EXPERIENCING – Worshiping God and daily growing in relationship with Him. Church isn’t just a place you go on Sundays – it’s a daily, lifelong decision to grow and encounter the life God has in mind for you in the community He’s connecting you with.
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.
Romans 12:1 (The Message)
BELONGING – Being involved in community together with other followers of Jesus. When we invite you to come as you are, we mean it. You don’t have to have it all together before coming to God – He knows and loves you as you are right now, and He has blessings in mind for you! We all have a part to play in God’s plan. What will yours be?
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)
GROWING – Recognizing and taking the next step in relationship with God. At Real Life, we never stop learning and renewing ourselves. We participate in small groups, read the Bible and books that explore it, pray, and together grow more connected to Jesus.
Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything – and I do mean everything – connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.
Ephesians 4:21-24 (The Message)
INVITING – Telling everyone we meet about the life-changing work of Jesus. When God changes someone’s life for the better, how can they keep that to themselves? We’ve seen so many lives changed because people trusted in Jesus and we want more people to experience it!
what matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.
Acts 20:24 (The Message)
SERVING – Following Jesus’ example by living a life of service to others. Jesus was the ultimate servant-leader, someone who lovingly put others’ needs before his own and led by gracious example. Real Life prioritizes volunteering both at church and within our community. There are plenty of ways to get involved and give back at our church, and year-round opportunities to support our local schools and families in need.
He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
Ephesians 2:10 (The Message)
CELEBRATING – Remembering what God does today and praising Him for it! We give thanks every day for how God has worked in our lives. When someone’s prayer is answered, we celebrate with them. When we’re able to meet a need in our community, we glorify God for it!
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!
Philippians 4:4 (The Message)