Week 2: Calling
March 27 & 30
“The gospel frees us from the relentless pressure of having to prove ourselves and secure our identity through work, for we are already proven and secure.”
Tim Keller
We were created in God’s image for meaningful work.
"According to the Bible, we don’t merely need the money from work to survive; we need the work itself to survive and live fully human lives. Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul.”
Tim Keller
Work is a good thing given to us by God for our own good.
You will not have a meaningful life without work, but your work cannot be the meaning of your life.
We need to shift our perspective away from work as a means to an end and to something meaningful for God.
Secular work can be sacred work.
Meaningful work for God, is not just about what you do but how you do it.
Do it like an artist.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
[d]Group questions
Read Genesis 1:27-28 as a group.
How do we sometimes allow our work to define our identity? What are some ways we can shift our perspective to find our identity in God rather than our job titles or productivity?
Genesis 1 and 2 show that work was part of God's good creation. How does that challenge the way we think about work today?
The sermon mentioned two extremes: working too much to find meaning or feeling like work is meaningless. Which of these do you struggle with more, and why? How can we find a balance between working diligently and not letting work consume us?
Read Colossians 3:23 and Ecclesiastes 9:10. What are some practical ways to live this out in our current jobs? How can we bring a ministry mindset into our everyday work, even in secular jobs?