By Stu Borders

What do we believe?

Though sin remains a reality, as we are led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord and endeavor to keep His commands.

 Why do we believe this?

1 John 2:3-6 – And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

 Why does it matter?

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”  We’ve probably all heard this before.  Scripture tells us that it is similar for the Christian life.

The way we live our lives reflects what we believe.  When we believe in Christ, he makes us into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and while our life is physically the same, it should look different as God acts in and through us.  What is great in this passage is that while we have a responsibility to learn God’s commandments, it is His spirit that empowers and enables us to keep them.  One of the ways we abide in Him is through learning His heart in the Bible and obeying it.

Unfortunately, there are many around us who would say they “know God” but that have never looked at His commandments nor do they seek to live a life abiding in Him.  They decide what a “right life” looks like and His truth is not in them.  We have to always seek to know God more and allow Him to shape our lives through His word by the power of His Spirit.

How will you make sure you are learning God’s commandments in order to walk as He walked?

By Matt Haste

What do we believe?

We believe the Holy Spirit is the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ.

Why do we believe this?

Romans 12:1-2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Why does it matter?

Christianity is more than a set of doctrines to believe. It is a life to be lived for the glory of God. The Christian life is a process of being transformed from our old way of doing things to our new life patterned after Jesus. This process of transformation is called “sanctification” and today we will look at how it happens.

Romans 12:2 is an interesting command. “Be transformed.” In this verse, we are specifically told to do something but the action is given in the form of a passive verb. This means that we are not so much told to do something as we are told to receive something. Someone else is going to do the doing. Why is this significant?

The “someone else” implied in Romans 12:2 is the Holy Spirit. He is the active agent in our sanctification. He does the work of making us more like Jesus. So, spiritual growth is always a result of the work of God. However, Romans 12:2 is still a command. We are called to “be transformed” by presenting ourselves to God as a “living sacrifice” so that He can do the work of renewing our minds and transforming us to the image of His Son.

What do you think this looks like in your daily life?

By Stu Borders

What do we believe?

We believe in the resurrection of the body and the final judgment where the redeemed will dwell forever in the presence of the Lord and the unredeemed will spend eternity in Hell.

Why do we believe this?

Revelation 21:1-8 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Why does it matter?

Unfortunately, we have all cried at some point and many of us have felt deep sorrow in our lives.  This passage is a reminder of what God desires for each of us.  We are reminded that each day we live, we live in a place that is affected by sin.

The effect of sin does not end in our relationships; our planet moans to be returned to way it was created.  John recounts his vision of our planet being renewed and restored by God.  It is a beautiful sight as he describes it as “the bride adorned for her husband.”  The most beautiful part of this whole description is that God is able to dwell again with His creation because sin and its consequences are no more.  God tells us that He is making all things new!

Unfortunately, there is another side to this event.  For those who have not been adopted as children of God through His gift of the “water of life,” there is a much worse outcome.  John tells us that their portion is the second death, which is eternity in the lake of fire and sulfur, separated from God.

How does this truth change your perspective on today?  Who does not know about the “water of life”?

By Dan Edmonson

What do we believe?

We believe in the resurrection of the body and the final judgment where the redeemed will dwell forever in the presence of the Lord and the unredeemed will spend eternity in Hell.

Why do we believe this?

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

 Why does it matter?

Repeatedly in Scripture we are told of another life, another body, and another way of living. As we study through the Scriptures, we find its truth to proclaim a resurrection of all and a final judgment of all. Some people struggle with this, but we must remember that we serve a Holy God who is also absolutely just.

Our justice system today is so convoluted that we now have a much distorted view of what true and absolute justice looks like. This causes confusion for many. God, however, has not changed. He is still absolutely just. At some point, He will judge every single one of us who has ever lived and in that process He will separate the sheep from the wolves. He will separate those who accepted Christ and those who refused to accept Christ. He has also given each of us believers a great motivational tool to share the Good News. Those who do not accept Christ will go to an eternal Hell. Wow. Pray today that God gives you words, power, and wisdom to share the Good News to others that He places in your circle. Pray you will clearly see those opportunities and that your way of living may also speak into the lives of others. Pray God use me for your glory!

By Matt Haste

What do we believe?

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His glorious kingdom.

Why do we believe this?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Why does it matter?

One of the most amazing aspects of Christianity is that the story is not yet finished. As Christians today, we live in an era that many have labeled as being “between the times.” We are between the time when Jesus first came to the earth to bring salvation and the time when He will return to establish His glorious kingdom. These two incredible events ought to shape our existence.

Because Jesus has come, we can know God. We have access to the Father through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. All of our lives ought to reflect the reality that Jesus has indeed come.

