Jesus said people would know we belong to Him because of our love for one another.  Understandable when you remember that John said the very nature of God is love.  Of course, that bets a question.  What love?  Whose definition of love?  What exactly are we commanded to do?  Whether our spouse, a neighbor, a friend or an enemy, this commands pretty much covers how we respond to everyone, so it is important for us to understand what Christians do when we say “we love”.

An important new update regarding leadership and Ministry for the NOCC Congregation.

Christians listen to God.  We start with His Word, because that’s why He gave it to us.  We listen through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and through the guidance of wise counsel reflecting the Word.  This sounds simple—and it usually is.  The complicated part is when we become doers of the Word, not just hearers.

We have a King.  What does that mean?  It commands loyalty.  If we can’t serve two masters, and Jesus is the master, then we serve Him.  Not out of duty alone, but loyalty to the King.  Loyalty beyond question or opinion—extreme, fierce loyalty.

The heritage of a culture is the richness of values, beliefs and behaviors which characterize that culture.  For Christians, this means looking into the Word and understanding what God has already told us about belonging to Him.  We have a heritage—that which is passed on to us as members of the Culture of Christ.  We need to understand it, cherish it and live by it.

Traditionally, Labor Day in America is a time where workers get off from their usual job as a rewards for their year long daily grind. However, when it comes to Christ, our work is daily, and we must always be ready and willing to share the Gospel with those we encounter. It is our labor of love. For Labor Day weekend in 2018, we asked some guest speakers of the congregation to share with us on how their work and services has shaped their walk with Christ and with others who are seeking the Lord.

It’s not easy to forgive someone who has hurt us. But when we do something to hurt others, we want to be forgiven. And above all, we want God to forgive our sins. Does that just happen, or do we have something to do with forgiveness? Many have opinions on this, but the one whose opinion we need to know is the one whose forgiveness we seek. What has God said?

Friends are important to us.  Casual friends, close friends, BFFs.  Friends are not just important to us—they influence us.  How many of us remember the peer pressure of adolescence?  Of course peer pressure—and the need for peers—doesn’t change as we emerge from adolescence.  We all have peers.  The difference between adolescents and adults is we can do a better job of choosing our friends and governing our friendships?

Those of us with a few years on us remember the retort GIGO when we complain about the result of something.  It was used to describe why computers—which were supposed to be so advanced—could make such extraordinary errors.  The answer?  Garbage In Garbage Out.  So, are we the same as computers?  Is what comes out of us—thoughts, words, actions—the result of what goes in?  If so, what is the garbage we have to beware of?

God loves us—you and me.  In fact, God is Love!  So how can someone whose very nature is Love hate?  And if he hates, what is the object of that hate?