T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

What is true? How can I know it?  What is good? How can I become it? Those are two of the most fundamental questions human beings can ask. People who ask those questions persistently and pursue the answers no matter where the search leads are called 'philosophers.'  Socrates, the father of Western philosophy, was famous for saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." What he meant was, "Why go about living a life that is ultimately pointless because you are just taking everyone else's word for what is true and good? Why follow along like a lemming? Seek out truth and goodness. The search itself gives meaning to life." As Neil Postman observed, our society has taken a path of "amusing ourselves to death." The constant availability of entertainment has fueled a culture of superficiality rather than a search for truth and goodness.  Here's a starting point. Take Matthew, chapter 5. Do you think what Jesus taught...

Let's say you and your spouse are preparing to adopt a baby from Asia. You have worked for months to navigate the twists and turns of the adoption process. When you were matched with a little boy, you prayerfully accepted. That kicked into gear all the final preparations -- buying baby clothes, packing baby supplies, packing your own things, updating your passports, getting shots, preparing your complex itinerary, studying maps, and wondering -- endlessly wondering -- what this experience will bring, both good and bad. This has been an extraordinary few months. You are revved up but running on fumes. You are scheduled to leave for your flight out of the USA on 6:00 AM on Friday morning. What do you do on Thursday night? Double check all your preparations? Rest up, anticipating the aches and pains of being stuck for more than 20 hours in coach seats the next day? Either of these choices would make complete sense, but our friends Nate and Lindsey elected "none of the above....