PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD
We live in a broken, self-centered world. Living for others and caring about people doesn't just happen. You have to be intentional about it. This posture isn't natural for us, but it is for God. He's intimately involved not only with the details of what's happening in our lives, but our thoughts, our passions, our fears, and our dreams. Scripture makes this clear, nothing in all of Creation is as important to God as we are. More than anything else, He loves people, and He made it clear that anyone who genuinely loved God would demonstrate this by loving people the same way He does.
YOUR DESTINY IS TIED TO YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
In a culture of disposable relationships, finding an environment where people are valued and relationships are prioritized is a unique experience. This will always be central to who we are. Whenever God wants to do something significant, He always starts with a family. It's the primary way that He distributes His blessing. This is how you've been designed to live. At the end of your life, when you look back at what really matters, it won't be experiences, it won't be accomplishments, and it won't be your estate that you'll care about. It will be people.
CHARACTER OVER CHARISMA
God has given us each gifts that we can use to further His Kingdom, but it's really easy to build your whole life around your gifts rather than around character. Your gifts and abilities will open the door of opportunity for you, but only godly character will keep you there. If you never develop your character and only lean on your gifts, sooner or later your life will become a mess. You’re more important than your gift. When we fail to realize this we think God loves us when we perform and He withdraws when we mess up. This isn't an accurate picture of His heart for you.
THE LOCAL CHURCH IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD
In Acts 2:42-47 we see a picture of the very first church. The Bible says that everyone felt a sense of awe, signs and wonders were taking place, there was favor with all the people, and God was adding to their numbers everyday. We have no problem looking at the early church and seeing that it was the hope of the world and through the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit thousands of lives were changed; families were changed; cities were changed. This is what we want to see happen at Grace Creek Church! Our hope is that people live missional and sacrificial lives, that salvation happens and God moves in powerful ways.
WE'RE MORE THAN SERVANTS, WE'RE SONS AND DAUGHTERS
God's not building an organization, a movement, a company, a religion or a philosophy. First and foremost, He's building a family. Let there be no doubt, we are called to serve Him. But we're more than servants, we've been given the unimaginable privilege of being adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters. When you see yourself as sons and daughters of God instead of just servants, it changes everything. There's a big difference between a servant's mentality and a son's mentality. Sons and daughters think differently because they are heirs. They have a vested interest in what happens. It's much more than just something to do on the weekends. We're sons and daughters of God and He's entrusted us with this house.
GENEROSITY TRANSFORMS
The Bible makes it clear: everything we have is a gift. We're not owners, we're stewards. We believe Jesus was telling the truth when He said it was more blessed to give than receive. God doesn't ask us to be generous because He needs our money. Generosity doesn't just meet needs for the one receiving, it always transforms the one who gives. God doesn't ask us to be generous because He needs what we have. He doesn't want something FROM us, He's after something FOR us. We're never more like Jesus than when we're generous, it's fundamental to who God is.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS IRRESISTIBLE
God's presence is what we were created for, and when we experience His manifest presence we know that it's what we've been longing for all along. God fills your heart and your soul, and completes spiritually what you've been lacking. You feel and sense that you've arrived home when you're in His presence. It's about an interaction, a relationship with a living God who is dynamic, personal, and on the move. God has a personality just like we do, with desires, plans, emotions, and thoughts. God says He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. He's waiting with open arms. He has made Himself available to us through Jesus Christ. And make no mistake about it, the greatest need for our soul is God's presence in our lives.
JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING
Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh and lived among us. He was here, teaching people, healing people, showing people the true way to find peace, eternal life, joy, and salvation. Jesus wasn't just a great teacher and he wasn't just a great example to us, although He was all those things. More importantly, He was the Son of God, our Savior, and He died so we could have eternal life. We are utterly and completely dependent on the grace of God. It's not about climbing up to God. We can't. It's about accepting the free gift from Jesus where He takes our place, died for our sins, and gives us His righteousness.