Summary

In this sermon Pastor Todd continues to explore the principle of “community before commitment.” But in this second installment we explore in particular what he calls “relational equity” of two types, the first “qualitative” referring to the substance of particular relationships, and “quantitative” referring to the multiplication of relationships. Here it is suggested that it is this quantitative side that is normally overlooked by proponents of “friendship evangelism.” He then goes on to demonstrate the greater influence is exerted on a person ideas, world views, and tendency to change them by immersion into a new community of relationships. This is demonstrated both by the biblical missions we see in Acts and many modern sociological studies. The goal of mission and witness then is not conversion per se, but to bring community to people and bring people into community which will naturally bring about transformation and conversion as a result.

About the Speaker

Pastor Todd Murphy | Lead Pastor

Todd came to the faith at the age of 19 after growing up in the skateboarding indie-punk culture of the 80’s. He lives with his beautiful wife Christine and six healthy boys, Judah, Anson, Keegan, Aiden, Cailan, and Rowan in a suburb of Providence. Todd is an accomplished Bible teacher with an BA in Biblical studies and MA in Hebrew Bible studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has also taught biblical studies for the department of Philosophy and Religion at Western Kentucky University, and is the author of the Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew (InterVarsity Press, 2003). When not writing, preaching or teaching, he can often be found playing Xbox with his sons or surfing with Judah. Once in a while you might even still catch him skateboarding.