Stewards, 22 February 2026
24 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | Money Matter$
Stewards
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Money Matters
February 22, 2026
Deuteronomy 10:14-22
Series Big Idea: Money is a powerful tool that can bless or destroy.
Big Idea: Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.
A few years ago, the Major League Baseball club in Cleveland made news when they announced their search for a new, politically correct name. Not being from Ohio and failing to understand the history, I was surprised when they adopted the name Guardians. I later learned there were guardian sculptures on the nearby Hope Memorial Bridge, symbolically offering protection and safety. Their website states, “We hope that wearing the name Guardians will make our fans proud to protect and preserve all that we love about this city.”
I didn’t plan to talk about guardians, but it appeared in a thesaurus search under “stewards,” our topic today. Like a guardian, a steward manages the property, affairs, or finances of another person, one who is put in charge of something valuable.
Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. His guardians.
We’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at the subject of money. Few topics are more relevant. Money impacts everything from our marriages to our worship. Money matters!
Some people get nervous when money is mentioned in church. Are we beginning a fundraising campaign? No. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, College First is paying its bills. This is about discipleship…helping you follow and obey Jesus. Jesus talked about it more than heaven and hell combined! This is not about what I want from you but rather what God wants FOR you.
In what may be the first book of the Bible written, Job says,
and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
Job had lost most everything in his life. At the end of the book, he gets most of it back…and then some. Even in the midst of unbearable suffering, Job understood…
Everything we have belongs to God.
It’s all His. Everything. Our bank accounts. Our 410(k). Our talents. Our bodies. Our health. Our future. Our family. Our friends. Our homes. It’s all His.
This is a problem for many. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard some say, “I earned this. I built this. I deserve this. I own this. I accomplished this…” To quote a famous line from Finding Nemo…
Mine, Mine, Mine!
But it’s not. Nothing is truly yours. It all belongs to the LORD.
Recently, I’ve heard more acknowledgements of God in an interesting place…athletic press conferences! I find it refreshing to hear sports stars give God credit and glory for their accomplishments. Did God score the winning touchdown? No. Did God lace up skates and win a medal? No. Do athletes win championships without effort or training? Hardly. But I take notice when people recognize God is the one who creates our bodies, gifts us with abilities, creates opportunities, provides protection, and has a will and plan for each of our lives. Moses wrote,
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
I see the stars/I hear the rolling thunder/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
But it’s not just the heavens that are his. The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
When I was a young boy, I played with G.I. Joe. I had a Jeep for him. I had a cool space capsule for him. I had different military outfits. But at no point did Joe turn to me and say, “This stuff is mine!”
I realize it’s a silly example, but it’s tempting for us to look at our stuff and say, “Mine!” At any moment, you could lose anything and everything, beginning with your very life. Everything belongs to the LORD. It’s a wonder we can have a relationship with Him. Moses continues,
Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:15-16)
God is so good!
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:17)
This is our God! He is greater than any prime minister, president, or prince. He has more wealth than every billionaire combined. He is stronger than any power or force. Yet He is pure, honest, and love.
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
This is our God. He is not fair. Grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love are never fair. But He’s good! And He wants us to follow Him. It’s important to notice the context: the people were slaves in Egypt and have been liberated.
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
How quickly we forget our past, God’s grace, how far we’ve come.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Deuteronomy 10:20-22)
What do the people owe God? Everything!
What do we owe God? Everything!
Everything we have belongs to God. We are his stewards. We are his guardians.
Please take out your wallet. Look inside. It belongs to God. All of it. The debit cards, the savings account, the 401(k), and the checkbook, too.
When you invest money with a banker or financial planner, they don’t keep them money. It’s not theirs. It’s on loan to them for the purpose of keeping the money safe and watching it grow. If you put $100 in the bank, you don’t expect them to say, “We lost half of it so here’s $50. If it’s a saving or investment account, you hope to be able to withdraw more than $100, in time”
Growing up, my dad had a company car. Then a company van! He had several Dodge vans over the year, filled with catalogs he would take to various sales calls. The van did not belong to dad, yet he took very good care of it. He would eventually trade it in for a newer model. The nice thing was the company was responsible for the purchase and expenses. If it broke, dad would go to the company and ask them to repair it.
This is true for all of our stuff. It belongs to the LORD. We are to steward and guard our possessions. We are to ultimately use them for God’s glory. We are to invest.
During our new year orientation of church leaders, I told everyone there is no money available to spend. We are only to invest budgeted funds…in loving, equipping, and sending.
Jesus told a great parable about three men who were given bags of gold. The first man was given five bags of gold. He invested them and doubled his money for the master.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
The second man was given two bags of gold. He also invested it and received the same response.
