Overview
We've all been asked the question, but what does a Christian say when someone inquires, "Are you religious– It's tricky. On the one hand we've been taught to say, "It's not religion, it's a relationship!" But, on the other, our faith includes some very religious practices: worship, prayer, service, etc. The editors of Christianity Today, in their editorial "Good Religion, Bad Religion," highlight a University of Oxford study which concluded that religion "comes naturally, even instinctively" to humans. Good or bad, atheists hope humans "grow out of it," while Christians hold out hope that someday we will trade in religion for the very presence of God.
This Bible discussion will help us consider the ways religion hinders our relationship with God, how it can encourage it, and how one day we will lose religion as we experience God's presence.
Table of Contents
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 23; Acts 2:41–47; Revelation 21:1–8, 22–27
LEADER'S GUIDE
• Identify the Current Issue
• Discover the Eternal Principles
—Teaching point one: Religion can be a barrier to God's grace.
—Teaching point two:Religion can be a conduit for God's grace.
—Teaching point three:Religion will one day be abolished by God's presence.
• Apply Your Findings
• Additional Resources
ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY
• "Good Religion, Bad Religion," from editorial
Total number of pages—
