Mortality

Worship Folder

Outline

Hook: What does it mean to be “on the clock?”

I. DENIAL
“To live a whole lifetime with the fate of death haunting one’s dreams and even the most sun-filled days - that’s the human condition.” - Ernest Becker

II. LIVING BACKWARDS
“Death concentrates the mind wonderfully…” - Samuel Johnson

III. THE INTRUDER’S SHADOW
“Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard comes for us all.” - Ben Sasse

Takeaway: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances…”

Resources

• David Gibson, Living Life Backward
• Tim Keller, On Death
• L.S. Dugsdale, The Lost Art of Dying
• Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

Discussion Questions

1. Do you functionally live as if you are “on the clock”? How often do you think about your mortality?
2. How have you been influenced by the culture in its persistent denial of death’s reality? How do you get swept up into living as if you aren’t dying?
3. What are some practical ways you can build more habits of acknowledging God’s gifts and lessen habits of grasping for more and more gains?