1. Jesus is the only Savior and Lord.

(Jesus is building his church, calling people of all nations and races to faith and discipleship)

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Ephesians 2:20 “. . . built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.”

2. The Bible is the foundation for our thinking and doing. 

(All truth is God’s truth and the Scriptures keep us on course)

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

(All truth is God’s truth and the Scriptures keep us on course)

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

3. Worship is vital to spiritual growth.

(What or whom we worship shapes us, so regular participation in worship is formative)

Psalm 135:15-18, 21 “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them . . . Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!”

John 4:23-24 “‘But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’”

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

4. Pursuit of spiritual maturity is expected of everyone.

(We are to grow in understanding, prayer, service, and stewardship)

Psalm 1:1-3 “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.”

Ephesians 4:12-13 “. . . To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”

Colossians 1:9-10, 28 “For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

5. God’s will is discerned as we seek and cooperate with God’s leading.

(God is completely trustworthy with every aspect of our lives)

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

John 7:17 “Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own.”

Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

6. Authentic community is the best context for nurturing life change.

(One-on-one mentoring and small group participation provide accountability)

Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Psalm 133 “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on thehead, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.”

Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

7. God’s love is expressed in practical ways.

(God uses people to embody the good news, locally and globally)

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand to be our way of life.”

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

1 John 4:9-12 “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

8. Lost people matter to God and therefore they matter to us. 

(We live in ways that draw people into God’s community)

Jonah 4:9-11 “But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘ You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’”

John 3:16 “‘ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”

9. The Holy Spirit gifts every Christian for service. 

(We are agents of reconciliation and transformation in our world)

Romans 12:4-8 “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 27 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

1 Peter 4:10-11 “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

10. Pursuing excellence honors God. 

(Excellence in ministry reflects God’s concern for beauty and majesty)

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

2 Corinthians 8:7 “Now as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you – so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.”