Speaker: Ray White
Date: 20/03/2022

In the third session in our teaching series, we think about ‘Building Communities of Justice, Legal Systems and Community Justice’. Exodus had marked not just the end of slavery for the people of Israel but the beginning of something new and an invitation to live as the people of God shaped by God’s character. Taking a behind the scenes look at the laws of the Old Testament, we’ll discover how God sought to mould the culture of Israel with social justice at the core – compassion for the poor, protection for foreigners, fairness for the oppressed.

Online Service

Digging Deeper Resources

The series is based on the book Embracing Justice by Isabelle Hamley (ISBN: 9780281086542), available for purchase online from Eden or Amazon and on order at local bookshops.

Free weekly small group resources are available from Home Groups, with each session including a 20 min video conversation, Biblical passages to explore and discussion questions around the theme of the week.

The Big Church Read are also offering weekly discussion starters, each introduced by a short video’s from the author.

Live Lent have produced a series of daily Bible readings and weekly challenges, available as a free app for Apple and Android devices, free daily email reflections, as audio on a smart speaker, or as a printed booklet available for purchase.

The Bible Project also have an overview video on Justice, and a four part podcast series.

Watch The Bible Project’s video on the Character of God Word Study Video Series, this week focus on God’s GRACE

Questions for Reflection

Israel’s laws are linked to their stories and vision; what kind of story do the laws
of your country tell?
Are there any laws in the Old Testament you find difficult? Why are they
challenging today? Would any of our laws or practices today be challenging to
ancient Israelites?
How can you distinguish between justice and revenge? What might Jubilee
laws for today look like?
How do you decide what causes or projects to contribute to?
What parts of the worldwide Church are you well aware of, and what parts might you need to find out more about? Could you commit yourself to praying
regularly for a part of the world you know little about right now?
How does this story touch on the themes emerging from our study so far?
How does this story connect with you personally and with your church
community? What gives you hope in this story?
What questions would you want to ask? How might you pray?
Have you, or someone close to you, had an experience of justice denied, or impossible justice? How does this make you feel? How do you pray (or not) about it?
Do you think it is always possible or right to forgive?

Talks in this Teaching Series

Click the images below, or click here for previous teaching series.

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