Peace Seymour Weekly Messages

Who We Are - People on a Mission - Peter 3:8-17 Core Value: Outreach Oriented

We often desire to prove and argue our faith with others. This can be a great practice and skill as people learn about our faith. Yet in our world and culture today, people cannot be argued into faith. Many have tried and failed to use 'traditional apologetics' to prove that Jesus lived, died, rose again, and is coming back soon. Still, many disbelieve, make excuses to not believe, and they simply reject Jesus' word. Trusting that it's the work of the Holy Spirit to convert and not our own, we ought to seek a 'new apologetic' in a post-modern world where rationalism and modernism alone often do not bring people to faith. We are called to remember Christ's suffering and death. He lived and died for our sins and gives us the gift of life in him as the door to eternal life! We also see how he loved and suffered for us, and calls us to bear our crosses, even as he bore the cross for us. The 'new apologetic' and best defense for the faith that we have, is to live like our faith does matter. To have hope. To trust in Jesus' promises. To suffer with and for others. To show hospitality and Christ-like love. To live as Peter calls us to, as those whose lives have been transformed by the life-changing love of Jesus. To reach out to others by living the life that Jesus calls us to.

Who We Are - People of Truth - Cor. 10:23-11:1 Core Value: Modern-Casual Worship

Style, practice, and form of worship often is given too much emphasis in our world today. We church shop, have preferences, and pick apart good and salutary worship, both in a 'contemporary' and 'traditional' style. Rather than seek what is best for the community and for those in worship, we argue, debate, and resent those who practice the faith a certain way. All things are lawful for us as people of faith. Yet, not all things are helpful. We are called to simply proclaim the good news of Jesus to those who need to hear it in our community and culture, and give the gifts that build up while promoting spiritual practices that build up. We are called first to be faithful, and we know that the Spirit uses the church and his word to guide us into faithfulness. Our motivation in our worship, and in our lives, is not a personal preference or a mandate to articulate the Gospel a certain way, but a thoughtful, prayerfully considered expression of the glory of God shown to us in Jesus Christ.

Who We Are - People of Love - Hebrews 13:1-8 Core Value: Caring Community

The church is supposed to be a caring community. Yet, we often come off callous, uncaring, and ambivalent to the needs of each other and our neighbors. People come expecting a caring community, and yet no one greets them or shows them hospitality. People need help, but feel they cannot ask for it, and no one asks them if they need it. Our individualism and self-centeredness outweighs Jesus' call to care for one another. The church is not a normal club or group. We are those who have received a love that is unlike any love you or I could express. Jesus has shown us what true love looks like, and we are called by the Spirit to share a mere shadow of his love with those around us. To emulate the love of Christ in our interactions with the brother and sister, the stranger, the marginalized, the needy, and to follow the example of those who came before us. We do so not on our own power or strength but by the love of Jesus, and we share that love with those around us, that they may know his love for them too.

Who We Are - People of Faith - Matt. 21:33-44 Core Value: Christ-Centered Faith

In life, there is much that we base our lives on. We are driven and motivated by money, ambition, necessity, pleasure, etc. We make decisions and act based on earthly motives and we make these things the most important thing, or we at least act as if they are most important. How often do we live on the basis of these things rather than on the basis of the saving action of Jesus Christ? Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, and of our lives. He is the one that the world (and even we in our past lives) reject, yet he is the one by whom we and this whole world is redeemed and made new. When we base our lives on the temporary and transient, we are led to disappointment and desperation. Yet when we center our lives on Christ, who is the cornerstone of all things, we find promise and hope for today, and for tomorrow when Christ returns.