Kingdom Living and Hope in an AI World

But the fullest expression of God's kingdom has not been realized yet. And so on this side of eternity, pain and suffering and discomfort are still inevitable. And if all we do is try to avoid them, we miss out on the opportunities they present us to become more like Jesus. A man who is described by the prophet Isaiah as a man of suffering, familiar with pain. To become more like Jesus is actually to become more familiar with pain. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? Not to try and avoid it at all costs. It is to face pain head on and allow it to shape us and to make us more like Jesus. [00:56:50] (56 seconds)  #BecomeLikeJesus

Waiting on God is one of the most frustrating and yet one of the most transformational things that we can do in our lives. It reminds us that God is not a machine that we can control. It reminds us that God is not an algorithm that is working for our benefit in in ease of life or comfort in the background. It reminds us that, actually, God is sometimes, and, actually, I think most of the time, a complete mystery to us as humans. [00:51:52] (44 seconds)  #WaitOnGod

His ways are higher than our ways. Right? His thoughts are far beyond ours. His plans are better than any plan we could have for our own lives. I wonder if you can relate to the times that you're grateful things didn't go the way you had planned them to go. It can be such a hard place to be, and yet the longer we wait faithfully on God, the closer we are drawn to him, the more we are reliant on him, the more we have to surrender to his will and to his timing, and the more we can be drawn together as a loving community. [00:52:39] (43 seconds)  #TrustGodsPlans

If I can get an answer to some of life's greatest challenges within a second or two on my iPhone, Why would I go to the effort of waiting on God? Paul says in Galatians five that patience is actually a fruit of the Holy Spirit's activity in our lives. John in tells the early church in the book of Revelation that for the disruptions in their world, this calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. [00:54:32] (36 seconds)  #PatienceIsFruit

In a world where AI is designed to make up for any human weakness, how can we demonstrate that it's actually in our weakness that we are strong? Paul tells the Corinthians, but god he he said to me, Paul says, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, Paul says, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [01:00:44] (47 seconds)  #StrengthInWeakness

But what we are gonna be doing is approaching AI carefully through the lens of, does this make me a more loving, more Christ like person? Does this make us a more loving, more Christ like community? And if AI, whatever it is, will help us become a more loving, more Christ like community, then great. And if not, then we'll pass. Thank you very much. [01:03:34] (30 seconds)  #AIWithDiscernment

Followers of Jesus, as people who have been made new again, new creations in Christ, we have a new vocation. And it doesn't matter what job you have. It doesn't matter if you are a doctor or a teacher or a tradie or a grandmother or a journalist or a hairdresser or whatever it is. And it doesn't matter what disruptions are happening in the world at our time, our vocation does not change. Our vocation is to be light in the dark places of this world. [00:40:14] (41 seconds)  #LightInDarkPlaces

The writer of the book of Hebrews says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God himself introduced himself to Moses in Exodus, and he said, I'm a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation. The more things change, the more things stay the same. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. [00:35:05] (40 seconds)  #GodNeverChanges