Grow Faith<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where did we come from?\u00a0 How did creation come into reality?\u00a0 Are we a result of random chemicals coming together over time, accidentally creating humanity?? \u00a0The truth is: Humanity and Creation are not an accident.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Genesis 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a01<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>In the beginning\u00a0God created\u00a0the heavens\u00a0and the earth.<\/em>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Now the earth was formless\u00a0and empty,\u00a0darkness was over the surface of the deep,\u00a0and the Spirit of God\u00a0was hovering\u00a0over the waters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said,\u00a0\u201cLet there be light,\u201d and there was light.<\/em>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God saw that the light was good,\u00a0and he separated the light from the darkness.\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God called\u00a0the light \u201cday,\u201d and the darkness he called \u201cnight.\u201d\u00a0And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the first day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said,\u00a0\u201cLet there be a vault\u00a0between the waters\u00a0to separate water from water.\u201d<\/em>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it.\u00a0And it was so.\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God called\u00a0the vault \u201csky.\u201d\u00a0And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the second day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 9\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said, \u201cLet the water under the sky be gathered to one place,\u00a0and let dry ground\u00a0appear.\u201d And it was so.<\/em>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God called\u00a0the dry ground \u201cland,\u201d and the gathered waters\u00a0he called \u201cseas.\u201d\u00a0And God saw that it was good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 11\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>Then God said, \u201cLet the land produce vegetation:\u00a0seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.\u201d And it was so.<\/em>\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds\u00a0and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the third day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said, \u201cLet there be lights\u00a0in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night,\u00a0and let them serve as signs\u00a0to mark sacred times,\u00a0and days and years,<\/em>\u00a015\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.\u201d And it was so.\u00a016\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God made two great lights\u2014the greater light\u00a0to govern\u00a0the day and the lesser light to govern\u00a0the night.\u00a0He also made the stars.\u00a017\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,\u00a018\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>to govern the day and the night,\u00a0and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.\u00a019\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the fourth day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 20\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said, \u201cLet the water teem with living creatures,\u00a0and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.\u201d<\/em>\u00a021\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So God created\u00a0the great creatures of the sea\u00a0and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it,\u00a0according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.\u00a0And God saw that it was good.\u00a022\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God blessed them and said, \u201cBe fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.\u201d\u00a023\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the fifth day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 24\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And God said, \u201cLet the land produce living creatures\u00a0according to their kinds:\u00a0the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.\u201d And it was so.<\/em>\u00a025\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>God made the wild animals\u00a0according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.\u00a0And God saw that it was good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 26\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>Then God said, \u201cLet us\u00a0make mankind\u00a0in our image,\u00a0in our likeness,\u00a0so that they may rule\u00a0over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,\u00a0over the livestock and all the wild animals,\u00a0and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 27\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>So God created\u00a0mankind\u00a0in his own image, 28\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>God blessed them and said to them,\u00a0\u201cBe fruitful and increase in number;\u00a0fill the earth\u00a0and subdue it. Rule over\u00a0the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 29\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>Then God said, \u201cI give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.<\/em>\u00a030\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground\u2014everything that has the breath of life\u00a0in it\u2014I give every green plant for food.\u201d And it was so.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 31\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>God saw all that he had made,\u00a0and it was very good.\u00a0And there was evening, and there was morning\u2014the sixth day.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>By the seventh day\u00a0God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.<\/em>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,\u00a0because on it he rested\u00a0from all the work of creating\u00a0that he had done.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s word created everything.\u00a0 Creation was perfect!\u00a0 These verses do not attempt to tell us how all of this happened!\u00a0 My understanding is that this process did not occur in 7 24-hour days!\u00a0 It took billions of our years. \u00a0These verses tell us Why this creation happened.\u00a0 The bible is not a science book, but a book telling us why God has done for creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then what happened?\u00a0 God gave man a choice on how he wanted to live in creation.\u00a0 As it turned out man\u2019s pride was influenced by Satan and he chose to rebel against God.\u00a0 Adam and Eve\u2019s rebellion brought death to creation. This rebellion has eternal consequences. God is a just God, the law says that sin brings death.\u00a0 No exceptions. This choice brings all of the situations that we deal with today.\u00a0 Hate, war, unrest, death, greed, lust, everything evil!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So now what does God do?\u00a0 He loves mankind so very much; he must find a way to fulfill the law and the penalty if sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John 3:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n 16\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>For God so loved\u00a0the world that he gave\u00a0his one and only Son,\u00a0that whoever believes\u00a0in him shall not perish but have eternal life.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n God offered his only son to die for our sins.\u00a0 To pay for the sin that was brought into creation.\u00a0 We see here the amount of love God has for us.\u00a0 We have been forgiven if we accept Jesus as our savior.\u00a0 When we open the door to our heart and accept Christ, we begin a journey of faith.\u00a0 This faith journey is full of joy and also challenges, sadness, disappointment.\u00a0 However, God promises us salvation from our sins.\u00a0 We need to work every day to grow our faith in God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take advantage of every chance you have to form your faith \u2013 through small groups, classes, and personal study. Be a disciple and look to learn from those who know more of the Bible and<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christian life than you do, then look for opportunities to share what you\u2019ve gained with someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c<\/em>Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, \u201cIf any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(Mark 8: 34)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c<\/em>You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(2 Timothy 2: 2)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideas for Action: <\/strong>If you\u2019re not currently in a small group, call the church office and ask for assistance in finding one. Ask for some time with someone whose faith you respect and pick their brains on their practices of faith formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, please know that he is ready to come into your life, all you need to do is to accept him and be granted the forgiveness that God has offered you.\u00a0 Today can be the day that you take your first day in faith by accepting Jesus into your life.\u00a0 Please reach out to me to share the news, and let me pray with you in your new reborn life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in the image of God,\u00a0he created them;
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0male and female\u00a0he created them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n