Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
Philippians 1:27 (ESV)
Basking in the Goodness of God
Life, hope, forgiveness, connection, and love can only be found perfectly and eternally in Christ. We follow Jesus not because He is a strict and cruel master, and not in order to get a “Get Out of Jail Free” card when we die. We follow Jesus because we love to bask in all the goodness of Jesus’ perfect, finished work of redeeming us, enjoying His abiding presence as Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Our lives are not marked by having to obey arbitrary requirements and traditions, but by having the active presence of Christ living in us and walking with us (2 Corinthians 6:16-18). Jesus is our treasure and the sole basis for our identity and standing before God.
Wholeheartedly Following Jesus
As we have been made new and adopted into God’s family, our hearts are to obey Him and follow where He leads us. We consider that we have been bought at a price and that the purpose of our lives is to honor Christ – whether through thought, word, or deed (1 Corinthians 6:20). We revel in the counter-intuitive kingdom that Jesus inaugurated, where “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35), and also where “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
Pursuing Genuine Oneness and Connection with Each Other
Before the foundation of the world, God was experiencing perfect love and connection as the Tri-unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 17:5). He has called the church to exhibit and display that same oneness and connection with each other. Our body is called to live out the relational realities that we see in the Godhead. This is done in many ways, but it includes things like deferring to each other, celebrating with each other, accepting each other, showing attention to each other, encouraging each other, and loving each other genuinely (Ephesians 5:21; Romans 12:15; Romans 15:7; Philippians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 1 John 4:7)
Striving for Gospel Transformation to the Ends of the Earth
When Jesus said to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20), He intended these instructions to be the heart and mission of every believer and church. Additionally, He foretold that “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). We desire to participate in seeing the end come by bringing the gospel and disciple-making movements to the most unreached and farthest removed people groups on earth (Revelation 5:9). We begin by living that out here in Loveland, and we also look for strategic ways to partner with what God is doing among the nations for His glory.