a picture and a preview

A PICTURE & A PREVIEW

A FAITH VILLAGEEBCLA’s Vision Statement

WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BECOME

“…A PICTURE AND A PREVIEW OF WHAT GOD IS DOING IN AND FOR ALL OF GOD’S CREATION.”

EBCLA’s Vision Statement

WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BECOME

NORMAL DUMB

CHURCH STUFF

PASS!

So your church is supposed to be A PICTURE AND A PREVIEW of what life will be like in heaven.

#glennstilllives

WHOSE LAME IDEA WAS IT TO CREATE THE CHURCH?

13 JESUS WENT TO THE AREA OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI. THERE HE ASKED HIS DISCIPLES, “WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THE SON OF MAN IS?”

M A T T H E W 1 6

Jesus

14 THEY REPLIED, “SOME SAY JOHN THE BAPTIST. OTHERS SAY ELIJAH. STILL OTHERS SAY JEREMIAH, OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS.”

15 “BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?” “WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”

Jesus

M A T T H E W 1 6

16 “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH. YOU ARE THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”

Simon Peter

M A T T H E W 1 6

17 “BLESSED ARE YOU, SIMON, SON OF JONAH! NO MERE HUMAN SHOWED THIS TO YOU. MY FATHER IN HEAVEN SHOWED IT TO YOU…”

Jesus

M A T T H E W 1 6

18 “HERE IS WHAT I TELL YOU. YOU ARE PETER. ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH. THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DESTROY IT.”

Jesus

M A T T H E W 1 6

19 “I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. WHAT YOU LOCK ON EARTH WILL BE LOCKED IN HEAVEN. WHAT YOU UNLOCK ON EARTH WILL BE UNLOCKED IN HEAVEN.”

Jesus

M A T T H E W 1 6

PeterACTS 2:36 “SO BE SURE OF THIS, ALL YOU PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. YOU NAILED JESUS TO THE CROSS. BUT GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND MESSIAH.” 37 WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD THIS, IT HAD A DEEP EFFECT ON THEM. THEY SAID TO PETER AND THE OTHER APOSTLES, “BROTHERS, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?”

ACTS 2:38 PETER REPLIED, “ALL OF YOU MUST TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SINS AND BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. THEN YOUR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN. YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 39 THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN. IT IS ALSO FOR ALL WHO ARE FAR AWAY. IT IS FOR ALL WHOM THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CHOOSE.”

WHAT WOULD LIFE TOGETHER LOOK LIKE IF WE

ALL FOLLOWED KING JESUS, KNOWING THAT HE HAS LOCKED AWAY EVERY

SIN AND UNLOCKED THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT IN

EACH OF US?

K I N G J E S U S C H R I S TWALK IN THE WAY OF LOVE, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR US. EPH 5:2

Every church should be an uncomfortably diverse group of forever-forgiven sinners whom Jesus inspires to extend to each other the same undeserved extravagant love and grace that he extends to them.

Every church should be an uncomfortably diverse group of forever-forgiven sinners whom Jesus inspires to extend to each other the same undeserved extravagant love and grace that he extends to them.

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVENYOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE

“IT CAN ONLY BE THAT GOD BEGINS IN A SMALL WAY, AT ONE SINGLE PLACE IN THE WORLD. THERE MUST BE A PLACE, VISIBLE, TANGIBLE, WHERE THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD CAN BEGIN: THAT IS, WHERE THE WORLD BECOMES WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN.”

Gerhard Lohfink

A PICTURE & A PREVIEWTHERE MUST BE A PLACE | EBCLA