The third man was given one bag of gold and instead of investing it went to Starbucks and drank it all away! No, he hid it in the ground.
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:26-27)
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:28-30)
So What?
Jesus’ half brother wrote,
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
We have all been blessed with freedom in this country, life, and fellowship together. Many of you have cars, homes, education, friends, talents, health, and money. Capital One asks, “What’s in your wallet?” These gifts are not to be used. They are to be invested. One day, we will all stand before God and have to give an account for how we guarded and stewarded our gifts. What a sobering thought! What will God say to you? What will He say to me? I pray He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Money Matters
February 22, 2026
Deuteronomy 10:14-22
Series Big Idea: Money is a powerful tool that can bless or destroy.
Big Idea: Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.
A few years ago, the Major League Baseball club in Cleveland made news when they announced their search for a new, politically correct name. Not being from Ohio and failing to understand the history, I was surprised when they adopted the name Guardians. I later learned there were guardian sculptures on the nearby Hope Memorial Bridge, symbolically offering protection and safety. Their website states, “We hope that wearing the name Guardians will make our fans proud to protect and preserve all that we love about this city.”
I didn’t plan to talk about guardians, but it appeared in a thesaurus search under “stewards,” our topic today. Like a guardian, a steward manages the property, affairs, or finances of another person, one who is put in charge of something valuable.
Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. His guardians.
We’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at the subject of money. Few topics are more relevant. Money impacts everything from our marriages to our worship. Money matters!
Some people get nervous when money is mentioned in church. Are we beginning a fundraising campaign? No. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, College First is paying its bills. This is about discipleship…helping you follow and obey Jesus. Jesus talked about it more than heaven and hell combined! This is not about what I want from you but rather what God wants FOR you.
In what may be the first book of the Bible written, Job says,
and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
Job had lost most everything in his life. At the end of the book, he gets most of it back…and then some. Even in the midst of unbearable suffering, Job understood…
Everything we have belongs to God.
It’s all His. Everything. Our bank accounts. Our 410(k). Our talents. Our bodies. Our health. Our future. Our family. Our friends. Our homes. It’s all His.
This is a problem for many. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard some say, “I earned this. I built this. I deserve this. I own this. I accomplished this…” To quote a famous line from Finding Nemo…
Mine, Mine, Mine!
But it’s not. Nothing is truly yours. It all belongs to the LORD.
Recently, I’ve heard more acknowledgements of God in an interesting place…athletic press conferences! I find it refreshing to hear sports stars give God credit and glory for their accomplishments. Did God score the winning touchdown? No. Did God lace up skates and win a medal? No. Do athletes win championships without effort or training? Hardly. But I take notice when people recognize God is the one who creates our bodies, gifts us with abilities, creates opportunities, provides protection, and has a will and plan for each of our lives. Moses wrote,
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
I see the stars/I hear the rolling thunder/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
But it’s not just the heavens that are his. The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
When I was a young boy, I played with G.I. Joe. I had a Jeep for him. I had a cool space capsule for him. I had different military outfits. But at no point did Joe turn to me and say, “This stuff is mine!”
I realize it’s a silly example, but it’s tempting for us to look at our stuff and say, “Mine!” At any moment, you could lose anything and everything, beginning with your very life. Everything belongs to the LORD. It’s a wonder we can have a relationship with Him. Moses continues,
Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:15-16)
God is so good!
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:17)
This is our God! He is greater than any prime minister, president, or prince. He has more wealth than every billionaire combined. He is stronger than any power or force. Yet He is pure, honest, and love.
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
This is our God. He is not fair. Grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love are never fair. But He’s good! And He wants us to follow Him. It’s important to notice the context: the people were slaves in Egypt and have been liberated.
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
How quickly we forget our past, God’s grace, how far we’ve come.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Deuteronomy 10:20-22)
What do the people owe God? Everything!
What do we owe God? Everything!
Everything we have belongs to God. We are his stewards. We are his guardians.
Please take out your wallet. Look inside. It belongs to God. All of it. The debit cards, the savings account, the 401(k), and the checkbook, too.
When you invest money with a banker or financial planner, they don’t keep them money. It’s not theirs. It’s on loan to them for the purpose of keeping the money safe and watching it grow. If you put $100 in the bank, you don’t expect them to say, “We lost half of it so here’s $50. If it’s a saving or investment account, you hope to be able to withdraw more than $100, in time”
Growing up, my dad had a company car. Then a company van! He had several Dodge vans over the year, filled with catalogs he would take to various sales calls. The van did not belong to dad, yet he took very good care of it. He would eventually trade it in for a newer model. The nice thing was the company was responsible for the purchase and expenses. If it broke, dad would go to the company and ask them to repair it.
