RIGHT SIDE UP Countering Culture – Connecting Christ

RIGHT SIDE UP Countering Culture – Connecting Christ Sunday Mornings 8:30 & 10:00 Regal Oakwood Theatres * 2800 Oakwood Blvd. Hollywood, FL 33020 * icsofl.com * (954) 443-7894

They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. (Psalms 82:5 KJV) Woe [an expression of grief] to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20 NKJV) ““This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” John 3:16-17 MSG #RIGHTsideup

What’s Your TRUTH? #RIGHTsideup

Everyone needs (has) a core or foundation of truth(s) to live by. Those truths establish our sense of morality which are our beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary) Pragmatism – a practical approach to problems and affairs. A philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James. The “meaning of [concepts] is to be sought in their practical bearings; truth is to be… tested by the practical consequences of belief.” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary) How we view God, His Word – the Bible, what we believe it is, and how we interpret it and apply it to our lives is extraordinarily vital. What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

Take the TRUTH TEST. What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

1) Is the Bible a Holy Book of the Jewish and Christian Faiths? What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

Is the Bible a Holy Book of the Jewish and Christian Faiths?No!The Bible is the revelation of God to the entire human race. • “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

The Bible Reveals… • Who God is, • What God is like, • Who we are, • Why we are here, • How we got separated from Him, • What it took for Him to restore us and • How we can enjoy a relationship with Him for all eternity! What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

2) How many Different Interpretations of the Bible are there? What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

How Many Different Interpretations of the Bible are there?Just one. There was an original intent and an original audience that all scripture was written to, yet the truth of those writings is nonetheless for the entire world. • Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:1 MKJV) What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

“The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 MSG What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

3) Does the Bible Contain Truth Designed Just for Me? What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

Does the Bible Contain Truth Designed Just for Me?Yes, but no. The common language we tend to express is, “what does this verse in the Bible mean to you?” • “Each book of the Bible conveys a specific truth that is objective and true whether or not we capture its application to our lives.” - The Beauty of Intolerance by Josh & Sean McDowell • “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 AMPC What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

4) Can What’s True for You, not Necessarily be True for Me? What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

Can What’s True for You, not Necessarily be True for Me?Truth is not a matter of opinion. It is an objective description of reality. • “We are entitled to our own beliefs, but this doesn’t mean each of us has our own truths. Our beliefs describe the way we think the world is. Truth describes the objective state of the world regardless of how we take it to be.” – The Beauty of Intolerance by Josh & Sean McDowell What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, (Exodus 34:6 NKJV) What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

Moral claims are true if they correspond to the character of God. It’s His nature and character that determines ALL moral truth. It’s not what He decides, it’s Who He is. • The reason justice is right and injustice is wrong is because God is just. Genesis 1:27 • The reason love is good and hatred is bad is because God is love. 1 John 4:16 • The reason fidelity in marriage is honorable and infidelity is not, is because God is faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13 • The reason sexual purity is moral & good and sexual promiscuity is not is because God is pure. 1 John 3:3 What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

“Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life…” John 14:6 AMP ““These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 MSG What’s Your Truth? #RIGHTsideup

RIGHT SIDE UP Countering Culture – Connecting Christ