Why are we doing this

Real and Good

“For God so loved the world…”

We believe that God came to Earth to show himself to the world he created. Jesus is not a super-hero or a side kick. He is God with skin on. Before God was seen, people worshiped their best guess at who he was. As the story goes, humanity worshiped “idols of wood and stone”. Prophets of the time accused the people of being unable to see or hear; they called the religious leaders arrogant and the gods they worshiped “dead”. Enter Jesus. The one who opened the ears of those who could not hear and the eyes of those who could not see. The humble God who washed feet, fed the masses, touched the unclean, and hung out with outcasts. Though Jesus allowed death to come over him, he showed the world that death could not end him — because he is God — whose very being exists as ongoing, never-ending life. All of this, so that the world could be assured that everything he did and said was real and good. In order that no one would ever again have to guess as to who God is or who He loves.

Transformation

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We are a transformational congregation which means that we intend on becoming people who have the love of God inside of us. This is not behavior modification, where we live our lives trying to be “good people”. This is about letting God get into us and do his work. In a paraphrase of Dallas Willard, ‘we need to stop trying to get into heaven and let God get heaven into us’.

Discipleship

“We love because he first loved us…”

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We believe wholehearted love the core of discipleship.

Fully Alive

“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Freedom and joy are accessible fruits of a life lived with God.