A Path Home.
We believe that there is one God who is three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). We believe God is perfect (Matt. 5:48); perfectly good (Luke 18:19), compassionate, gracious, loving, just and complete in and of Himself (Ex. 34:5-7, Col. 2:9-10). We believe he created this world as an expression of His goodness, life, love and glory (Gen 1:31, Ps. 19:1-6). As part of that, He made man (that means men and women) in His image (Gen 1:16). That means a few things:
First, it means He made man different than anything else in creation (Gen 1:26). We were made spiritual beings that have the capacity to understand, hope and long for things greater than ourselves (John 4:24, Ps. 119:20, Job 32:8).
Being made in His image also means that we are spiritual being created to live in relationship and connection with Him (Ex. 20:1-11). It is there that we find our meaning, sense of purpose. It is there that we are loved and made alive (Col. 1:16, Gen 1:16-17).
As His image bearers, we were created to live in relationship with others. We see this modeled in God Himself and the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Relationships were created to be a good thing and meant to be a blessing to one another and the world around us (Gen. 2:18, John 17:21-23, Gen 12:2-3).
Finally (but not exhaustively), being made in God’s image means that we were created to create (Gen. 1:28-30). He made us to use our gifts and resources to partner with Him to build a world that reflects who He is and what He values (Ex. 20:1-17). This isn’t a call to be something we are not. It is a call to be human; to create culture, cuisine, businesses, art, music, families and everything else. We are to do it in such a way that it testifies to the God of goodness, life, love and glory (Col 3:17, Rev. 21:24-26).
As beautiful as this is, we also believe that long ago man (again, that means men and women) rejected God’s design for them. We turned to our own knowledge of good and evil to create their own sense of purpose, life and meaning. We asked created things to be for us and do for us what only God could be and do. This was the birth of sin and the result was tragic. It not only severed our connection with God, it brought spiritual death, isolation and twisted man’s sense of purpose in the world. It also infected the way men and women related to one another (Gen. 3:1-24, Rom. 1:25).
Sadly, this is the broken spiritual DNA that was passed down to all of us (1 Cor. 15:21-22). As a result, we are all left with incomplete hearts that cry out for something…anything…to lead us back home (Ps. 84:2).
But, God loves us and He was not and is not content to leave us. So, he made a path home to Him in Jesus (John 3:16).
We believe that this is a path we cannot, nor were we meant to walk in our own strength, goodness or ability (Rom. 7:14-25). In His love for us, Jesus came to walk this path perfectly and die on the cross for our sins so He could raise us to new life through His resurrection and Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 5:21, Rom 4:25, Rom. 6:8-11).
We believe this is a path we cannot walk alone (Prov. 3:5-6). For this reason, Jesus gave us His Spirit (Acts 2:1-4, John 14:26). It is by that Spirit that we are made new creations; holy and blameless, once and for all (Eph. 1:7, 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 Cor. 1:30, Heb. 10:8-10). It is this same Holy Spirit that moves with, in and through us on this path to give us life, understanding of His Word, hope, healing and change (Gal. 2:20, Phil. 2:13).
We believe as Christians that this is not a path where we pursue God or where He pursues us. It is where we are caught by Him and He never lets us go (John 10:28-30). This is a path where the needy, broken, shame-filled and rejected are called precious sons and daughters (Rom. 8:16, Gal 4:6). It is where the truth and grace of the living God come together to wind through our darkest nights and brightest mornings (John 1:17, Phil. 4:11-13). This path simultaneously offers us a journey we must go on and rest from the journey on which we have been (Ps. 119:105, Mat. 11:28).
We believe this path home was written about perfectly in the scriptures and it is through them alone that we know the truth, grace, love and call of Christ (1 Tim. 3:16, Matthew 4:4, John 16:13-16). This is a path that no eye has seen except by the light of the Holy Spirit and no foot has touched except by the gift of faith (John 14:17, 2 Cor. 5:7, Eph. 2:8). It is the path where God reveals His glory and it leads us home…because we were all made for His glory (Is. 43:7).
We believe that one day Christ will return and the tear wiping hand of God will descend to make all things new (Rev. 21:1-4). Until then we walk this path together. Because of God’s Grace. With Christ. By His Spirit. Through faith. Alongside one another. Amen.