Love Jesus
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6]
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. [John 15:5]
Jesus is the Way. He models the way to do life. He is also the only Way to the Father.
He is the Truth. Every truth in the Bible points to Jesus.
Jesus is Life. Jesus is the vine, the source of life for us, the branches. He is everything. Without Him, immediately, we begin to wither away and die spiritually.
In addition, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing of lasting spiritual significance. We want loving Jesus to be our top priority in life because everything flows from this.
Love the Friends of Jesus
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. [John 15:12-14]
As we are loving Jesus, our next priority is to obey Jesus’ command to love other friends of Jesus. This kind of love for other members of the body of Christ follows the pattern of Jesus, who laid down His life sacrificially for His friends.
Love the World
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [John 15:16]
After loving Jesus and loving the friends of Jesus, we must love the world by bearing true, lasting fruit. This fruit is not primarily external. It is internal. We are the fruit. Wherever we go, we bring the kingdom of God. May the world see the full fruit of Jesus in us.
Greatest Commandment: Love God
We desire to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
- Matt 22:36-38; Mark 12:28-30; Luke 10:26-27a
Second Greatest Commandment: Love Neighbors
Our love for God is often expressed through our love for our neighbors. Who are our neighbors? Our local church members and our spouses are to love and serve one another. Parents are to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Children are to obey and honor their parents.
- Matt 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27b; Eph 5:15-33, 6:1-4
Love for All Believers in the Universal Church
- John 15:12-14; John 17; 1 Peter 4:8; Gal 5:13; Rom 12:4-8
Love for Our Communities
- Luke 10:25-37; James 1:27; Gal 2:7-10
Great Commission: Make Disciples
Jesus has commissioned His church to make disciple-making disciples of all nations.
Love for the Nations
- Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8
Commitment to the Local Church
We commit to exhort one another with the Truth and warn one another every day about the deceitfulness of sin that causes our hearts to harden.
- Heb 3:12-13
We commit to gather with fellow believers on a regular basis and to consider how we may encourage one another and stir one another to love and good works.
- Heb 10:23-25
Additional Core Values
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. [Acts 2:42-47]
As part of the Body of Christ, we devote ourselves to the following:
- Fellowship
- Apostle’s teaching (Word of God)
- Breaking of Bread (Communion/Gospel)
- Prayer
