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New and Improved - Introduction

March 30, 2025 0 0

 

New And Improved

 

‘New and Improved’ is an ever-present slogan, a promise continually made to us from supermarket shelves, high street windows, and the banner ads we scroll past on our phones. 

‘This thing is like the old thing but better!’ 

It’s a potent combination. A recognisable brand gets a new lease of life and we get to satisfy two deep (and often conflicting) human longings — for familiarity and novelty. On the one hand we want what we know, and on the other hand we want to discover new things — to see what we could be missing out on.

While many things steadily improve over time, often of course these ‘New and improved’ slogans let us down. Perhaps the new thing isn’t especially new or improved, or it is new but is far from improved and in fact the new version is worse. And yet we keep coming back — so deep is the pull for what we know and what we don’t know, the promise of the best of both worlds.

‘Can I just have what I already know… but also have it be loads better?’ And Jesus look at us with love and says, “Yes.”

Because with Jesus, the loving Word at the heart of the universe, we can find — embedded in the old — the seeds of the new. God’s Kingdom is new and improved — it is ever expanding, growing, blossoming, flourishing. 

Those familiar stirrings and longings in our heart — for security, belonging, fulfilment, purpose — find new expression in God’s kingdom. The ‘New and improved’ promise of Christ is not a quick fix, or a sticker slapped over the same old thing. Rather it is Jesus coming alongside us and promising to lead us step by step into a new, richer, deeper life — in all its vivid tapestry of emotion. Jesus does not promise us an easy life but he does promise us love.

And this is not a bolt from the blue — Jesus finds us where we are and takes us from the old into the new. Jesus gives us what we all long for — being cherished. It’s what we already know… but it’s loads better.

Download the Discussion Questions as a PDF

These discussion questions adapt our monthly themes for small Connect Groups or personal Bible study. The questions are divided into 4 parts to correspond with the 4 weeks of the Daily Worship theme. They are offered as a guideline and there is no need to go through all the given questions in a single session, or in the following sequence. Feel free to pick and choose, or adapt to what interests you or your group.

 

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