25-0727p - Detailed Summary

Scott introduces the Engagement Project, a 10-week small group series created by Dr. Del Tackett, known for programs like The Truth Project and Is Genesis History. Described as a transformative journey, the project addresses the chaos and disconnection in today’s world, where cultural shifts challenge Christian faith. It aims to provide deeper meaning and practical ways for believers to live out their beliefs by engaging the world with purpose and love. The series is framed as a quest to understand God’s sacrificial love, described as the “crown jewel” of His nature, and to awaken the church to its role in God’s narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and engagement. The program includes 50-minute video lessons combining teaching, storytelling, and visuals to make biblical concepts accessible. It fosters interactive community engagement through discussion, prayer, and practical application, contrasting with the less interactive Truth Project. Scott highlights two key questions: why Jesus left after His resurrection and what God’s ultimate goal is for humanity. The project emphasizes fruitfulness, relational abundance, and neighborly love (James 2:8), urging Christians to counter cultural isolation with sacrificial love. With 80 million believers in the U.S., Scott notes the potential for a revolutionary ripple effect if each engages three to four neighbors with grace, wisdom, and truth. The series progresses through God’s story, challenging complacency and urging believers to push against the “false river of death” toward life.

This section introduces the first tour of the Engagement Project, titled “A Land of Nought,” which sets the tone by depicting the current cultural landscape as a spiritually barren place lacking moral absolutes. Dr. Tackett describes it as a “land of no oughts,” where society rejects biblical moral imperatives while imposing its own, such as preferred pronouns. Hope is scarce, yet a remnant of faithful believers persists, reminiscent of Israel in exile (Isaiah 61:3, Romans 11:5). The tour challenges participants to recognize this spiritual desolation and commit to gazing upon God’s face, even if uncomfortable, through a metaphorical “waiver.” The key theme is the erosion of biblical truth in society, with a call for a faithful remnant to rise and act. This introductory tour serves as a rallying cry, preparing participants for a deeper exploration of hope and action, positioning the Engagement Project as a map for personal and cultural renewal.

In Tour One, Dr. Tackett explores God’s original design in creation as the foundation for His ultimate purpose. He addresses why Jesus left and what God’s end game is, using the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19) to illustrate that humanity is created to bear fruit for God, not to live selfishly or merely appear virtuous. Creation is described as inherently relational, designed to flourish physically, vocationally, and ministerially, with God as the source of life (John 10:10, Genesis 1:28). Tackett uses the Dead Sea as a metaphor for stagnation, warning against Satan’s tactics of skepticism, selfishness, and insignificance that hinder fruitfulness. The tour encourages believers to shift from a self-centered faith to one that shines God’s light, producing fruit that glorifies Him (John 15:8). The takeaway is a call to embrace God’s relational design and actively pursue fruitfulness in all aspects of life.

Tour Two examines the cosmic battle initiated by the fall, where creation, once oriented toward life, now groans under decay (Romans 8:20-23). Dr. Tackett describes the fall as creating a “river of death” that pulls humanity toward destruction, with Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44), using isolation, self-focus, and dependency to undermine God’s design for fruitfulness. He references Jesus’ warning in Matthew 12:30 that neutrality is impossible—one is either with God or against Him. The parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20) illustrates the battle between truth and lies, life and death. The tour probes feelings of frustration and loneliness in a hyper-connected yet isolated world, urging believers to recognize Satan’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11) and actively push against the current of decay to pursue God’s life-giving purpose. The takeaway is a call to redirect efforts toward bearing fruit in alignment with God’s design, despite the pull of a fallen world.

Tour Three focuses on redemption as the revelation of God’s love, described as the “crown jewel” of His nature (1 John 4:8). Dr. Tackett highlights God’s choice to redeem rather than destroy humanity after the fall, citing the proto-evangelium in Genesis 3:15 as the first promise of salvation. God’s agape love, intertwined with truth, is defined as sacrificial zeal for another’s shalom (peace and well-being), exemplified by His steadfast love (chesed, Psalm 136) and Jesus’ sacrifice (John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8). The tour emphasizes that love and truth are inseparable, and failing to love or know God results in abiding in death (1 John 3:14). Romans 8:31-39 reinforces that nothing can separate believers from God’s love. The takeaway encourages participants to embrace God’s steadfast, sacrificial love and let it fuel their response to His redemptive plan, actively living out this love in their mission.

