some philosophies around us are:

• Epicureanism - God is far away... life is random/chance so live for the moment. 
  
• Stoicism- God is in everything…life is fate, so we can make no difference in our world. It is all pre-determined. 
  
• Relativism- what’s right for you may not be right for me, but that’s OK...and also what’s right for me now may not be right for me in the future. 
  
• Pluralism - a world of multiple “gods”. 
  

As we think of the world around us:

DO ALL ROADS LEAD TO HEAVEN? 
WHERE DOES JESUS STAND AMONGST THE CROWD? 
HOW DO WE OFFER JESUS WITHOUT OFFENSE?

• Ask questions and listen to people before sharing what you believe 
  
• Live the Gospel of Jesus as Lord 
  
• Live with a wide open door of relationship 
  

Sample Discussion Questions 

1. Discuss what Paul would say to you in regards to the world around you…friends, work colleagues, family members, neighbors. (Use the thoughts from the message summarized above as well.) 
   
2. Where does Jesus stand in this multi-cultural, multi-faith world of ours? 
   
3. Where are you on your journey with Jesus? 
   
4. What step do you want to take to draw you closer to Jesus, making you more Christ-like? (Consider James 4:7, 8) 
   
5. How can we offer Jesus to people around us without offense? (Consider James 1:19b and I Peter 3:15, 16) 
   
6. Tell of a time when you shared Jesus with others? How did it go? What did you learn? 
   
7. Are you living out of Proverbs 3:5, 6 and Psalm 119:105? What does this mean to you?