DECLARING & DELIGHTING
IN THE BEAUTIES OF JESUS
There are a few "ingredients" that will always be present in growing Christians- here are four that we will continually call you to pursue.
WORSHIP
INTIMACY WITH GOD | GRATITUDE | WONDER
It's amazing how many Christians miss the most central motivating factor of Christian living.
It's the why behind the what — the reason for everything, everywhere, never-ceasing, never-ending: God's glory, His love, His worth. We are being invited into a life of wonder — not religion. Jesus didn't come to give a new law; he came to give a new way, a totally different motivation for living. We believe God has already acted. He has come. He has rescued. He has redeemed through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son. All creation praises Him! As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." Worship is not which church we go to or how we spend one hour on a Sunday morning but is expressed by what our hearts truly delight in, how we talk to each other, our work ethic, our thought life lives.
We believe worship has more to do with the life we actually live on a daily basis, and we will continually call you to delight in God — who He is, what He's done. It is only when we see him clearly, seated high above every power and authority, above every pleasure and joy, above every sin and shortcoming, that we begin to truly worship.
KINGDOM MISSION
OUTFLOW | INFLUENCE | EMPOWERED SERVICE
We believe we should be on mission because Jesus was on mission. We take an exit ramp away from Jesus when we turn our Christian life inward –– to be only about us and our family, our wants, our preferences. Jesus' way was one of selfless living; therefore, the call is to leverage our lives and resources for something greater than ourselves. Our conviction is no matter how insignificant you may think your life is, YOU HAVE INFLUENCE — in your family, in your workplace, amongst your friends. What we do with that influence may be the most revealing thing about our hearts.
More than that, we believe that everybody gets to play in the Kingdom because it's not about our strength or talents — but because God fills us with His Kingdom power. In the book of Acts, Luke (its author) wants you to see a clear connection between the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of His disciples after Him. We see His disciples doing the exact same work Jesus was doing in the exact same power.
You may be tempted to believe that your life doesn't matter, but that's a bold-faced lie.
Our culture would tell us we are here to be served — Christ came to serve us and show us that true life is on the other side of selfless living. Therefore, gospel-centered, Holy Spirit-empowered service to others is a necessary ingredient for spiritual growth.
FORMATION
INFLOW | CHARACTER | HABITS | DISCIPLESHIP
We believe that we are transformed not by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps but by beholding Jesus. When the eyes of our hearts are opened to His revelation, supernaturally motivated change ensues. So the reality is formation is happening everyday— my habits/ my culture/ what I give my attention to — is all forming me into something. The question is, “What am I being formed into?”
The expectation we have for everyone around here is that we are intentionally putting ourselves in places where Jesus can transform us to reflect his glory in an increasing accuracy. If you’ve been here one year and you don’t look anymore like Jesus than when you started, something is wrong. Our expectation is that you take an active (instead of passive) role in the miraculous process of your own formation. Character does not happen on accident — we play a part in this thing.
COMMUNITY
ENCOURAGEMENT | ACCOUNTABILITY
You will not live out your Christian faith in a vacuum. The monastic impulse to live a life wholly secluded and separated from others does not accurately reflect the heart of God. Our faith (or lack thereof) will ALWAYS be revealed, not by some statement of faith or declaration of intentions, but by how we interact with others on a daily basis. Not only does community reveal things in us that we would not otherwise see, it’s through people — everyday, simple people — that God intends to speak to us, to encourage us, to rebuke us when needed, and to extend His Kingdom power of love and forgiveness.
Life's better together.
Ephesians 2:22 “In him we are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron so does one person sharpen another."
We do this thing together.
PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY
The proliferation of Christianity in America over the past century has produced dozens of Christian denominations. Most of these groups have divided over secondary issues, i.e.,
Calvinism versus Arminianism
Egalitarian Theology versus Complimentarian Theology
Post-Tribulation Eschatology versus Pre-Tribulation Eschatology
Eternal Security versus Conditional Security
How do we administer Baptism / The Lord's Supper?
Who the heck are the Nephilim? ... not to mention the color of the carpet. ... or the kind of songs we sing ... or whether or not we have drums …
In our opinion, these are secondary issues — issues where Scripture seemingly contains opposing views — this is why they have been so contentious!
While we definitely have opinions on these things, we want to be clear: these issues are not the hills we die on.
THE MAIN AND PLAIN OF SCRIPTURE ARE THE HILLS WE DIE ON.
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The supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus to save us from our sins and restore us to God.
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The indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
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The love of God.
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The mission to seek and save the lost in Jesus' name and power.