This is true for all of our stuff. It belongs to the LORD. We are to steward and guard our possessions. We are to ultimately use them for God’s glory. We are to invest.
During our new year orientation of church leaders, I told everyone there is no money available to spend. We are only to invest budgeted funds…in loving, equipping, and sending.
Jesus told a great parable about three men who were given bags of gold. The first man was given five bags of gold. He invested them and doubled his money for the master.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
The second man was given two bags of gold. He also invested it and received the same response.
The third man was given one bag of gold and instead of investing it went to Starbucks and drank it all away! No, he hid it in the ground.
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:26-27)
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:28-30)
So What?
Jesus’ half brother wrote,
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
We have all been blessed with freedom in this country, life, and fellowship together. Many of you have cars, homes, education, friends, talents, health, and money. Capital One asks, “What’s in your wallet?” These gifts are not to be used. They are to be invested. One day, we will all stand before God and have to give an account for how we guarded and stewarded our gifts. What a sobering thought! What will God say to you? What will He say to me? I pray He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
The Life of the World to Come, 15 February 2026
15 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
The Life of the World to Come
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 15, 2026
Philippians 3:20-21
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:20-21
Death is a subject many seek to avoid, yet we are all one day closer to it than we were yesterday. We’ve all experienced death in a variety of ways, from the funerals of loved ones to news stories of war to violence in movies. Death—and taxes—are certain.
Although thoughts of death should be terrifying for those who are not following Jesus, death for the believer is good news…actually, great news!
This morning we’re concluding our series on the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith in five paragraphs, written 1701 years ago. We’ve talked about it. We’ve sung about it. Let’s recite it together.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Today we’ll examine the final seventeen words. But first, how did death enter the world in the first place?
If we go back—way back—to the third chapter of the Bible, we see Adam and Eve banished from the garden of Eden after they disobeyed God.
And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from the garden and no longer had access to the tree of life…which was actually a blessing. Imagine living forever in these decaying bodies!
Scripture clearly teaches the resurrection of the dead, though it was not universally understood.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
The Sadducees of Jesus’ day were Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Today, we call such people nihilists.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:13-19)
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we can’t experience resurrection, and this whole thing known as the Christian faith is as real as unicorns.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Because he lives, we have hope for the future. It’s not confined to this moment, this earth, this body, this reality. I know most of us are U.S. citizens…
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We don’t know everything about our new bodies, but they will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. Pastor Glenn Packiam notes, “Resurrection is not an escape from the body; it’s the redemption and glorification of the body.”
Since resurrection Sunday, followers of Jesus have a hope and a future. This is why funerals for Christians is always bittersweet. We grieve our temporary loss, but celebrate both their gain and our ultimate reunion.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Not only will the dead rise, new creation—the world to come—is in our future.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
God will redeem, complete, perfect, and transform this world. Even though we sin, he does not abandon us. His promise is secure because of the empty tomb, proof that God has conquered sin and death. He will finish what He started at creation.
So What?
Author Leslie Newbigin asks,
“How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world which can be satisfactorily explained and managed without the hypothesis of God? I know of only one clue to the answering of that question, only one hermeneutic of the gospel: a congregation which believes it.”
In other words, we have hope. We have a future. We have God’s promises of new bodies, a new heaven, and a new earth. We can look beyond today’s headlines and see tomorrow’s paradise. We don’t become obsessed with money, sex, and power because we know something far greater awaits us. And as God’s people now, we are to proclaim good news, go and make disciples, pray for the sick, pursue justice, shine the light in the darkness, and most of all love well. Love like Jesus.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
While we wait, we don’t ignore the world. We fill it with faith, hope, and love. Jesus is returning. We need to get ready and help others get ready. I believe he is waiting for us to complete the task. Jesus said,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
College First family, let’s love, equip, and send…until Jesus returns!
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come. Let us follow the king, obey the king, and bring all honor and glory to the king, now and forever.
Amen!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 15, 2026
Philippians 3:20-21
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:20-21
Death is a subject many seek to avoid, yet we are all one day closer to it than we were yesterday. We’ve all experienced death in a variety of ways, from the funerals of loved ones to news stories of war to violence in movies. Death—and taxes—are certain.
Although thoughts of death should be terrifying for those who are not following Jesus, death for the believer is good news…actually, great news!
This morning we’re concluding our series on the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith in five paragraphs, written 1701 years ago. We’ve talked about it. We’ve sung about it. Let’s recite it together.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Today we’ll examine the final seventeen words. But first, how did death enter the world in the first place?
