Generous giving is central to our faith; without it, how can we appreciate what God has given us? Giving as a church involves more than money alone. By giving our time, energy, resources and leaders to answer God’s call, we practice sacrificial giving, we become good stewards of the gifts God has shared with us.
Read MoreLeadership isn’t only for the pastors of a church—The church thrives when individual members step up in leadership and do the things God has called us to do. Through leading, we are given more opportunities to encounter people through the gospel. When we pursue decisions that honor God and uplift the gospel, we gain a greater knowledge of God’s direction for our lives.
Read MoreThe church must have doctrinal integrity—a complicated term for a simple concept: We take what we believe about God, salvation, and the world, and use it to understand what we should do and how to relate to situations in our lives. By putting into practice what we believe (doctrine), we are doing the things we say we should be doing (integrity). The world is watching and if we fail to follow through on our own beliefs, people will take notice.
Read MoreFoundational to our identity is discipleship— when we engage with scripture to model the behaviors and attitudes exemplified for us to see. When we join with others and examine passages to apply to our own lives, it not only helps one another to seek and follow God, it also grows the church
Read MoreAs individual members, together we form the church of God, and sometimes we face challenges and conflict in how things should be done. But God uses the church to do great things, so instead of complaining, we should be collaborative and innovative in spreading the Gospel.
Read MoreEach of us is not called in isolation— God chooses to call us alongside other members of the church, including pastors, to work together towards a goal He has established. We have a shared salvation and a shared calling, so value our partnership with others to advance the gospel.
Read MoreIf we claim to be a faithful follower of God, as members of His Church, it should be evident in the way we live our lives. God has called us to gather together with others; that’s what it means to “be the church”—to love and serve others. Consider the ways your participation in the gathering of church members affects the spiritual development of others. Skipping the gathering of the church means neglecting not only yourself, but also the love and care of your brothers and sisters in Christ,
Read MoreAs Christians, when we are saved we are brought into God’s family. The fact that we are made by Him, saved by Him, and adopted into His family shapes our own identity as His people. But when we go out in the world, how do we carry His name? Are we doing and being what God created us to be?
Read MoreEach of us has death in our background, but through God’s gift, Jesus was sent as our savior to be the hope for us all and offer us new life. When we accept Jesus and depend on Him in all areas, we wear our salvation outwardly, and it is evident in how we live our lives by faith with the Lord’s will above our own.
Read MoreAs humans we always have a drive to seek understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. In this introduction to Aspen Park’s 2023 theme, Identity, we focus on people as God’s creation— what it means that we are purposefully made by God in love, and designed to find meaning through His truth, not in the pressures of the world.
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