As we go into 2012, we are once again renewing our covenant with God and one another in service. Our Sermon Series/Small Group material will be around "The State of the Church". We will be looking at the essentials of our faith, my non-negotiables.
Our series will look at the proverbial hills I am willing to die on for the sake of Christ. John Welsey said," On the essentials, unity; on the non-essentials, liberty; and in all things charity(love)." Amen!
Those core essentials are basically divided among six core principles which I believe we need to keep before us as we navigate life together. They are:
The Lordship Principle: Jesus Christ is LORD! PERIOD! Not you. Not me.
The Biblical Principle: The Bible is our "basic instructions before leaving earth" - it is our plumb-line. We study and learn the Word in our small groups and personal studies.
The Priesthood Principle: We, as believers, are the Body of Christ and called to serve Him and others as we live into our passions and gifts.
The Covenant Principle: We belong to Him and to one another; membership matters!! As do our functional structures.
The Liturgical Principle: We worship in Spirit and in Truth; form is really immaterial. We strive to have inspiring worship services for believers and those far from God who are seeking Him. We make the Gospel relevant and powerful as we reach out to those far from God and show them Jesus in the way we worship and love Him.
The Leadership Principle: Leaders lead diligently. God calls some to be preachers, apostles, leaders and they are the ones who are called by Him to lead His church. We empower our leaders to work together led by the Spirit to lead us in the ways we are to go and mature as a Body.
It is my hope and prayer for all of us that we will grow deeper in our faith over this next year! I am excited to see what God has laid out for us!
I am so honored to be on this journey with each of you!
