Dear Friends and Family,
A person not a program.
A story not a system.
A movement not a set of morals.
This week we will continue our series on "The Reason for God," where we have wrestled with roadblocks and barriers to faith. Our focus this week will be to clear up exactly what it means to be a Christian. We will be doing what the Apostle Peter, writing to the far-flung churches of the first century, instructed believers to do when he said: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Last week we looked at a barrier to faith but this week we will look at the message of Jesus – the Gospel – and we will try to understand how it is different from “religion.” We will be looking at the very core, the center – the sum and substance – of our faith. If someone is wrestling with faith, we want to make very clear what that faith is and what it means to believe, because it is often not what you would expect. We will be working through chapter 11 of The Reason for God titled: Religion and the Gospel (for those of you that like to do your homework ahead of time.)
If you are unsure about what you believe or know someone who is wrestling with the claims of Christianity, this would be a great week to show up and think with us.
