The Book of Creation
The early church fathers spoke of "the book of creation." Just as a book contains the words of an author, creation itself is a book written by God. It is a personal expression of a personal God. Everything has meaning. Everything in creation speaks of Him and points to a greater story. In this series, we will explore how reading the book of creation can help us find a life of wonder, gratitude, and peace.
Week 1: The Book of Creation. Psalm 19
The early church fathers spoke of "the book of creation." Just as a book contains the words of the author, creation itself is a book written by God. Reality is pregnant with meaning. It is a personal expression of a personal God. Everything has meaning. Everything points us to Him. Using Psalm 19 as our guide, we will explore how to read the book of creation so that this ancient vision of life gets into us and, through us, brings wonder, gratitude, and peace to our modern world.
Week 2: Looking for God Like a Madman. Psalm 104
What would it look like to see the universe through the eyes of an ancient believer? In Psalm 104, the Psalmist sits in awe of God's work in creation and has a vision of the life that bursts forth in gratitude & peace, fear & worship. While we may never see the universe the way an ancient Israelite sees it, is it possible to catch a glimpse of that vision of life? Can we learn to see God at work in all things the way he did?
Week 3: How (In)Gratitude Transforms Our Lives. Romans 1
The modern world has blinded us to the goodness of creation, and it's destroying us. In this message, we'll explore how our experience of the goodness of God in all things - what we call gratitude - profoundly shapes us, literally reshaping our brains and spiritually reshaping our souls.
Week 4: Birds, Flowers, and the Anxiety Epidemic. Matthew 6.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us: "Do not worry." He says it four times in a row. If you've ever struggled with anxiety, this might sound tone deaf or harsh. But Jesus doesn't leave it there. He gives us a resource for addressing our anxiety: the Book of Creation. He seems to think that if we could learn to read creation the way one reads a book, our anxieties would (with time and practice and growth) fade away. In this final message on the Book of Creation, we'll explore how God uses creation - birds and flowers - to speak to our anxiety and cultivate in us a vision of life that grows within us a deep peace with God, ourselves, and all things.
WARNING: In this message, anxiety and panic attacks will be mentioned. For some, this can be a trigger. This sermon is not intended to be medical advice. If you suffer from severe or chronic anxiety, you should seek help from a mental health professional. If you need help finding help, email care@newstorychurch.life.