However, that is not the end of the story. We worship a Savior who has not simply come but is also coming again. Jesus has promised that He will return and, when He does, He will establish His kingdom forever. 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us some of the details of what this moment will be like. While it can be tempting to speculate on all of the various questions surrounding the return of Jesus, it is wise to take note that this passage has only one command in it: “Encourage one another with these words” (v18).

Be encouraged today! Your Savior is coming soon!

By Will Burnham

What do we believe?

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His glorious kingdom.

Why do we believe this?

Matthew 16:27 – For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

 Why does it matter?

As a follower of Jesus this should bring us great joy! Perhaps our greatest joy is in knowing that our God reigns! He will bring to completion that which He promised from the beginning! This will be the greatest day in all of Christendom…the glory of God and the triumph of Jesus will be made known to all the earth!

This also is a reminder to those who have rejected the Truth that their decision now becomes a reality. This also is a reminder to the faithful follower of Jesus that our work for the Kingdom of God will be rewarded. We will be repaid for our efforts in advancing the Truth. What a glorious day this will be for the follower of God! The final fruition of God’s promises to His people for everlasting life with Him in Heaven! “Oh happy day!” Until that day we must persevere in our faith and boldly walk with the Spirit. If you imagine this day and immediately think of family, friends, and the comforts of this life which will be left behind… you need to repent. We should long for this day as believers! The glorious kingdom of God has been established and you are a citizen!

Be in prayer today as Pastor Jason continues the Renew Your Belief Series.  May the Lord work through the Pastor to impact our lives with the understanding of His word.

Please lift these requests up to the Lord, they are from our prayer cards from Sunday:

Kim is struggling with her finances.  She needs divine guidance.  Also needs direction dealing with her elderly father.

Cheryl’s cancer has come back and spread.

Praise the Lord, Tommy is recovering from car accident.

Cindy has cancer in her leg and it has spread to her lungs.

Frances recovering from triple by-pass surgery.

Carmen and Scott are expecting number 2.  Pray that the child comes when she is ready and is healthy.

Tom and Jennifer struggling with marriage issues

Salvation: Drew, Joe, Owen, Hanna, Walker, Kristen, and Kyle

Very serious eye surgery coming up for Farrell.

Praise the Lord for a successful surgery for Rebecca.

Craig is seeking a job.

By  Jon Farmer

What do we believe? 

That the Lord’s Supper is to be observed as a remembrance on a regular basis until Jesus returns.

Why do we believe this?
Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Why does it matter?
“Hey dad? Are they gonna have snack today in big church?”

My son asked me this question when he first starting sitting in services with my wife and I. He had heard us talk about the Lord’s Supper but, at four years old, didn’t have a full grasp of what it meant. I remember when I was young, I asked my dad a similar question. I knew we ate bread and drank juice during church, but I wanted to have a mini version of that experience with a loaf of sandwich bread and a big glass of grape juice at our kitchen table.

My dad explained to me the same thing that I told my son. He said “We don’t have communion at church because we’re hungry or thirsty for food. We have it to remember that we hunger and thirst for Jesus.”

That hunger has always stayed with me. Each time that we gather for the Lord’s Supper, I am reminded through the bread that without the breaking of Jesus’ body, I would hunger for God forever. I realize as I drink the juice that without the shedding of His blood, I would be like the rich man in Luke 16, thirsting for His presence for eternity.

When Jesus returns, we will hunger and thirst no more. Until then, may we always be reminded of His great sacrifice through the Lord’s Supper.

By Matt Haste

What do we believe?

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is given to believers to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and to anticipate His glorious return.

Why do we believe this?

1 Corinthians 10:16-22 – The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Why does it matter?

Our church celebrates the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis because it is one of the primary means that God has given to us to commemorate the death of Christ and consider its implications for our life. 1 Corinthians 10 reminds us that what we celebrate reveals our allegiance.

In first-century Corinth, the church was surrounded by pagans who made food offerings to their false gods. Because these gods were mere idols, the food was unconsumed and the leftovers were routinely eaten afterwards. Paul’s point in this passage is that Christians ought not to eat this food because those who do are “participants with demons” (v20). He is not so much saying that “you are what you eat” but rather, “you become what you celebrate.” Paul’s concern was that eating food offered to idols during pagan celebrations would confuse Christians and muddy their allegiance. To put it another way, he didn’t want the church to waste its celebration on anything less than Jesus.

When we take the Lord’s Supper, we celebrate his death and declare our allegiance to His glory. This passage reminds us that we must be careful what we celebrate in life. Do you think of the Lord’s Supper as a celebration of what Jesus has done? Are there other things you celebrate more than your salvation?