Faith & Culture Lake Ridge Bible Church

In this Book Nook mini series we dive into the great fantasy series by J.R.R. Tolkien. We are tackling it book by book so each episode will cover half a paperback volume. Journey with us through one of the greatest works of Christian imagination in a century that is all the more relevant today.

Book One covers Hobbiton to Rivendell and the guys focus on the themes of Simplicity, Home, Temptation, and Hospitality. What does Tolkien teach us with the hobbits? What does the Ring teach us about evil? Join us for the conversation.

"Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Thy Kingdom Come? What does that mean? What exactly are we praying for? And what exactly are we supposed to do about God's Kingdom on earth... here... now? How should I, as a Christian, relate to the culture around me? Retreat? Attack? Convert? Create? Avoid? Control? Redeem it? Condemn it? Welcome to "Kingdom Come".
In the final episode of this series, the guys discuss the possible options for influencing the culture as Christians. Secularism claims that faith should be kept out of the public square, while sacralism fuses church authority into civil authority. Pietism tells Christians to keep their faith private, but is there a way to remain influential without becoming tyrants ourselves? Is Christian Nationalism a viable approach to renewing our culture? What are the challenges to restoring a Christian conscience to society? Where would we start? Welcome to the conversation!

We discuss the academy award winning film A Man for All Seasons (1966) which depicts the heroic stand of Sir Thomas More against all the powers of England as King Henry VIII bends the church and state to his will. The silence and defiance of Sir Thomas paint a compelling picture of Christian conviction in a hostile culture. How can Christians be shrewd in their dealings with cultural traps? What is the role of law in defending conscience? How can Christians prepare to stand up for the truth? Watch this stirring film as a family and then join us for Reel Talk!

"Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Thy Kingdom Come? What does that mean? What exactly are we praying for? And what exactly are we supposed to do about God's Kingdom on earth... here... now? How should I, as a Christian, relate to the culture around me? Retreat? Attack? Convert? Create? Avoid? Control? Redeem it? Condemn it? Welcome to "Kingdom Come".

In the fourth episode of this series, the guys work to discover all the options on the other end of the spectrum in Christian responses to culture that can fall under the heading of being "of" culture. Each of these approaches will swirl around a basic understanding of Christianity being postively "for" or even rising "from" the culture around it. How does the image of God in all people influence culture? How are Christians combining the truth of Christianity with the trends of culture? How can Christians make a difference without becoming the same? Dive into these tricky issues with us. Welcome to the conversation!

We dive back into the pages of a book that matters in April, so this month pick up a copy of The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin Merkle. This exciting historical book reads like an adventure novel and breathes life into medieval England in the midst of the viking invasions. We follow the young prince Alfred as he becomes king and confronts the great pagan pillaging hordes ravaging his homeland. This book presents poignant lessons on Christian leadership, resistance, and character. What does Christian leadership look like in a crisis? How did our Christian ancestors deal with a world of godless violence while maintaining Christian convictions? Read along with us and then join us for The Book Nook!

"Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Thy Kingdom Come? What does that mean? What exactly are we praying for? And what exactly are we supposed to do about God's Kingdom on earth... here... now? How should I, as a Christian, relate to the culture around me? Retreat? Attack? Convert? Create? Avoid? Control? Redeem it? Condemn it? Welcome to "Kingdom Come".

In the third episode of this series, the guys work to discover all the options on one end of the spectrum in Christian responses to culture that can fall under the heading of being "against" culture. Each of these approaches will swirl around a basic understanding of Christianity being in conflict with a sinful culture. How should Christians deal with sin in a culture? What kind of cultures need to be opposed by Christians? How can Christianity make its objections most heard? How can Christianity have an influence without being compromised? Dive into these tricky issues with us. Welcome to the conversation!