Your Church Covenant
1) Loving God by making worship the highest priority in my life and by making tithe to him (Mark 12:28-30)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Mark 18:28-30)
2) Loving one another by sharing myself with others in all opportunities (I John 3:16-18)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1John 3:16-18)
3) Loving the world around us by taking part in God's work in it and by giving support to various ministries(Matthew 5:13-16)
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
Summary
Your Church exists for love. Love is not a feeling or a desire. In fact, there are times when emotions and selfish desires get in the way of love. We can love because God loves us. He taught us about true love through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and he calls us to follow him. As we follow Jesus, we can learn to love. As we discussed in the message today, there are three directions for our love and they are all essential. A person who does not love God cannot love another person. Unless we love others, we cannot claim to love God. If Christians don't love one another, why should other people be attracted to their God? In signing the church covenant, we make an important decision about what we value and how we will live.
For Discussion
1) Why do we sign the church covenant every year?
2) Why must we love others in order to love God?