Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

April 27, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

SPRING 2025: Walk This Way!

April 27 – May 31, 2025

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus (Matthew 5:48)

New Age Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Theme for 2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

Theme for Spring 2025: Walk This Way!

HUMAN FLOURISHING: One of the domains currently being researched in the Global Flourishing Study is Character and Virtue.

CONTEXT: The theological context of first-century Israel was influenced by both Jewish theology and Greek/Roman philosophy.

INNAUGURATED ESCHATOLOGY: We live in the intersection of This Present Evil Age and The Age to Come.

What is the aim, or the final goal, of the whole Christian life? Though many Christians in the Western world have imagined that the aim or goal of being a Christian is simply “to go to heaven when you die,” the New Testament holds out something much richer and more interesting. Yes, those who belong to Jesus in this life go to be with him once they die—that’s a promise made in various places in the New Testament. But that’s only the start of it . . . God has promised to give the entire world, the whole created order, a complete makeover . . . We will be given new bodies in which to live with delight and power in God’s new world . . . the transformation we are promised at the end of time has already begun in Jesus. When God raised him from the dead, he launched his entire project of new creation, and called people of all sorts to be part of that project, already, here and now.

-N. T. Wright, After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters

WISDOM OF THIS AGE: The wisdom of this age is earth-bound, limited in its horizon, and leads to a rejection of God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ.

NEW AGE WISDOM: We need the wisdom of God to enable us to live fully into this new age as redeemed, restored spiritual people. God’s Spirit reveals His wisdom to us through the Word of God!

CHARACTER AND VIRTUE: As God reveals His wisdom to us, our lives are shaped, our character is formed, and we are enabled to live virtuous lives.