Lakeside Fellowship United Methodist Church Sanford, FL
Monday, September 06, 2010
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What Do We Believe?
Some of you are exploring a life of faith for the first time. Some of you may be comparing Christian beliefs with beliefs of other religions. Some are looking for a deeper life. Some are trying to grow in their daily awareness of God’s presence. Some desire to use this experience to prepare for taking the vows of membership into Lakeside Fellowship UMC. Welcome to the journey of faith!
Here are some fundamental assumptions about the faith you need to know.
1. We are all “on the way,” meaning that you won’t find perfect people here. What distinguishes people who have decided to learn to live for Jesus is that they are intentionally seeking to grow in their ability to live like Jesus. Welcome to the journey!
2. Christian faith is not just a set of rational beliefs and not just a set of rules for behavior, it is a way of life that includes beliefs we hold in our minds, emotions we feel, and actions we live. Jesus truly wants to make our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and spirits complete by helping them reflect his character.
3. In order to grow to think, feel, and live like Jesus, we must practice! Like a great musician must practice basic patterns and then learn to apply them with creativity and artistry in complex situations, so we must learn to practice the basic patterns of life that Jesus lived and artistically learn to apply them to the challenges of our daily lives. We become what we practice. To become like Jesus, we must practice living like Jesus.
4. In order for us to grow in a deep, loving relationship with God, we must realize that we depend on the grace of God. We can’t make God forgive us for anything we’ve done wrong. Only God can forgive us for our sins. We can’t make ourselves become more like Jesus on our own power. We depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to practice and grow.
5. At Lakeside, we believe that our purpose is to gather, grow, and sow the love of Jesus Christ. We value welcoming new people into the body of Jesus, experiencing God through worship, living like Jesus, loving like Jesus, and serving each other, our community, and our world. These are the anchors that hold our individual lives together in unity. For more specific details on what we believe, please see our Resource Links below.
Resources:
• Lakeside Fellowship Grower's Guide
• Congregational Doctrine -
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