Ran across some sweet articles by Del Tackett at Focus on the Family and Steve Lutz at Penn State. Tell me what you guys think!
Del Tackett: http://deltackett.com/2010/05/24/shaky-foundations/#more-2235
Steve Lutz: http://stevelutz.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/facebook-sucks-but-here-are-5-reasons-why-im-not-quitting-yet/
Del Tackett may end up being one of the most influencial men in my life. Creator of the Truth Project ( http://www.thetruthproject.org/ ) and a professor at Focus on the Family’s Leadership Institute ( http://www.focusleadership.org/ ), Del has influenced many lives and helped mold many people’s beliefs and worldviews. He is extremely personable, a great teacher, and one of the most intellectually sound and qualified men I have ever met. A humble man chasing after God’s heart. I say all of this because I believe that you will be truly blessed by tuning in to his website http://deltackett.com/ (I have also added it to the blogroll). Journey with Del as he observes the absolute truth of God in every day life. I hope you enjoy!
What should we consider when considering our Christian worldview and other worldviews? I have explored James Sire’s The Universe Next Door and found some excellent information.
What is a worldview?
“A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart that can be expressed as story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being.” (Sire 17)
Some questions that Sire sparks the reader to indulge in when considering worldview are as follows:
1) What is prime reality? – “What ideas are real?”
2)What is the nature of external reality, that is the world around us? -”What in the world is real?”
3) What is a human being? – “Who is man?”
4)What happens to a person at death? – “When you die?”
5)Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6) How do we know what is right and wrong?
7) What is the meaning of human history?
*The previous outline and the following list were taught by Dr. Chris Leland of Focus on the Family. *
What are we up against when considering faulty Christian worldviews and worldviews outside of Christ?
1) A lack of HOPE.
2) A lack of DIRECTION
3) A lack of TRUTH
- There is a battle raging. A battle of the mind and of worldviews. We must challenge ourselves, as followers of Christ, to be fully transformed in our view and thinking in regards to the world as we know it. And we must be prepared to look at EVERYTHING in a new light…
1)Family 2)Church 3)Education 4)Government 5)Media/Entertainment 6)Economics 7)Vocation
What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments with an opportunity to challenge each other and dialogue!
Through my studies at the Focus on the Family Leadership Institute and my personal research, I have discovered many interesting things in regards to the idea of a Christian worldview.Dr. James Dobson put it simply, “Either God is, or God isn’t.” Wow. Arthur Holmes gives us 5 reasons for a worldview: “We need to unify thought and life experience, define the good life and find hope and meaning, guide current thought, guide actions, and deal with our diverse culture.” Taking these guidelines and applying them to the Christian mind and worldview, one truly can develop a solid stance and lens to view the world through as a Christian. I also found some scripture in reference to attributes of the Christian mind and how we can transform it towards a Christian worldview. The Christian mind is renewed (Romans 12:1). The Christian mind is pure (Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22). The Christian mind is humble (Romans 12:3). The Christian mind is ready (Acts 17:11). The Christian mind is convinced (Matthew 22:37; Romans 8:38-39). I think that through this , I discovered all of these attributes of a Christian worldview and a Christian mind to be true. Yet, we are not there. According to a survey in 2004 taken by the Barna Research Group, “Citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults, only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of decision-making.”I believe that our generation is on the brink of shifting its worldview though. I honestly believe that we think and know in our minds that “God is”. Now, we must separate the sacred and the secular and start seeing the world through the eyes of Christ. My prayer is that this Christian generation continues to believe that “God is” but strives to act upon that belief in order to change our view of the struggling world through the eyes of our Lord.
Tomorrow marks the one year mark of arriving in Colorado Springs for the Focus Leadership Institute. A semester that truly changed my life forever. It is a semester focused towards 20 to 26 year old students and graduates who want to come learn and interact in an environment that is outside of the normal trend. Check out the following description from their webpage and check it out! The link is at the bottom of this page and will also be in the resource section of the Resources/Act Now/ Promotions page. God bless!
“The Focus Leadership Institute is a one-semester journey of study through the hows and whys of the Christian faith. Student leaders from both Christian and non-religious universities come to explore a unique academic approach to leadership in the areas of marriage, family, church, society and comparative worldviews. Assumptions are challenged. Hands-on learning cements new ideas gleaned from primary sources. Top-notch teaching flows seamlessly into intentional community as staff and students share life together, working out in practical ways what it means to live every aspect of one’s life to the glory of God alone. Quick Facts: FLI offers three academic semesters per year. The fall semester runs from early September through mid-December. The spring semester runs from mid-January through late April. The summer semester runs from early June through late July. Each student participating in the fall and spring program takes five courses: Christian Worldview Studies; Family, Church and Society Studies; Marriage and Family Life Studies; Gender and Leadership Studies and a Professional Practicum. Each student participating in the summer program takes two courses: Cultural Issues in Christian Perspective and Family Issues in Christian Perspective. Because of the Institute’s emphasis on Christian community, each student participating in the program lives in FLI-provided housing. A variety of community-building opportunities are provided each week. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students may apply up to one year in advance of the semester they wish to attend. Interested? Apply now.” http://focusleadership.org/
