So… let be honest. It can be easy to say, “God loves everyone” and “he loves everyone equally.” BUT, if we dig a bit deeper, few of us actually believe that. In our true thoughts and hearts (maybe even subconscious?), whether you even believe in a god or not, most of us FEEL that some people are more DESERVING of God’s love than others. And, when we do that, we’re like Jonah… and we misunderstood one very important aspect of God’s love: God’s love is offensively inclusive. Watch / listen to find out what we mean, in our last session of “Discovering God.”
What we think we know about God keeps us from discovering God. Sometimes people believe God hates sinners and he’s angry. That we’re testing his patience. He’s ready to judge and won’t accept me. …Or he won’t keep me. If I don’t clean up my behavior he’ll never let me in or he’ll kick me out. The good news is: God’s love is not based on our behavior. A prime example of that: King David. Your behavior does not cancel out God’s promises.
The way a lot of people talk about God’s attributes make him out to be a scary or creepy figure who’s very interested in watching you and making sure you obey his rules. It’s a big reason why many people reject the idea of a God that loves. But when we truly discover God, we discover nothing could be further from the truth… God is personal and relational.
What if it is so simple that we missed it even though it’s been there the whole time? Turns out the most important point in Discovering God is the fact that peace with God comes from a single act of trust. It couldn’t be much simpler than that. It’s not that complicated. God is pursuing you. And he is only asking that you trust him.
How do we balance the God we’ve been talking about (the God who is FOR you), with the God that would be a part of instances like Jericho (utter destruction and death)? This is an example of the reasons many people reject the God of the Bible. So that leaves anyone who says God is a God of love with some explaining to do! Well, we give it a shot here, in this episode of “Discovering God,” aptly called ‘The Tension.’
– A few simple songs (usually a guitar and maybe a violin and percussion) to sing along with or just listen to. – A short message (similar to our YouTube/podcast style messages) – Communion together (all are welcome at the table, but you can also skip this). – A final song and a simple prayer. – Afterwards, an optional snack while you meet some folks.
All in all, should last about an hour.
How many people will be there? 🤓
We are a small church, like a majority of churches in America! Weekly we see between 25 and 45 people gathering in the main room. It just depends. If you want to hide in the back, you still can!
What do you offer for kids? 👨👧👧
We have kids’ classrooms for nursery/pre-k and for elementary kids through grade 5. Our volunteers are background checked and there are always open doors and multiple volunteers. You can also keep your kids in the service with you. It’ll be an hour long. Email us with any specific kid-related questions! info@yourcrosscreek.com
Do I have to believe in Jesus to attend? 🙋🏽
No. We created this church in 2017 to be a place where faith in Jesus can be explored, and isn’t demanded, assumed or expected.
We welcome your questions, your doubts, and the process of faith. You don’t have to believe to belong.
And we won’t make any assumptions: we promise to explain briefly what’s happening and invite you to join in. You can also sit back and just check things out.