It is important in every aspect of life to understand what is essential/central and what is peripheral/unessential. Only by knowing what is essential can you truly make sense of life and live it to the full. As we begin a New Year, we step into the future. As we do so, we want to ask an ancient and foundational question: "What is most important?"
As Christians following Jesus, we need to get back to the essence of our faith. In doing so, we can surround these essential parts of our faith with all other aspects of life. While we are making New Year’s resolutions we want to make an internal revolution. We make resolutions according to what we value and consider important.
During January at CityLife Church, we will be looking at the essence of our faith and asking how we can get back to the basics better in 2015. Often we don’t need a new idea or plan; we just need to stay faithful at the original idea and plan found in Jesus. Journey with us as we discover the essence of life, faith and community.
Essence (definition): the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features.
1 Corinthians 13:13. Three things will last forever — faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love. NLT
1 John 5:11. This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. MB
Matthew 22:37-40. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. NLT