At a Glance
The Bible contains a multitude of practical principles that shape how we ought to think and act in our work, relate to how we love our friends and in our marriages, steward creation, organize our institutions, govern our nations, and much more. These principles can be organized into a handful of basic, or foundational principles. In this episode, we discuss some of these precious foundational principles and how we live them out.
What You'll Hear
Chapter 1: Foundational Worldviews of Everyday Life (0:43)
Chapter 2: The Sacred/Secular Divide (5:46)
Luke felt like his hobbies and passions, an important part of who he is, are lesser because they are not “sacred”.
Shawn wondered why the world was not getting better when the number of Christians grew.
Darrow discussed missionaries did not just work in evangelism, but in other “secular” parts of life that were just as important.
Scott saw the divide at Food for the Hungry where the motive was Christian but the practice was non-Christian.
Chapter 3: The Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom (13:37)
Chapter 4: Principles (16:13)
What is a Principle? (17:00)
The Principles in the Declaration of Independence (17:59)
Kuyper’s division of the world (23:56)
The “Open System” Principle 26:29
The Fallen World Principle (32:27)
Principles vs Rules (37:36)
The Diversity and Unity Principles (38:23)
John Amos Comenius’s Education Principles
The Love Principle (50:54)
Chapter 5: Wrap up (56:32)
Using the link above, you can read the transcript, listen along, and adjust the speed of the podcast while you listen.
“If we're not following God's principles for how to live in the different areas of life we each individually live in, then we're following someone else's always.”
(42:56)
Quotes
In the Declaration of Independence, the idea that all men are created equal is a biblical principle applied to government. (17:59)
“If we’re not intentionally thinking about biblical principles that underpin these things, then by default, we’re gonna go with whatever the principles are that are operating at that particular time in the culture.” Scott (4:06)
“There really should be a kind of a uniquely biblical way of doing community development work that looks different than a secular organization does it” Scott (13:15)
“A principle is basically a fundamental or a foundational truth that serves as a foundation upon which other truths or a system of truths of our beliefs can be built.” Scott (17:00)
“God has built his creation in such a way that it can actually grow, it can expand, it’s not necessarily completely limited.” Scott (26:44)
“If your starting point was a materialistic atheistic view, you tend to see resources as limited. And that means we have to kind of fight over them… And the biblical view is, no we can actually grow the pie and we can share in an abundance.” Scott (27:32)
“The whole modern economy, which runs on computers, has at its core ingredient, silicon and sand. And that gets people thinking in a whole different way about poverty and development. So that’s the power of biblical principles.” Scott (30:05)
“I think my biggest struggle, honestly, is going past the fallenness. For example, you see a homeless person that is just really struggling and you go, ‘Is that really an image-bearer?’ Yes, that’s a human being created in the image of God. Everything that God has towards me is towards that person.” Dwight (34:10)
“God made a lot of diversity into his creation. And he loves that diversity. Wouldn’t have made it without that. He didn’t make one kind of flower, one kind of tree, one kind of personality. He made lots of personalities. No clones, no robots.” Scott (39:16)
“As a follower of Christ, as a person made in his image, my goal isn’t just to be reconciled only to God in my relationship with him, but to be reconciled to all parts of life, spiritual, physical, social, mental, all of those areas.” Shawn (40:51)
“Reconciliation with our fellow man is recognizing the dignity that God has placed within them, appreciating that, and helping that person to flourish, just as I flourish, not to wield power over them, but to come alongside, to come beneath it, to serve them, to love them, to help them to flourish, just as God desires me to flourish.” Shawn (42:10)
“If we’re not following God’s principles for how to live in the different areas of life we each individually live in, then we’re following someone else’s always.” Luke (42:56)
“Love is seeking the highest good for another at the perceived expense to yourself.” Luke (50:48)
“The world says there’s winners and losers in every business negotiation, there has to be. And God is saying, no, no, there doesn’t have to be.” Dwight (53:06)
