God has a passion for the world and a passion for justice. According to the Bible, injustice is the abuse of power that allows the strong to take from the weak the good things that God intended for all human beings. God calls us to fight against injustice by asking us to be obedient in giving to him what we already have.

The religious leaders in Jesus’ time had a long list of rules regarding the Sabbath. When questioned, Jesus does not respond by dismissing the Sabbath, but rather redefines it — by dying on a cross. As Christians, we are able to enter into his rest and enjoy the same rest that God enjoyed after creation, by means of his works, not ours. The Sabbath is a blessing from God and one we will only enjoy if we understand it correctly.

As Christians in the 21st century, we are called to obey God’s laws, because they are tools for understanding and expose the workings of our heart. Once we realize that we are saved by grace alone and accepted by God, we can respond to God in genuine obedience with transformed hearts. As members of a local Christian community, we become an alternate city within a city, a holy nation, representing Christ and serving the community in which we worship and live.

Timothy and Kathy Keller discuss the Biblical view of dating, sex, and romance; the goodness of singleness; and the Christian ordering of the different types of love. This talk was done in an open forum setting and is followed by a Q&A.

Ruth is a story of redeemers. Ruth teaches us that friendships can change the world (as with Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer), and that we can and must reach across spiritual and cultural barriers to do so (as with Ruth, the hidden redeemer). Both Boaz and Ruth point to Jesus, our true Redeemer. Once we realize that, we can ourselves reach across barriers to engage in spiritual friendships and be true disciples of Jesus.

We must submit to God's will for us to gain a life filled with true joy. Submission means we must wrestle with what God gives us, decide to trust God, and put the events in our lives in the context of an eternal perspective.

In the parable of the Prodigal Sons, Jesus redefines God as Father, redefines sin, and redefines salvation. We need the initiating love of the Father to learn to repent for something besides sins and to be moved by the cost of bringing us home.