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Gospel in Agora Course

Description

​As Christians working in the marketplace, what does it mean to work as Christ-followers? The Gospel changes and transforms our core identity to become the children and the servants of God. What does this Gospel have anything to do with our work?

 

We spend a lot of time in our work. One research shows that a person on average spends 90,000 hours in work over the lifetime. As we spend so much of our precious time in our work in this world, wouldn't it be nice to work with a sense of purpose and and a sense of meaning? 

 

In fact, the Bible tells us that our work matters a great deal in the narration of the Gospel story. When we learn that our work is an integral part of the Gospel story, it will change everything we think about our work and how we approach our work. This course is designed to help you see your work in light of the Gospel story, so that you will find God's purpose and God's meaning to your daily work. 

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Lesson Episodes

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Introduction

 

Episode 1

What is a biblical design of our work? 

Biblical Text: Genesis 1

Often, we think that our work is all about making money, so that we can pay the bills and live a happy life. We say that our work is an inevitable evil that we must do in this world. We say our work is a curse. But, what does the Bible really say about what our work is? In this session, we will explore the questions such as: "Is our work a curse from God?" "Is our work all about our life choices?" and "Is our work all about compensation?" We will learn that our work is more than these

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Sample Discussion Questions

  1. In what occasions do you find your work to be a curse? Although we live in a broken world, how can we still remind ourselves that our work is actually blessings from God? 

  2. Think about your work right now. Is the work you do something you chose or something you feel called? How can we discern God's calling for our vocations? 

  3. What is honest motivation for your work? Is your work about compensation or about contribution? How are you contributing to the flouring of God's creation through your work? 

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The Gospel & Our Work

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Episode 2

(1) CREATION: What is the purpose of our work?

Biblical Text: Genesis 1

The Gospel is a story that has four parts to it. The first part is creation. What does the creation story of the Gospel tell us about the original purpose of our work? In Genesis 1, we are told that we are created in God's image. What does it mean that we work as God's image bearers in this world? In this week's session, we will discover that we are called to work as a king, as a priest, and as a worshipper. 

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Sample Discussion Questions

  1. In what way can you bring God's rule to your work? 

  2. How can we see our work as an opportunity to minister to the people as God's priests who are called to bring God's shalom to the world? 

  3. Are you worshipping God through your work? Or, are you worshipping the work? How can we make sure we are worshipping God through our work, not the other way around? 

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Episode 3

(2) FALL: What is wrong with our work?

Biblical Text: Genesis 3

In the second part of the Gospel, Fall, we will discover why there are so much evil in our work-places today. We often see our work-places filled with injustice, disorder, chaos, and toxic culture. Why is that? In this session, we will discover why our work often becomes selfish and sinful. 

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Sample Discussion Questions

  1. What kind of challenges do you face at your work? What aspects of your work do you find it difficult and frustrating? 

  2. When do you find that your work becomes selfish, about you not about God? What can we do to remind ourselves that we are called to be God's stewards through the work that we do? 

  3. Work-place is where we find the effects of sins. Can our work-place become a place where God is revealing our sin issues and transforming our characters? How can we engage our work as a spiritual discipline, a time to grow in God? 

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Episode 4

(3) REDEMPTION: How can we redeem our work?

Biblical Text: John 1 & Ephesians 6:5-9

The third part of the Gospel is redemption. In the redemption part of the Gospel, God comes into our world to save us from our sins. How can this redemption also redeem our work? In this session, we will discover how the Gospel powerfully transforms our identity in Christ, so that we can once again work as God intended it to be in the creation part of the Gospel. ​

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Sample Discussion Questions

  1. What is the source of power for your work? What can we do to make sure we are working through Christ' strength that is found in our restored relationship with God through the Gospel? 

  2. Read Ephesians 6:5-9 again where Paul is applying the Gospel to the working conditions between the slaves and the masters in the Greco Roman world. How can you apply the Gospel to your own working conditions at work? 

  3. How can you embody the Gospel in the way you work and creatively share the Gospel with the people at your work? 

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Episode 5

(4) CONSUMMATION: How can we work with hope?

Biblical Text: Revelation 21

The highlight of the Gospel is consummation. This is the time when God is finally coming back to finish the kingdom project that he has initiated in the redemption part of the Gospel. In this world, even though we work with an identity of redemption, we still face setbacks and frustrations in our work. So, how can we keep doing the good work that God has called us to do in this world, without giving it up? In this session, we will see how we can work with hope even when we have a terrible and a bad day at our work. 

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Sample Discussion Questions

  1. What demotivates you at work? How can the hope of heaven restore your motivation for work? 

  2. In what ways can you participate in the Kingdom Project through your work? 

  3. How does your Gospel fit into the four parts of the Gospel story (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation)? Can you explain what you do at work in the framework of the Gospel? 

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Testimonial

"I started a new business and wanted to make sure I’m following God’s plan. I reached out to Paul to have a conversation about it. It was casual but led us to discuss about our work and life. Paul shared about this online class that he has prepared. Over the last four weeks, I learned how God created a world with work, why work has been distorted, how we can redeem our work, and how we can work with hope. The ideas were complicated but Paul was able to explain it to me very well. Learning how God wants me to work transformed my thoughts about work. I strongly recommend Paul and this class if you want to know why you need to work. I feel blessed to know him and glad to have him on my side. Thanks Paul!"

 

Kevin Kim

Mortgage Professional

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