God has shown us who he is. In fact, without him showing us, we wouldn’t have a complete picture of him. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He loves us. He has forgiveness for us. He has a plan for us. We know about God from what we read in the Bible. What we read there is summarized in a statement of belief called a Creed.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
God wants a relationship with you. In fact, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s dig a little deeper. The reason why we naturally fear God is because we know ourselves. On the inside, we know that we aren’t perfect. We also have a sense that God is. Those two things don’t mesh. If there is a God, he would expect all things to be good, but we know that they aren’t. That’s why it is so important to know him. Knowing him means knowing this – God has sent his Son Jesus to pay the price for our imperfection. Jesus willingly did this, going to the cross for our forgiveness. This forgiveness was earned on the cross and sealed when Jesus rose from the grave. God even tells us why he did it, love. ( John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-10) That’s what he wants with us, to have us live in his love – forgiven. (John 10:10)
God can seem so distant and so quiet. Why doesn’t he show himself? Well, good news, he does! It just isn’t in the places we are looking. God came to be a part of his creation. We celebrate that at Christmas. Jesus was born to be with us. Of course we might say that that was then and this is now. True, but God has not stopped wanting to be with us. The Holy Spirit is working in our lives to draw us closer to God. He intersects our stories with God’s story.
Part of this work of the Holy Spirit includes baptism. In baptism, God makes us a promise to be with us forever. We can read about this in Matthew 28:18-20. We are forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit. Read Acts 2:37-39. We are connected eternally with God in baptism as the Holy Spirit makes us God’s children.
One thing we learn from the Bible is that God is always seeking us out. God wants to encounter us!
Only God can change lives and he continues to do it. Being a part of the family of God means that we are on a journey of faith. We call this discipleship. Our discipleship path leads us to “think, believe and act like Jesus.”
Be prepared because the journey of faith is exciting. There will be ups and downs, but you will discover that God is faithful and walks with you every step. Also, there are other brothers and sisters at Cornerstone who will join you on the journey. This community is very important to us at Cornerstone. Gathering together as God’s people brings us encouragement and allows us to encourage others.
First of all – be thankful for what God has done and is doing! Second, continue in the habits of faith that are good for you – prayer, worship, Bible study and community.
Seek places of connection. These might be groups that get together for a purpose – like one of our choirs – or small group gatherings in your own home, or larger group gatherings on Sunday morning! Additionally, our Faith Formation has lots of exciting things happening for those under 18. There are lots of ways to get connected.
Also, tell someone else. Let others know what you have discovered about God. Tell them how you have experienced life with Jesus. That is a great gift to them and a great way to nurture your own faith.
Plan your visit this Sunday and experience our community.
