This document outlines a 5-session adult Sunday school class on Christian stewardship. Session 2 focuses on the environment and humanity's responsibility as stewards of God's creation. It will discuss developing an environmental ethic based on Scripture and consider issues like climate change and caring for vulnerable humans and future generations. The session includes Bible passages on dominion over nature, a video, and discussion questions to help participants think critically about these topics from a biblical perspective.

1. EFFECTIVE
STEWARDSHIP
Five Sessions
DOING WHAT MATTERS MOST
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL 2018

2. Class Description & Outline
Christian Stewardship is about more than the
money we drop into the collection plate—
stewardship is everything we do after we say we
believe. In Effective Stewardship, you will learn
how to think critically and biblically about the
areas of responsibility that have been entrusted
to you by God.
1. Session One: Our Talents and Skills
2. Session Two: The Environment
3. Session Three: Loving Our Neighbor
4. Session Four: Church and Family
5. Session Five: Finances and Giving
Session
Two
2

3. The Environment
A proper, biblical understanding of resources and of
humanity’s relationship to nature, providing the
basis for an environmental ethic of stewardship
 Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God
said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the
earth and subdue it and have dominion over the
fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens
and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.”
 Psalm 8:5-6 Yet you have made [man] a little
lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him
with glory and honor. You have given him
dominion over the works of your hands; you have
put all things under his feet.
Session
Two
3

4. Key Issue
Creation is not ours to use and abuse as we wish.
Rather, we are stewards of God’s creation.
 In one generation the environmental
movement has evolved from (1) mainly concern
for clean air, water, and no litter to (2) treating
nature as divine and humanity as a negative
parasite on the earth
 Responsible care for the environment must
place a high priority on the most vulnerable
humans
 Care for the environment must be holistic:
addressing long-term effects on natural
resources and the needs of people. Sacrificing
the poor is not good stewardship.
Session
Two
4

5. Key Quotes
 Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man
and put him in the garden of Eden to work it
and keep it.
 “If we do anything drastic, we will be affecting
and killing people, starving people to death or
causing disease in this next year or the year
after that because…it’s the people at the
bottom of the economic pyramid who have no
flexibility. They have no margin.” ~ Don
Hodel, former US Secretary of the Interior
Session
Two
5

6. Video Highlights
 “The earth is the Lord’s,” not “the
earth is the Lord”
 Good intentions do not guarantee
good results
 Four questions about global warming
 CO2 caps and the poor
 Humans are more than mouths
Session
Two
6

7. Video: The Environment
Session
Two
7

8. Video Discussion
1. Sometimes Christians are accused of not caring
about the environment because they believe this
world will one day be judged and destroyed,
when Jesus returns. How would you answer if
you were accused?
2. Let’s face it: global warming (climate change)
studies and policies are intensely controversial.
How can we engage in a healthy, productive
dialogue on this matter when disagreements
arise among fellow Christians?
 Are human beings causing it?
 On the whole, is the warming bad?
 Would any of the policies advocated make a
difference?
Session
Two
8

9. Bible Exploration
Read together Genesis 1:26-28; 3:17-19; and Psalm 8
1. Is the Bible the cause of environmental problems
(Gen 1:28)? What does Gen 1:26-28 actually teach
about humans and their responsibility toward
creation? What might this look like, practically?
2. According to Ps 8, what is David’s response as he
considers our stewardship of God’s creation? How
should this inform our own response?
3. In Gen 3:17-19, the ground is cursed because of man’s
sin, suggesting that our sin has a direct impact on the
earth. Good environmental solutions will address
this root problem. How does this understanding of
the source of environmental problems help us in
developing solutions? What factors need to be
considered?
Session
Two
9

10. Living the Truth
1. Effective stewardship of the environment begins
in our homes and neighborhoods. What are you
doing to personally exercise good stewardship
over God’s creation? Discuss ways that
Christians can model thoughtful and responsible
action in this area.
2. Stewardship of the environment has implications
for various public policy issues related to
population and poverty, food, energy, water, and
care for animals, including endangered species.
Are there any environmental issues that are of
particular interest or concern to you? If so, what
have you done to get involved?
Session
Two
10

11. Final Thought
“What is good health? God’s Word uses the
word shalom to mean peace, wholeness,
soundness, well-being and good health. In the
Old testament, shalom is used when there is
harmony between people and between people
and things. To be in harmony means to live in
peace with someone or something. To be in
good health, a person must live in harmony. But
with whom must we live in harmony? First God,
then oneself, then others, then nature.”
~ Stan Rowland
Session
Two
11

12. Next Session:
Loving Our Neighbor
Session
Two
12