1 reply of at least 200 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the assigned Module: Week.
Your threads and replies will build off of the previous module’s Discussion, as well as include content from the most recent module. Think of the Discussions in this course as a continued conversation spanning all 4 of the modules that have Discussions assigned. The following 4 areas will be discussed throughout the course.
1. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Module 3: Week 3)
2. The Sacred/Secular Divide (Module 4: Week 4)
3. Worship and the Biblical Worldview (Module 5: Week 5)
4. The Impact of the Gospel (Module 6: Week 6)
These Discussions are designed to help you think through the impact your theological understanding has on your everyday life. Your worldview will be taken into consideration as it relates to how you engage with society.
Your thread and all replies must be substantial and thoughtful in nature. Again, these interactions are meant to mimicconversation. Conversations include statements as well as questions. Remember not only to engage with the provided prompts, but to engage with your classmates as well. Substantive answers will reveal signs of active listening andapplication of content. Limit the length of your posts to 200–300 words each.
In addition to answering all prompts, you are expected to interact with other participants and probe their thinking. Refer to course readings and videos and engage with biblical texts before responding. You are required to check the postings in the Discussions frequently and to participate consistently while engaging thoughtfully in these Discussions.
This below is what you need to reply to
Worship and the Biblical Worldview
It is important to understand the meaning of possessing a Biblical Worldview and how it impacts our desires. A Biblical Worldview requires us to live as God desires, not as we desire. While the Bible does not tell us that we cannot have or work towards our own desires, it does teach us the correct way to ascertain them. When we choose to follow our own plan, we are in direct disobedience to what God has already established. The message of 1 John 2:15-17 reminds us that “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (New International Bible, 1978/2011, 1 John 2:15-17). God’s Word is our guide for living an abundant life and allows us to grow closer to Him which can ultimately change our heart so that our desires align more with His.
At the ripe age of 48, God laid it on my heart to go back to school and earn a degree in psychology so that I could continue advocating for those with varied invisible disabilities. I had completely given up on the idea of earning a college degree years before and had not even considered otherwise in quite some time. I became concerned about whether I would be accepted into Liberty’s School of Behavioral Sciences based on my academic behaviors after high school. I was worried that I would have to start all over, or worse, I would be denied outright. At one point, I told myself that it was not God that had spoken to me, but Satan tempting me. As Etzel, G. (2020) reminds us, having a Biblical Worldview is not simply about how we view the world or how we think, it also involves how we behave. I needed to change my behavior. Instead of worrying all day, I needed to spend time praying. Once I changed my behavior, my worry dissipated and within a week, I received my acceptance letter from Liberty. Not only had I been accepted into Liberty, I had been accepted into the School of Behavioral Sciences. I know without a doubt, it has been His plan all along.
Each day is a new opportunity for everyone to upgrade their own worldview, mine included. Not a day goes by that we do not hear on the news or read on social media that someone else has fallen victim to cancer, that another area has been bombed, another murder has taken place, children kidnapped, and the list goes on. Such ugliness and hatred can certainly impact our worldviews, but as Christians, we cannot allow it to halt His work. We must continue to love one another and demonstrate our faith so we can overcome the pitfalls we encounter. We must love the sinner and hate the sin because God’s redeeming grace is still greater. “We need to be reminded that the very same compassion our Savior and Lord demonstrated to us needs to be expressed in our interactions with others.” (Etzel, et al., 2012, p. 82).
References
Etzel, G., & Gutierrez, B. (2012). Theology applied: A living Faith. Chattanooga, TN: B&H Academic.
Theology Applied: A Living Faith – Logos Bible Study
Etzel, G. (2020). Worship and the Biblical Worldview. .
Watch: Worship and the Biblical Worldview: THEO104: Introduction to Theology Survey (D44) (liberty.edu)
New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com
(Original work published 1978)