If we go back—way back—to the third chapter of the Bible, we see Adam and Eve banished from the garden of Eden after they disobeyed God.
And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from the garden and no longer had access to the tree of life…which was actually a blessing. Imagine living forever in these decaying bodies!
Scripture clearly teaches the resurrection of the dead, though it was not universally understood.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
The Sadducees of Jesus’ day were Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Today, we call such people nihilists.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:13-19)
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we can’t experience resurrection, and this whole thing known as the Christian faith is as real as unicorns.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Because he lives, we have hope for the future. It’s not confined to this moment, this earth, this body, this reality. I know most of us are U.S. citizens…
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We don’t know everything about our new bodies, but they will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. Pastor Glenn Packiam notes, “Resurrection is not an escape from the body; it’s the redemption and glorification of the body.”
Since resurrection Sunday, followers of Jesus have a hope and a future. This is why funerals for Christians is always bittersweet. We grieve our temporary loss, but celebrate both their gain and our ultimate reunion.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Not only will the dead rise, new creation—the world to come—is in our future.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
God will redeem, complete, perfect, and transform this world. Even though we sin, he does not abandon us. His promise is secure because of the empty tomb, proof that God has conquered sin and death. He will finish what He started at creation.
So What?
Author Leslie Newbigin asks,
“How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world which can be satisfactorily explained and managed without the hypothesis of God? I know of only one clue to the answering of that question, only one hermeneutic of the gospel: a congregation which believes it.”
In other words, we have hope. We have a future. We have God’s promises of new bodies, a new heaven, and a new earth. We can look beyond today’s headlines and see tomorrow’s paradise. We don’t become obsessed with money, sex, and power because we know something far greater awaits us. And as God’s people now, we are to proclaim good news, go and make disciples, pray for the sick, pursue justice, shine the light in the darkness, and most of all love well. Love like Jesus.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
While we wait, we don’t ignore the world. We fill it with faith, hope, and love. Jesus is returning. We need to get ready and help others get ready. I believe he is waiting for us to complete the task. Jesus said,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
College First family, let’s love, equip, and send…until Jesus returns!
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come. Let us follow the king, obey the king, and bring all honor and glory to the king, now and forever.
Amen!
One Holy Church, 8 February 2026
08 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
One Holy Church
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 8, 2026
Ephesians 4:2-6, 31-32
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Followers of Jesus are part of one, universal, global Church, the Bride of Christ.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:2-6, 31-32
Once upon a time, about 2000 years ago, where were two types of people: Jews and Gentiles. One day, a rabbi invited a dozen men to leave everything and follow him on a three-year journey, one that would change the world. After performing the ultimate miracle—resurrecting from the dead—he said he would leave again with the promise to return…soon. He sent the Holy Spirit—our subject last week—who initiated what is arguably the most powerful movement in the history of the world…the Church.
Throughout this new year, we’ve been examining one of the most important documents in the history of Christianity, the Nicene Creed. This five-paragraph summary of our faith understandably begins with God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today we are looking at the Church.
What in the world is the Church? Some use the word to describe a building. Others think of a weekend gathering of people. The original Greek word, ekklesia, means simply assembly, meeting, or congregation. By this definition, you could make an argument that online church isn’t! Of course, virtual gatherings have legitimacy, especially when physical proximity is impossible.
The Nicene Creed states,
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
There may be a few words there that raise an eyebrow, so let’s unpack this 1701 year-old statement.
We believe. This may not include you, and if not, we don’t want you to feel excluded. We love spiritual seekers investigating the Christian faith. Welcome. For the rest of us, we believe…in one. That means one! Holy means set apart, distinct. As you can see in the brackets, small-c catholic is not a reference to Roman Catholic with a capital-C but universal. Apostolic refers to following the teachings and authority of the apostles, those who were with Jesus. Church, of course, is our subject. Notice it is capitalized to denote the assembly or gathering of all followers of Jesus, not referring to a local congregation such as College First.
We are part of a diverse, global family. I hope I don’t need to say the Church is not just a white or western or USAmerican experience, but a multi-ethnic population. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the future of the Church:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)
There’s one more sentence in today’s statement.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Baptism is a public expression of an inward faith, a symbolic water grave that we enter to show our death to our selfish sins and that we exit to demonstrate being resurrected, made a new creation, forgiven of our sins not from our works but the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Unfortunately, the Church does not have a stellar history of one…of unity.
Are you ready for a crash course in Church history?