Tour Four shifts to action, addressing why Jesus left and what He tasked believers with, encapsulated in the “royal law” of loving one’s neighbor as oneself (James 2:8, Genesis 5:14). Dr. Tackett emphasizes that this love extends to literal neighbors—those physically nearby—and that kingdom work is primarily entrusted to ordinary Christian families through building relationships. He debunks abstract notions of love (e.g., loving “humanity” in general, per C.S. Lewis) and uses the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) as a model for addressing spiritual needs. With 80 million Christians in the U.S., engaging three to four neighbors each could transform nations. The takeaway urges believers to reject excuses, pray for a vision to love neighbors sacrificially, and actively work to “turn the world right side up” through relational engagement.

Tour Five envisions Christian families committed to their neighbors’ shalom through genuine relationships marked by prayer, kindness, and hospitality (Acts 17:26). Dr. Tackett calls for breaking down barriers like busyness and embodying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to be “winsome” and attractive in faith. Believers are positioned as people of hope (1 Peter 3:15), and deep relational bonds allow neighbors to see Christ’s transformative difference. Tackett stresses that God providentially places believers where they are, often as the only Christian some neighbors know. The takeaway is to build significant, not shallow, relationships, practice grace (Colossians 4:5-6), and seize God-given opportunities to engage neighbors with love and hope.

Tour Six emphasizes wisdom (Hebrew: banah) as essential for tailored engagement with neighbors, seeking their shalom through discernment (James 1:5, 2 Chronicles 1:7-12). Dr. Tackett highlights the importance of seasoned, active listening in speech (Ephesians 5:15-16) and viewing the heart as the source of beliefs and actions (Proverbs 23:7). Life events are framed as opportunities within God’s metanarrative, not obstacles. Engaging family members can be particularly challenging (Mark 6:4), but believers are called to be God’s “seed line” for flourishing (Hebrews 2:10). The takeaway encourages asking for wisdom to benefit others, viewing life through spiritual lenses, and committing to prayerful, wise engagement with neighbors to foster their well-being.

Tour Seven builds on grace and wisdom by focusing on sharing biblical truth in relationships, doing so winsomely rather than confrontationally (Ephesians 4:15). Dr. Tackett stresses the importance of discerning when to speak truth in love, using a neighborly apologetics style to address lies that bind people (2 Timothy 2:24-26). The tour explores how to share faith naturally, equipping believers to gently restore truth in a way that completes the triad of grace, wisdom, and truth. The takeaway is a call to prepare oneself to share biblical reality appealingly, countering falsehoods with love and fulfilling the mission to engage others with God’s truth in a transformative way.

In Tour Eight, Dr. Tackett reflects on the theme of redemption, focusing on Jesus’ sacrificial love as exemplified in His anguish in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) and His cry of separation from God on the cross (Matthew 27:46). This sacrifice, driven by agape chesed (steadfast, sacrificial love), went beyond physical suffering to bear the penalty of humanity’s sin, demonstrating the profound cost of God’s love (1 John 4:10). Tackett emphasizes that the scars of Christ’s sacrifice remain as a reminder of this love’s depth. He identifies barriers such as selfishness or undervaluing Christ’s love that can hinder believers from engaging with their neighbors. The takeaway is a call to deeply grasp the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice, allowing it to propel believers toward sacrificial love for others, as inspired by Ephesians 3:17-19, which prays for believers to be rooted in love and to comprehend its vastness.

Tour Nine culminates the Engagement Project by focusing on community and perseverance, likening believers to a “band of brothers” united in their mission (Hebrews 10:24-25). Dr. Tackett stresses the importance of mutual encouragement, accountability, and sustained engagement through fellowship, which keeps the vision alive and commissions believers for action. The tour underscores that believers are not alone in their mission, urging them to join the faithful remnant to collectively advance God’s kingdom. The conclusion of the series is presented as a transformative call to action, equipping believers with an understanding of creation’s endgame, the fall’s battle, redemptive love, and the royal task of engagement. Tackett envisions the potential impact: transformed lives, restored communities, and a church vibrant with purpose. Scott closes by announcing that the Engagement Project will begin the following Wednesday, framing the series not merely as a study but as a catalyst for active engagement and cultural renewal.