Living in the Future Tense

• Check Your Map: Our true citizenship is in heaven; we are merely ambassadors on a temporary assignment here.
• Check Your Models: Everyone follows someone; ensure your “patterns” for life are people who strictly follow Christ and Scripture.
• Check Your Appetite: “Enemies of the cross” are defined by letting earthly desires and personal cravings become their god.
• Check Your Hope: Living in the “future tense” means eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus, who will transform our temporary suffering into eternal glory.

Icebreaker:

If you could have a “dual citizenship” with any other country in the world, which would you choose and why?

Section 1: Follow the Right Examples

Scripture: Philippians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Romans 2:23-24

• Summary: Paul encourages believers to find godly patterns of living by following those who imitate Christ. Because everyone follows someone, we must carefully measure our influences—leaders, celebrities, and friends—against the truth of Scripture rather than charisma or popularity.
• Discussion Questions:
  1. Why do you think Paul felt confident enough to tell others to “follow my example”?
  2. Research shows that 88% of people trust recommendations from people they know. How does this personal influence affect our spiritual growth?
  3. How can a leader be “religious” but still “spiritually dangerous”?
• Application Questions:

• 1. Who are the primary “models” you are currently following in your daily life? Do they lead you closer to Christ?
  2. How can you practically “measure” a leader’s life by Scripture this week?

Section 2: Beware of the Enemies of the Cross

Scripture: Philippians 3:18-19, Acts 15:1, Romans 6:23, 2 Timothy 3:4, Isaiah 5:20, 1 John 2:15

• Summary: Paul warns, even with tears, about those who live as enemies of the cross. These individuals are characterized by earthly devotion: their “god” is their own desire, they celebrate shameful things, and their minds are set entirely on temporary, worldly concerns.
• Discussion Questions:
  1. What does it mean for someone’s “god” to be their “belly” or “stomach”?
  2. How do we see the “upside down” world—where evil is called good—manifesting in our culture today?
  3. Why is “legalism” (adding rules to salvation) considered an enemy of the cross?
• Application Questions:

• 1. Are there “earthly things” or desires currently sitting on the throne of your heart where God belongs?
  2. How can you better identify and “run” from influences that celebrate what Scripture deplores?

Section 3: Remember Your Heavenly Citizenship

Scripture: Philippians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 21:27, Matthew 12:34, Colossians 3:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:20

• Summary: Believers are compared to citizens of a “better country” serving a temporary assignment on earth. Just as the residents of Pripyat lived unaware of invisible radiation, we often live unaware of the “silent killer” of sin; we must instead embrace our identity as new creations with heavenly priorities.
• Discussion Questions:
  1. How does the story of George Washington resigning his power illustrate the difference between an “assignment” and a “possession”?
  2. What are the four characteristics of a heavenly citizen mentioned in the text (Records, Language, Laws, Cause)?
  3. How should “heaven’s language” differ from the language of the world?
• Application Questions:

• 1. In what area of your life are you acting more like a “settler of earth” than a “citizen of heaven”?
  2. As an “ambassador for Christ,” what specific “message” is your life currently preaching to your neighbors or coworkers?

Section 4: Look for the Coming Savior

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21, Titus 2:13

• Summary: The ultimate hope for the Christian is the return of Jesus Christ. He will transform our lowly, pain-filled bodies into glorious ones like His own. This “future tense” perspective allows us to live faithfully in the present while eagerly awaiting our true home.
• Discussion Questions:
  1. How does “eagerly waiting” for Jesus change how you view current trials or physical suffering?
  2. Why is the return of Christ described as the “blessed hope”?
• Application Questions:

• 1. If you truly believed Jesus might return today, what would you change about your schedule or your attitude?
  2. Who in your life needs to hear the invitation to become a “citizen of heaven” before that day arrives?

Day 1: The Ultimate Assignment

• Scripture: Philippians 3:20
• Key Focus: Recognizing our temporary status on earth.
• Reflection: George Washington saw his power as a trust, not a throne. We often treat our earthly lives as permanent, but we are actually on a temporary assignment from a different Kingdom.
• Application Question: What am I holding onto today as a “possession” that I should be viewing as a “temporary assignment”?
• Prayer: Lord, help me to serve faithfully where You have placed me, but keep my heart anchored in my true home with You.

Day 2: Patterning After Christ

• Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1
• Key Focus: Choosing the right models to follow.
• Reflection: We are all shaped by the voices we listen to and the people we admire. We must ensure those we imitate are themselves imitating Christ.
• Application Question: Is there someone I am following—online or in person—who is subtly leading me away from God’s truth?
• Prayer: Father, grant me discernment to choose mentors and examples who reflect Your holiness and humility.

Day 3: Killing the Silent Killer

• Scripture: Colossians 3:2
• Key Focus: Guarding against the influence of sin.
• Reflection: Like the invisible radiation in Pripyat, sin can quietly invade our lives while we pretend everything is normal. We must be killing sin, or sin will be killing us.
• Application Question: What “silent” sin have I been tolerating lately because it seems culturally acceptable?
• Prayer: Holy Spirit, convict me of the sins I’ve tried to ignore and help me to set my mind on things above.

Day 4: The Language of Heaven

• Scripture: Matthew 12:34
• Key Focus: Reflecting our citizenship through our speech.
• Reflection: Citizens of earth speak in complaints, gossip, and pride. As ambassadors of heaven, our words should be seasoned with grace, truth, and hope.
• Application Question: If someone only heard my conversations today, what “country” would they think I belong to?
• Prayer: Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.

Day 5: A Glorious Transformation

• Scripture: Philippians 3:21
• Key Focus: The hope of Christ’s return.
• Reflection: This world is not our home, and our physical aches and pains are temporary. Christ is coming to transform our lowly bodies into something glorious.
• Application Question: How does the promise of a “glorious body” give me strength to endure my current hardships?
• Prayer: Jesus, come quickly! Thank You for the hope of eternity and the promise that You will make all things new.