Unconventional
“Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Titus 2:13-14
“The most eloquent testimony to the reality of the resurrection is not an empty tomb or a well-orchestrated pageant on Easter Sunday but rather a group of people whose life together is so radically different, so completely changed from the way the world builds a community, that there can be no explanation other than that something decisive has happened in history.”
Will Willimon
Most of us want to ‘fit in’. To be accepted, to be welcomed. To be ‘normal’. But, those kind of people don’t change history. Jesus has a different way.
What if we live such unconventional lives that people can’t help but notice?
Join us for a 5-week summer series about being unconventional people. The kind of people who change things.
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It's possible to know the truth without ever being changed by it. But the kind of knowledge Paul writes about in Titus isn't simply about learning more- it has the power to reshape the way we live.
In the opening of his letter, Paul introduces a hope that transforms the present, a God whose timing is always perfect, and a grace that comes before any demand is made of us. It's an unconventional way to begin… and perhaps that's exactly the point.
Bible passage: Titus 1:1-4
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Study Questions
Read Titus 1:1-4.
Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?
2. What do we learn about people?
3. What do we learn about relating to God?
4. What do we learn about relating to others?Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?
2. What does God want me to believe?
3. What does God want me to desire?
4. What does God want me to do? -
It's easy to separate our lives into compartments. We can be one person on a Sunday, another at work, and someone else entirely at home. But Paul paints a very different picture in Titus 1.
Before he says anything about influence or leadership, he begins with character. Before public ministry comes private integrity. In a culture where image often matters more than substance, Paul invites us to build lives that are held together by something deeper than appearances.
The most compelling witness we can offer isn't perfection, but a life of integrity - where our private lives and our public faith tell the same story.
Bible passage: Titus 1:5-16
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Study Questions
Read Titus 1:5-16
Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?
2. What do we learn about people?
3. What do we learn about relating to God?
4. What do we learn about relating to others?Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?
2. What does God want me to believe?
3. What does God want me to desire?
4. What does God want me to do? -
Most people won't experience the gospel first through a sermon or a debate. They'll experience it through the lives of those who follow Jesus.
In Titus 2, Paul paints a vision of ordinary Christians living in extraordinary ways - not through perfection, but through lives continually shaped by God's grace. It's a picture of faith that is authentic, attractive and deeply compelling.
When lives are shaped by grace, they make the gospel beautiful. We're not simply called to defend the good news, but to help people see how captivating it really is.
Bible passage: Titus 2:1-15
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Study Questions
Read Titus 2:1-15
Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?
2. What do we learn about people?
3. What do we learn about relating to God?
4. What do we learn about relating to others?Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?
2. What does God want me to believe?
3. What does God want me to desire?
4. What does God want me to do? -
It's easy to see the world as 'us' and 'them'. We can become frustrated by people who think differently, live differently, or reject what we believe. Paul offers a remarkably unconventional alternative.
In Titus 3, he reminds us where we all started - not with our achievements, but with God's mercy. Before we're called to do anything for God, we're invited to remember what he has done for us. That changes not only how we see ourselves, but how we see everyone else.
People who have been transformed by grace don't approach the world with superiority, but with humility. We can be gracious to everyone because we've never forgotten who we used to be.
Bible passage: Titus 3:1-11
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Study Questions
Read Titus 3:1-11
Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?
2. What do we learn about people?
3. What do we learn about relating to God?
4. What do we learn about relating to others?Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?
2. What does God want me to believe?
3. What does God want me to desire?
4. What does God want me to do? -
Some of the most important people in God's kingdom are the ones whose names we barely know. They quietly help, faithfully serve, generously give, and simply go wherever they're needed.
That's how Paul ends his letter to Titus. Not with a grand finale, but with ordinary people living extraordinary lives because of God's grace. It's a picture of a church where everyone has a part to play, whatever their age or stage of life.
The same grace that welcomes us into God's family is the grace that keeps us growing, serving, and joining in with his mission. Together, that's what makes the Church unstoppable.
Bible passage: Titus 3:12-15
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Study Questions
Read Titus 3:12-15
Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?
2. What do we learn about people?
3. What do we learn about relating to God?
4. What do we learn about relating to others?Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?
2. What does God want me to believe?
3. What does God want me to desire?
4. What does God want me to do?