Where is God in Your Circle? A letter from Marlene Buck.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Most Christians are familiar with John 3:16, a verse often called the “mini-Gospel.” It’s oft-quoted and often one of the first Bible verses a child learns. It seems to be a beautiful picture of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice, but there is much more to the verse. The salvation of humanity is the central concept to this verse and requires an action on our part. What is this action and what, really, is salvation?

The state of society seems to have an unfortunate mindset where an unspoken commandment has been established and it says that, “thou shalt not talk about negative things.” With the Western culture constantly focused on “thinking positive,” providing “trigger warnings,” and “tolerating everything,” the topic of sin and the wretchedness of humanity is often hushed. The issue of sin is crucial for understanding other doctrines and areas of Christianity. Not only is understanding sin helpful in developing your own theology, but it is important in the everyday decisions you make.

Who is Jesus? The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who paid for the sins of the world. He is much more than just the Son of God. Scripture makes it clear that he not only is the Son of God, but He is eternal; He has always been and always will be. John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” This shows us just how important Jesus was in the creation of the world, but more than that, it shows us how He continues to exist through the Word of God.

You may know that the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, but I would argue that of the three parts of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood. So what is the Holy Spirit and why is it important in our daily lives?

Creation isn’t just the existence of the visible and invisible universe, but also the concept that God created it, and mere chance is not the origin of the universe. As a Christian, we should see creation in a different light than others. So how should we view it and why is that important to our individual theology? I want to share four reasons believers should approach the concept of creation differently.

If you’ve been exposed to Christianity for any period of time, more than likely, you are familiar with the concept of the Trinity. You probably know that God is a triune being – three beings in one. You also are probably aware that they are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. But what does this really mean? Why is knowing, understanding, and believing this important as believers?

Convictions. What do you believe? What are the fundamental truths that guide your life? It’s a joy to be able to dig a bit deeper into the crucial topics Randall will be teaching for the next eight weeks. The first week helped us establish the foundation of the series, giving insight into the source that should guide the convictions in your life: the Bible. Let us take a quick look into the authority of this living document that has shaped the lives of millions and continues to do so.

Paul shows us how to battle anxiety and depression even today. Here are four ways to fight against unhealthy thoughts and negativity.