As we start a new year, it is always good to make sure that we are starting on the right foot. This is important for all areas of life, including our faith.
In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus shares about the wise and foolish builders.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matt 7:24-27 NIV
What foundation are we building our faith on?
There are unfortunately many examples of buildings and structures that have not had the proper foundation, and the end results are costly (if not fatal). If our faith is not built on a firm foundation, the results can also be catastrophic, not only in this life, but in the next.
Over the next couple of months, our church will be doing a series on our statement of faith. We will be looking at 7 points that we consider non-negotiable for someone who wants to become a member of the Elm Street Community Church.
This is not about who we look to help, or who is welcome to join us on either a Sunday or at any of our events. Our goal is to take what Jesus called the Greatest Commandment seriously. To love God with all we are, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We seek to love everyone who comes in the door, whether we agree with them on everything or not (this is how the church should be).
But if someone wants to join our church membership (enter into a covenant relationship with the other members of the church), we need them to agree with our statement of faith (as well as our by-laws). Since we are going through this on Sunday mornings in our sermon series , I thought I would post them here as well. You can find our statement of faith on our website, and the sermons will be on Facebook at Facebook.com/ElmStChurch live on Sunday mornings (or check for recordings.
Our first sermon examines one of our foundational pieces, the authority of scripture (the Bible). If our belief in the authority of the Bible is weak, our faith will be as well.
What do you think about the Bible?
Was it divinely inspired? Are they God’s words, or just some good ideas to live a moral life? These are critical questions for people to ask. If you are unsure, or you don’t believe the Bible to be the Word of God, we encourage you to hear what we have to say, and see why we come to this conclusion.
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