Faith is not the evidence of being a child of God—faith is the avenue to becoming a child of God. And faith continues to be the avenue for spiritual growth and deepening one's relationship with God. It is obedience to Jesus (good works) that provides the evidence one has truly believed and their faith in Jesus is genuine faith.

God is love. God is light. His light reveals our sin, but we do not need to fear God—because God is love. As we confess the sins that are revealed, we are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus!

As the Apostle John seeks to provide assurance of eternal life to believers in the first century, he turns their attention to the fact that God is love and His display of love is Jesus. Whether one loves God or loves the world is part of the assurance of a relationship that provides eternal life.

In his first letter, the Apostle John defines God as life, light, and love in presenting the assurance of salvation to believers. Interestingly, John point to present obedience to the commands of God as assurance of salvation—not a past experience.

What if the purpose of Jesus showing up in the storm isn't simply to calm the storm—but to display the glory of God in the midst of the storm?

Pastor Mike Nichols shares a message on spiritual gifts.

As we see when David cries out to the Lord from a pit in Psalm 40, our loving God moves. However, in Jesus, He doesn't just pull us out of the pit—He takes our place in the pit. When life gets messy, so does our God.

A life of generosity is a response to the radical grace of Jesus, a belief in the good provision of Jesus, and a desire for the glory of Jesus.

It is God’s responsibility to call His servants into spiritual leadership in His church. Elders respond to God's call with a faithful commitment to serve with a company of elders on behalf of the Body of Christ for the glory of God.

On Hometown Heroes Sunday, Evangelist and Chaplain Doug Gochenour shares a message on the freedom and hope our true hero, Jesus Christ, offers to all mankind.