Elements City Church
TOV series - Be TOV (good)
We've all read and have sadly become accustomed to the revelations of abuse in our culture and in even our churches. These abuses can occur when we neglect to create a culture of goodness that resists evil and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth. This series draws from the acclaimed book, “A Church Called TOV” to call us forward and give us a map for being the church that Jesus longs for and a people he can leverage to make a difference. We long too curate a culture of godly goodness in our organization and our spheres of influence. Join us in this adventure friends.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Thanks for joining us...
Whether you're on-site or online, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to your soul. May God whisper to you and help you in taking your next steps in a journey with Him. If you're new, we'd love to have you fill out our connection card.
https://connect-card.com/yr4Y0g8VLBSqzKXeubjbTOV means “good” in Hebrew.
book: A Church Called TOV (Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer) *recommend
We’ve all witnessed when 'good' is not the norm of a culture, an organization or a group of people and the great damage and pain that can occur when that plays out - the great harm it can do to relationships…
book: A Church Called TOV (Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer) *recommend
We’ve all witnessed when 'good' is not the norm of a culture, an organization or a group of people and the great damage and pain that can occur when that plays out - the great harm it can do to relationships…
TOV is active (not a passive or set reality) - it can grow or it can shrink.
The theme of actively 'doing tov' (doing good) runs throughout the Bible.
The theme of actively 'doing tov' (doing good) runs throughout the Bible.
Jesus taught about the centrality of character, and how to discern good character from bad
A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.
Matthew 7:15-18
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes…? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit…
A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.
Matthew 7:15-18
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes…? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit…
The apostle Paul also zeroes in on character, though he uses the metaphor of flesh and spirit instead of trees and fruit.
In Galatians 5:19-24, he contrasts the “acts of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.”
In Galatians 5:19-24, he contrasts the “acts of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.”
To do TOV requires us to resist what is not tov, what is bad and evil and corrupt.
To live in the Spirit is to resist the works or acts of the flesh / the world and to pursue the 'godly good'.
The gospel is about God’s tov coming to us in Jesus; who is tov, and thus making us into agents of tov.
JESUS, THE ONE TRUE MAN OF TOV - What every church needs is a model of goodness—in its pastors, its leaders, its people. The perfect example of tov is Jesus.
To live in the Spirit is to resist the works or acts of the flesh / the world and to pursue the 'godly good'.
The gospel is about God’s tov coming to us in Jesus; who is tov, and thus making us into agents of tov.
JESUS, THE ONE TRUE MAN OF TOV - What every church needs is a model of goodness—in its pastors, its leaders, its people. The perfect example of tov is Jesus.
Takeaway Truth:
The greatest apologetic for our theology is the way we treat people.
Unless, of course, we act like a jerk —then, the greatest threat to our theology - is the way we treat people.
The greatest apologetic for our theology is the way we treat people.
Unless, of course, we act like a jerk —then, the greatest threat to our theology - is the way we treat people.
PRAYER PRACTICE
—prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced by us and reproduced within us
—-prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced within those that are struggling today
—-prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced more in our city
—prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced by us and reproduced within us
—-prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced within those that are struggling today
—-prayer for God’s goodness to be experienced more in our city
Thank you for partnering with us...
Thank you for enabling us to be the Church in our city! Your gifts help fuel the mission of Elements City Church, as well as our capacity to share His love with as many as we can. You help us bring the HOPE and LIGHT of Jesus to our city! You can give online at the link below or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/give/Thanks again for being with us tonight - may you have a blessed week ahead friends. May you be an agent for TOV in your sphere of influence with and for Jesus. We'll see you next Sunday if not before - and join us for 2nd Saturday Food Distribution (see app for full details on how to help).
Thanks for joining us...
Whether you're on-site or online, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to your soul. May God whisper to you and help you in taking your next steps in a journey with Him. If you're new, we'd love to have you fill out our connection card.
https://connect-card.com/yr4Y0g8VLBSqzKXeubjb