What does it mean to be a church member?

The answer is less about being a member and more about being

a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Never forget that all we do is in response to God’s goodness and love, not for acceptance.

Practices     Virtues     Beliefs    

Practices—What I do as a disciple!

1. Pray—I will pray to talk to God daily asking Him for direction and to provide for my needs and the needs of others.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.    Philippians 4:6

Other Scripture: Psalm 6:9, 1 Timothy 2:8, James 5:16 2.

 

2. Worship— I will praise and give thanks to God for all that he has done for me!

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:2-5

Other Scripture: John 4:23-24

 

3. Read the Bible—I will read the Bible seeking to understand God’s purposes for me and my life.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 1 Timothy 3:16-17

Other Scripture: Psalm 119:105, John 20:30-31

 

4. Serve—I will help others by stepping out and up to the plate to make a difference in this world and in my church.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Other Scripture: Matthew 20:26, Matthew 23:11, Matthew 25:40

 

5. Relationship Development— I will be in contact with others so that I may encourage, build up and evangelize others.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15

Other Scripture: Mark 3:35, John 15:13-15, 1 John 3:1, 1 Peter 2:12, Matthew 5:14-16, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

 

6. Give—I will give away my life to fulfill God’s purposes including, my time, my money and my abilities.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

Other Scripture: Malachi 3:10, Mark 12:41-44, 1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:12, 2 Corinthians 9:7

 

Virtues—How I treat others as a disciple!

1. Lovingly—I will love one another as God has loved me. And I know that God loves me unconditionally.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34

Other Scripture: Matthew 22:37, John 15:21, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 John 3:16

 

2. Faithfully—I will live in trust because I believe God takes care of His own, I am not only peaceful in the face of life but joyful because I am lovingly watched over.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Other Scripture: Romans 5:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 5:6

 

3. Patiently— I will be patient with others the way God has been patient with me and my journey.

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. Proverbs 14:29

Other Scripture: Proverbs 15:18

 

4. Kindly— I will be considerate, calm and pleasant when dealing with people.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Other Scripture: Proverbs 11:17, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:31

 

5. Openly—I will always accept others and not judge them, because God has accepted me despite my sin.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

Other Scripture: Luke 6:37

 

6. Humbly— I will point to the power of God in my life in all that He does so that I can be a witness to God and not my own ego.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

Other Scripture: Proverbs 22:4

Beliefs—What I believe as a disciple!

1. Jesus Christ—I believe that Jesus is the son of God and the one who saved us by dying for us. He is a part of the One God Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

Other Scripture: John 3:16, Galatians 2:20-21, 1 John 4:15-16

2. Sin— I am broken and prone to sin. There is no such thing as perfection in this life but God still loves me and uses me to make a difference!

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

Other Scripture: Romans 3:22-24, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 6:1-3

3. Salvation by Grace alone—I cannot earn God’s favor. Jesus has done what I cannot do for myself and it’s free. By His dying and then being raised up, he has shown me that God accepts me as I am and not by what I do. My Life is a response to God’s goodness to me.

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9

Other Scripture: Romans 5:9-11, Romans 3:28, Galatians 3:11-12, Titus 3:3b-7, Titus 2:11-13

4. Eternal life— I believe in heaven. Jesus told his believers that we will be with him there when our life is completed here.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15b-16

Other Scripture: John 14:1-4, Romans 6:23, John 10:27-30, John 5:24, John 17:3

5. Church— I believe the church is the people of God who come together to represent God in the world.

It was Jesus who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ (the church) may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature. Ephesians 4:11-13

Other Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 3:10-11, Ephesians 1:22, Matthew 16:18

6. Baptism and Communion— I believe that these are the reminders of God’s love as well as God’s claim on us as His adopted Children.

Jesus saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:5-6

And

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.1 Corinthians 11:26

Other Scripture: Matthew 26:26-28