I can remember thinking that the Christian faith was all about me getting myself forgiven and 'saved' so as to guarantee myself eternal life.
I thought the good news was no bigger than Jesus dying for me, so I might have my list of transgressions 'paid in full,' and live a meaningful life and finally make it into heaven.
Committing to a church community or serving other Christians or submitting one to another - these sort of things, I saw as 'optional extras' to be added on only if they 'worked' for me.
I thought the good news was no bigger than Jesus dying for me, so I might have my list of transgressions 'paid in full,' and live a meaningful life and finally make it into heaven.
Committing to a church community or serving other Christians or submitting one to another - these sort of things, I saw as 'optional extras' to be added on only if they 'worked' for me.
It never occurred to me that God's purpose all along was far bigger than my individualistic vision.
The Bible tells us that God IS love. From eternity past, there was a Triune community in which the Father loved the Son who loved the Spirit loved the Father and so on. The God who's DNA shapes creation, is a three-fold Community that overflows with love.
This is the God who so loved the world; who planned "from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." (2 Tim1:9 NLT)
And this God made humanity in this very image to live in community - loving God and loving each other with the same interdependent unity that the Triune Community had experienced before creation.
'Sin' is the self-centred attitude and orientation that put's one's own interests and well-being ahead of God and others... It's everything that destroys community with others and unity with God.
No wonder Jesus said: "... You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Matt 22:37-40 (NLT)
The end purpose of the good news - the shape of the Kingdom of God is paradise restored - a people in full community with each other and in full unity with God.
It's all about relationship. It's all about learning to lay down our independence from God and from each other, and learning to submit one to another.
It's learning to see the presence of God in others, and to receive the blessing of God from and through each other - even those we don't naturally get on with.
As we learn to be the body of Christ - functioning together in synergy so we grow and so the work of the kingdom gets done.
No wonder Jesus prayed that we: "... will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." John 17:20-23 NLT.
See what the wise old apostle John says: "...We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect." 1 John 4:16-17(NLT)
Come join us as we explore some practical ways to 'build the body.' ...
The Bible tells us that God IS love. From eternity past, there was a Triune community in which the Father loved the Son who loved the Spirit loved the Father and so on. The God who's DNA shapes creation, is a three-fold Community that overflows with love.
This is the God who so loved the world; who planned "from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." (2 Tim1:9 NLT)
And this God made humanity in this very image to live in community - loving God and loving each other with the same interdependent unity that the Triune Community had experienced before creation.
'Sin' is the self-centred attitude and orientation that put's one's own interests and well-being ahead of God and others... It's everything that destroys community with others and unity with God.
No wonder Jesus said: "... You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Matt 22:37-40 (NLT)
The end purpose of the good news - the shape of the Kingdom of God is paradise restored - a people in full community with each other and in full unity with God.
It's all about relationship. It's all about learning to lay down our independence from God and from each other, and learning to submit one to another.
It's learning to see the presence of God in others, and to receive the blessing of God from and through each other - even those we don't naturally get on with.
As we learn to be the body of Christ - functioning together in synergy so we grow and so the work of the kingdom gets done.
No wonder Jesus prayed that we: "... will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." John 17:20-23 NLT.
See what the wise old apostle John says: "...We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect." 1 John 4:16-17(NLT)
Come join us as we explore some practical ways to 'build the body.' ...
