Element Christian Church
Week 2: Parables - Rich Man and Lazarus - The Summum Bonum
Locations & Times
Element Christian Church
4890 Bethany Ln, Santa Maria, CA 93455, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Welcome to Element
We strive to ensure the biggest thing people think when they hear about Element is Jesus! We aim to glorify God by teaching and living out the Scriptures, transforming community into Gospel community, and planting churches.
Box Car and Box Horse Prep Day TODAY
With the parade for Los Alamos Days and our annual Drive-In Movie Night coming, we would love to have everyone get together to create our cars, or horses that you want for the parade. Element will have some boxes, paint, stickers, etc for you to come and build your mode of transportation! Join us from 12:30-2:30! Bring your creative minds and your lunch!
Drive-In Movie Night
Let's kick-off our Fall season with our Annual Family Drive-In Movie Night! So, start being creative in making your family style car(s) for this FUN event for the whole family! Mark your calendars for Friday, September 27th @ 6:00 pm and invite your neighbors, work/personal friends, and/or other family members to come and enjoy Despicable Me 4!
We will have a concession stand serving free popcorn & bottled water, plus we will have snacks, candy, and juice boxes for purchase. If you are bringing dinner for your family, please make sure it is nut-free. Doors open at 5:45 pm, and the movie will start promptly at 6:15 pm.
We will have a concession stand serving free popcorn & bottled water, plus we will have snacks, candy, and juice boxes for purchase. If you are bringing dinner for your family, please make sure it is nut-free. Doors open at 5:45 pm, and the movie will start promptly at 6:15 pm.
Youth ALMOST All Nighter
Students in grades 6-12 are invited to the Barn Friday night starting at 6pm for an evening of Olympic themed fun and games and candy and food! The event is called an ALMOST all nighter, because no one wants to stay in the Barn ALLL night! The event ends at midnight and parents are encouraged to carpool for drop off and pick up so not all parents have to stay up till midnight.
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/810581Los Alamos Old Days Help
Our hope is to bless the community of Los Alamos during our Service in the Park on September 29th, but we need your help to make it happen. Please see the link below for different areas you can help in.
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/804945The Weekender NEW DATES
The Weekender is a 2 day course that dives deeper into our who we are, the theology behind our practices, and foundational knowledge for what it means to be a Christian. Save the date for November 8th and 9th for our next course.
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/737047Women's Bible Study
Fall Study begins Tuesday, October 1st at 6:30pm in the Barn. We will be studying through the book of Mark using Tara-Leigh Cobbles book, Knowing Jesus as Servant.
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/804769Missions Newletter Update
Get the latest on the various local and global ministries Element helps support.
https://ourelement.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_Spring_MissionsUpdate.pdfStart serving at Element
If you are looking for a way to meet more people at Element or feel more connected, one of the easiest ways is to start serving. From once a month for 15 minutes, to helping in our classrooms for a longer time, we have needs to fit your gifts.
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/395779Download the Church Center App
Stay in the loop with Element's calendar of events, group sign ups, online giving, and other links all in one app!
https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/setupThis week's song list
Interested in looking for some of the songs we sang this week? Here's the titles and original artists:
In Christ Alone - New City Church
A Thousand Shores - Citizens
Be Thou My Vision - Ascend the Hill
The Solid Rock - Passion
Jesus! - Citizens
In Christ Alone - New City Church
A Thousand Shores - Citizens
Be Thou My Vision - Ascend the Hill
The Solid Rock - Passion
Jesus! - Citizens
Parables
Week 2 - Rich Man and Lazarus - The Summum Bonum
Parables are (very broadly), “a fictitious narrative that would generally refer to something that might naturally occur, by which spiritual and moral matters might be conveyed.” There is no end to the speculation that centers on the parable that Jesus tells today. People get caught up in various theories, asking, “Is it really a parable or a true story? Is Jesus trying to tell us what the afterlife looks like? Is this a commentary about wealth and poverty being reversed in the future life?”
This is not a parable (primarily) about riches and poverty, though there are many things in Luke 16 that can relate to how we see our money and stuff. There is more going on and we must take a step back and look at the picture language and ultimately Jesus’ own work in the world.
Week 2 - Rich Man and Lazarus - The Summum Bonum
Parables are (very broadly), “a fictitious narrative that would generally refer to something that might naturally occur, by which spiritual and moral matters might be conveyed.” There is no end to the speculation that centers on the parable that Jesus tells today. People get caught up in various theories, asking, “Is it really a parable or a true story? Is Jesus trying to tell us what the afterlife looks like? Is this a commentary about wealth and poverty being reversed in the future life?”
