Why Believe?

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First Focus

Why Believe?

The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. Like a house building our lives on the solid rock, our lives need a good frame, solid construction, and the furnishings of a Christian. The architecture of such a life is framed by the beliefs of a Christ follower. These doctrines give us the footholds and supports we need as we live to glorify Jesus. On Sunday mornings during our Think, Act, Be series, I’ll be teaching through what and how we believe. On Wednesday nights at 6:00 p.m., I’ll teach about why we believe. Building on the discussion we had last spring, we’ll take up several key areas of the Christian life that have been passed down from generation to generation. We’ll study the motives, intents, and purposes for our Baptist Christian beliefs and see how they affect our decisions as disciples of Jesus Christ. Join us for this Bible study series in the sanctuary each week.

September 2- Why Believe?
Thinking and believing are a part of life. We believe because we need a plot to tell the story of life. When the cultures around us are shaky, belief in Jesus Christ shapes everything we do and the story God is writing in our lives.

September 9- Why does God exist as Trinity?
Christians believe that God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This community is reflected in our relationship with him and each other.

September 16- Why am I here?
Because created us, we embody his image in the world and reflect his glory.

September 23- Why does the Bible matter?
The Bible is the transcript of God’s work in the world. Where science attempts to tell us how the world works, the Bible tells us who we are, why the world works the way it does, and where we’re headed.

September 30- Why is Jesus Lord?
Among all the religions in the world, Jesus claims to be Lord of all. Christians share this message with those who worship other gods and with atheists who say there is no god.

October 7- Why does evil exist?
Faith needs to leave room for mystery, and one of the many mysteries of faith is the presence of evil.

October 14- Why does marriage matter?
In our affirmations of what marriage, we also need to discuss why marriage matters so much to us today. In a culture of eroticism, agape triumphs. Christians confess a morality as old as the dawn of time and renewed every day as we engage other cultures in our world.

October 21- Why do I need the Church?
There are no private Christians. We are a part of a larger church body where we confess our faith, hold each other accountable and create an alternative culture. We don’t know who we are until we become a part of the church; and we join a large community of people seeking to follow Jesus.

October 28- Business meeting

November 4- Why are there so many different Christian denominations?
We are part of a larger group of denominations. What happened to create all these differences, and what do we need from each other?

November 11- Why do Heaven and Hell exist?
In the end, Jesus returns and unveils a new heaven and a new earth. What’s going to happen at the end, why do we need heaven and hell, and why does all this matter today?