God is love.
God is patient; God is kind; God is not envious, boastful, arrogant, or rude. He does not insist on His own way; He is not irritable or resentful; He does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. God never ends.
As we study the Bible and seek to understand the character of God, it is important to remember that our interpretations and understandings are always limited and fallible. We must be willing to question and challenge our assumptions, and to seek out new insights and perspectives that help us to better align with the character of Jesus.
This means approaching the Bible with humility and openness, and being willing to let go of our preconceived notions in order to more fully embrace the message of love, compassion, and redemption that Jesus embodies. It also means being willing to confront and dismantle harmful or misguided interpretations of the Bible that have been used to justify violence, hatred, or discrimination.
By seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and embody His love and grace in the world, we can more fully reflect the character of God and bring hope and healing to a broken and hurting world.
Articles
What is Righteousness?
In its original meaning, righteousness meant a right relationship with the covenant of God that led to loving others as oneself and doing good in order to lead others into the same right relationship with God.
Receiving Jesus—Becoming a Follower
We’ve prioritized intellectual doctrine over practical application, turning us into armchair theologians instead of disciples. We become experts at pointing out sin, but struggle to extend the kind of love Jesus modeled.
Image of God and Loving Your Neighbor
We are created “in the image of God,” reflecting divine qualities like creativity, reason, and moral capacity. This “image” isn’t about physical resemblance but about our inherent value and the responsibility to care for creation. We are given dominion over the earth, not for exploitation, but for wise stewardship and compassionate care.
Purpose-Driven Relationships
In both personal and business relationships, the goal should be to find partners who share a similar vision and values. This alignment ensures that partners are moving towards the same destination. Jesus emphasized the importance of unity and common purpose in His teachings.
The Power of Non-Violence
The results of this systematic analysis show that nonviolent resistance is more than twice as effective as violent approaches in achieving intended goals. Based on a large dataset spanning over a century, their study demonstrates that societies experiencing periods of violent conflict, even when successful, tend to suffer from increased social unrest and instability in the aftermath.
Test Everything – Hold to the Good
By centering our discernment on God as revealed through Christ, we gain a deeper and more personal understanding of what it means to test everything and hold fast to what is good. Does it align with God’s character, his promises, and his commands? Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the clearest expression of God’s love, grace, and mercy.
LOVE
God’s love for us is immeasurable, unconditional, and eternal. He loves us not because of what we do or don’t do, but simply because we are His children, created in His image. His love is demonstrated through the gift of His son, Jesus, who came to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us to God. No matter what we have done or where we have been, God’s love is always there, ready to embrace us and give us a new start. His love transforms us, filling our hearts with hope and joy, and giving us the strength to love and serve others in return.
RESTORE
God’s restoration of creation is a central theme in the Bible, from the story of creation in Genesis to the promise of a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation. God’s plan for the world is one of redemption and renewal, not destruction and despair. He desires to restore the brokenness and imperfection of the world, to bring healing and restoration to all of His creation. This restoration will be complete and final, when Jesus returns and all things are made new. Until then, we can trust that God is at work, bringing about his restoration in ways that we may not always see or understand, and that one day, all things will be made right in His presence.
GROW
Growing in the knowledge of God is a lifelong journey of discovery and growth. It means seeking to understand more about who God is and what he has done for us through the study of the Bible, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It also means learning to apply what we learn about God to our daily lives, allowing His truth and wisdom to shape our thoughts, actions, and decisions. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we not only gain a deeper understanding of His love and grace, but we also become more like Jesus, reflecting His character and compassion to those around us.