This is not a parable (primarily) about riches and poverty, though there are many things in Luke 16 that can relate to how we see our money and stuff. There is more going on and we must take a step back and look at the picture language and ultimately Jesus’ own work in the world.
Only One Character in the Parable Has A Name
Many fail to realize the that the main contrast of the parable is not that one was rich and one was poor, that one goes to “heaven” and the other to “hell,” but only Lazarus gets a name. The name Lazarus means God is my help or God is my salvation. Lazarus has a name, because God is his help. The rich man has nothing but the designation “rich man.”
The Highest Good
Philosophers for centuries have talked about the summum bonum…“the highest good.” The rich man had chosen his summum bonum. Abraham, in the parable, says to the rich man, “You’ve had your ‘good thing.’” How do you determine what your summum bonum is? Is there anything in your life that you feel like, if you lost it, you would have no reason to live? That’s your summum bonum—your good thing (or as Jesus says, “your treasure”).
The Next Life
Jesus shows us some realities of what Hell looks like as it simultaneously destroys us and reveals who we are. We are told that as long as we are on this earth, no matter how hard we try to escape God or rebel against Him, we never completely get away from Him. As a result, we are always kept somewhat intact because we are still able to love, think, create, communicate, and forgive. Hell is a place where those who have wanted to get away from God finally get away and completely break down.
Which of the Two Men Are You?
This is a parable about the focus of our lives. Who, or what, is our help? We are called to make Jesus our summum bonum. Only in Him do we receive a name that lasts forever.
The parable’s emphasis is less about literal wealth and more about where we place our trust and find our identity. It challenges listeners to examine their own lives and consider whether they’re living in “suburbs of hell” or “suburbs of heaven” based on where they’re placing their ultimate hope and trust.
Many fail to realize the that the main contrast of the parable is not that one was rich and one was poor, that one goes to “heaven” and the other to “hell,” but only Lazarus gets a name. The name Lazarus means God is my help or God is my salvation. Lazarus has a name, because God is his help. The rich man has nothing but the designation “rich man.”
The Highest Good
Philosophers for centuries have talked about the summum bonum…“the highest good.” The rich man had chosen his summum bonum. Abraham, in the parable, says to the rich man, “You’ve had your ‘good thing.’” How do you determine what your summum bonum is? Is there anything in your life that you feel like, if you lost it, you would have no reason to live? That’s your summum bonum—your good thing (or as Jesus says, “your treasure”).
The Next Life
Jesus shows us some realities of what Hell looks like as it simultaneously destroys us and reveals who we are. We are told that as long as we are on this earth, no matter how hard we try to escape God or rebel against Him, we never completely get away from Him. As a result, we are always kept somewhat intact because we are still able to love, think, create, communicate, and forgive. Hell is a place where those who have wanted to get away from God finally get away and completely break down.
Which of the Two Men Are You?
This is a parable about the focus of our lives. Who, or what, is our help? We are called to make Jesus our summum bonum. Only in Him do we receive a name that lasts forever.
The parable’s emphasis is less about literal wealth and more about where we place our trust and find our identity. It challenges listeners to examine their own lives and consider whether they’re living in “suburbs of hell” or “suburbs of heaven” based on where they’re placing their ultimate hope and trust.
Discussion Questions:
If you had to introduce yourself using only one word (not your name), what would it be and why?
Understanding:
Why do you think Jesus chose to name Lazarus but not the rich man in this parable?
How does the concept of “summum bonum” (highest good) relate to this parable?
Application:
In what ways might we be tempted to find our identity in things other than God?
Next Steps:
Practice explaining the concept of “summum bonum” to one another using a modern example.
Missional Living:
How might understanding this parable change the way we interact with those who are materially poor or suffering?
In what ways can we share the message of finding true identity in Christ with others?
Finally, what did this parable leave you to think about?
If you had to introduce yourself using only one word (not your name), what would it be and why?
Understanding:
Why do you think Jesus chose to name Lazarus but not the rich man in this parable?
How does the concept of “summum bonum” (highest good) relate to this parable?
Application:
In what ways might we be tempted to find our identity in things other than God?
Next Steps:
Practice explaining the concept of “summum bonum” to one another using a modern example.
Missional Living:
How might understanding this parable change the way we interact with those who are materially poor or suffering?
In what ways can we share the message of finding true identity in Christ with others?
Finally, what did this parable leave you to think about?