Doctrine of Creation: Episode Seven

On this episode we discuss God's providence, his work of sustaining and governing all things in creation.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• How does God relate to creation?

• Does God continue to actively work in the world that he has made? Why is this question important?

• Why does God care about the details of our lives?

• What is the doctrine of God's providence?

• Is there a limit to God's governing and sustaining work?

• What kinds of attitudes, dispositions, and actions should a knowledge of God's providence create?

Our series on the doctrine of creation is almost finished! We have one more episode of the Sabbath and may do a special mailbag episode to wrap things up.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

Doctrine of Creation: Episode Six

On this episode we discuss a Christian understand of art that is grounded in a biblical understanding of creation.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• Why should Christians care about art?

• How does God use beauty to teach and form us?

• What makes a work of art objectively beautiful?

• How can the Church reclaim the pursuit of excellence in art that glorifies God?

• How does art shape our desires?

• How does art in a particular time and place reflect the cultural and philosophical movements of its time?

• How should we seek to find a create beautiful art as followers of Jesus?

Our series on the doctrine of creation will continue in future episodes. We will cover topics like the creation and providence, and the Sabbath.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

After hours is the time that we take a break from our series to chat about something we find interesting.

In this After Hours episode, we talk about the doctrine of creation in the literature of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, particularly Tolkien's Legendarium, including the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Narnia.

If you have not read these books before, what are you waiting for? They could change your life and kindle your imagination to see God's world and read his Word in a much richer way.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

Doctrine of Creation: Episode Five

We continue our series on the doctrine of creation by discussing the theme of sub-creation. This is how we, as human beings, participate in God's creative work by shaping and forming what God has made in a way that ennobles creation by drawing out greater truth, goodness, and beauty to the glory of God.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• What is sub-creation?

• What do we learn about sub-creation in Genesis 2?

• What makes a human creation good?

• Will there be continuity between this world and God's new creation? What does this mean for our creative work?

• How does our creative work relate to our identity and vocation as God's image bearers?

• How can we help our families and churches appreciate and create true, good, and beautiful things?

• What makes a creative work last for generations?

Our series on the doctrine of creation will continue in future episodes. We will cover topics like the sabbath, creation and art, and eschatology in relation to creation.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

Doctrine of Creation: Episode Four

We continue our series on the doctrine of creation by discussing the essence of the image of God, the history of how the image of God has been interpreted in the Church, the vocation of humanity as God's image bearers in creation, and the ethical implications of the universal image of God in humanity.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• What is the essence of the image of God in humanity?

• How has the image of God been understood? And, what are the implications of these approaches?

• Can a human being lose the image of God? What does it mean to be conformed to the image of Christ?

• What is Christian humanism?

• How does the image of God relate to our human vocation?

• What are the ethical and relational implications of the image of God in humanity?

• Why is biblical anthropology good news for us and for contemporary western culture?

Our series on the doctrine of creation will continue in future episodes. We will cover topics like the sub-creation, sabbath, and eschatology in relation to creation.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

After hours is the time that we take a break from our series to chat about something we find interesting.

In this After Hours episode, we talk about the Apostles' Creed. In this broad conversation we discuss:

• What is the Apostles' Creed?

• What is the strength of creedal Christianity in comparison to contemporary biblicism?

• What is the relationship between the creed and Scripture?

• Are creeds alone sufficient to define orthodoxy?

• Should the creeds be authoritative for Protestants?

• How should we use the creed in personal devotion and the discipleship of children and families?

• How should churches use the creed in the instruction, worship, and formation of God's people?

This discussion was originally recorded as part of a series of lectures for TeachBeyond, a Christian organization committed to providing transformational education services as part of God’s ongoing mission to transform individuals and communities into all He intends. You can find out more about TeachBeyond and support their work here.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

Doctrine of Creation: Episode Three

We continue our series on the doctrine of creation by discussing the inherent goodness of creation, the ways that sin corrupts this goodness, and the implications of this for our life and faith.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• As biblical Christians, how should we view the material world as God's creation?

• Why does the creation narrative in Genesis repeat God's affirmation of his creation and it's goodness?

• Is God's initial creation perfect?

• What is Gnosticism? Where do we see the influence of this ancient heresy in the world and the Church today?

• How do we hold together the inherent goodness of creation with our sin and all the consequences of sin?

• How does sin twist the desires that God has given for our good? How does God re-order our re-direct our desires?

Our series on the doctrine of creation will continue in future episodes. We will cover topics like the image of God our bodies, sub-creation, sabbath, and eschatology in relation to creation.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD

Doctrine of Creation: Episode Two

We continue our series on the doctrine of creation by discussing where we see the related themes of forming and filling in the biblical creation account. We also discuss how the categories of forming and filling help us to understand and live out our God-given work and vocation as human beings.

Here are some questions we discuss:

• How do the categories of forming and filling help us read and understand the creation narrative in Genesis 1-3?

• How does God bring order out of chaos in creation?

• How does proper bounding and ordering lead to greater life, beauty, and freedom in creation and in human life?

• What happens when we try to transcend or throw off the limits that God has given for our good?

• Why does God instruct humans to take dominion of the earth? What does this look like for us today?

• How do the categories of forming and filling shape our work as the people of God in our homes and in the world?

Our series on the doctrine of creation will continue in future episodes. We will cover topics like the goodness and corruption of creation, our bodies, sub-creation, sabbath, and eschatology in relation to creation.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/augustine/hit-the-road

License code: GK64UVIEP6WBBIJD