SOMA –Gospel Message

There is a normative reality and message to who God is and it is not something that changes.

Existential reality: how does the normative reality of God shape our identity?

Our methods for how we go about the missionary context of the church changes throughout time.

Loving relationships (fulfillment of the law) if your love for God is right then loving your neighbors will be right as well.

3 key relationships: God, others, self

You cannot fully love others if you do not understand how God loves you.

In Christ you are all counted as sons with first-born rights. We won’t love others if we think by loving them we merit the Father’s approval instead of knowing it has already been given.

Become aware of any belief or behavior and repent. We are His offspring, not we are becoming His offspring.

Don’t let any other person be a model of who you should be except Christ.

2. The community of faith- we are the called out people to God who really know each other. We will not display a contrasting community if we just put on a façade. To be a called out people we need to really know each other and how each other can really grow together.

We as the people of God, living out the gospel truth seeing all we have as God’s not ours, we are the most powerful people on the planet. Do you understand the power God has given us and the resources? If we lived this way truly the world would stop and take notice.

Don’t see confession as telling someone you are sorry but about our need for grace and the gospel.

3. The city or community- treat those who are by their own lack of profession of faith who are not part of the faith to treat them as if they are. Love people as though they are your brother or sister, your own kids, or your mother and father. Start within the household of faith but then extend this outward beyond there.

The best witness we have is not our own individual witness but our community witness. “Our love for one another”.