Jesus invested in twelve disciples and many others who were gathered together in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit arrived.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
This was the reversal of the Tower of Babel. We’ll dive into this on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, but suffice it to say what began with a Jewish rabbi quickly spread to Gentiles. Jesus did not come to start a new religion, but the movement now known as Christianity has spread around the world. Where two or more are gathered, there is conflict! Church history is tragically filled with divisions and splits. As churches spread throughout the Roman Empire, language, culture, and leadership led to key centers in Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. For the first thousand years or so, there was one Church with many cultures.
In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, a split between the western Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Constantinople. We mentioned the filoque last week, the understanding of the Holy Spirit, and papal authority and cultural and political divisions led to this separation, splitting the Church in two.
In the 1500s, abuses and corruption in the Catholic Church and theological issues led to the Protestant Reformation. These “Protestant” churches emphasized the authority of Scripture over church tradition and salvation by grace through faith alone, not works. Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in Switzerland, and Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich were among the primary Reformers that led to new congregations and a 66-book Bible following the Hebrew Old Testament.
I wish we could simply say there are Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, but over the years a number of Protestant denominations have emerged following theological and cultural differences. In fact, according to the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois, there are more than 42,000 Christian denominations around the world…Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Baptist, Church of God, and others.
Ironically, two of the things that have divided churches over the years have been communion and baptism, specifically the meaning of the bread and wine and how much water is used in baptism.
Jesus prayed that we would be one in John 17.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
I can’t imagine who much worse the divisions would be if he wasn’t praying for our unity!
Unity is one of the five prayers that I pray for College First Church of God. I pray for direction, protection, passion, good fruit, and unity.
I’ll never forget my wedding day, that thrilling moment Heather and her dad rounded the corner of the back of the sanctuary and headed toward me. She was—and is—the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I was thinking, “Come on down!” As beautiful as she was—and is—if she came down the aisle dismembered—arms flailing, eyeballs rolling, feet hopping, torso wiggling—I would’ve probably screamed in horror. I didn’t want Mrs. Potato Head! Beautiful parts alone don’t make a beautiful bride. There must be unity!
It’s always a challenge for any family to get along given our own preferences, opinions, and desires. When our focus is on Jesus rather than our selfish rights and views, we become unified, not around our agendas but his.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
A lot of people talk trash about the church because it’s filled with imperfect people. Duh! I’ve been brutally hurt by the church, by church people, by sinners…just like me! We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. It’s His Church, not mine or yours. In the midst of disillusionment with scandal, idolatry, and pure sin in the church, I’ve decided to try to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The church is called the Bride of Christ and you can’t love Jesus and hate his wife!
The Church exists to glorify God. It’s really not about us, though we’re privileged to be invited into God’s family. We’ve been sent on a mission…to go and make disciples.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
So What?
The church is not a building or even a service, but a family. There is one church in Findlay with multiple congregations. Followers of Jesus are part of a global community of believers here to bring glory to God, love one another, and offer faith, hope, and love to our world as we go and make disciples of all nations. We are all different. We bring different gifts and resources together to serve one another and fulfill the mission, the Great Commission.
I want the Church to grow stronger, healthier, and larger. I long for every person on the planet to be invited into the family…about 8 billion people, billions of whom have never even heard about Jesus! I love it when we gather together, but it’s ultimately to equip you to scatter, to go, to share the gospel, the good news.
As a practical next-step, I want to challenge you to pray for three people you can invite to our Easter celebration, April 5 which will be…at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. We’re taking the Church to the community. We’ll have one 10:30 AM gathering, bringing our congregation together while welcoming our friends and neighbors to experience the Church…and Jesus!
College First family, I love you. We’re going to equip you with invite cards beginning next week, and we want to send you into the world to be salt and light, to spread good news, to invite your friends and neighbors to “come and see.” Let’s throw Findlay the biggest party it’s ever seen! Let the Church celebrate the bridegroom…Jesus Christ!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 8, 2026
Ephesians 4:2-6, 31-32
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Followers of Jesus are part of one, universal, global Church, the Bride of Christ.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:2-6, 31-32
Once upon a time, about 2000 years ago, where were two types of people: Jews and Gentiles. One day, a rabbi invited a dozen men to leave everything and follow him on a three-year journey, one that would change the world. After performing the ultimate miracle—resurrecting from the dead—he said he would leave again with the promise to return…soon. He sent the Holy Spirit—our subject last week—who initiated what is arguably the most powerful movement in the history of the world…the Church.
Throughout this new year, we’ve been examining one of the most important documents in the history of Christianity, the Nicene Creed. This five-paragraph summary of our faith understandably begins with God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today we are looking at the Church.
What in the world is the Church? Some use the word to describe a building. Others think of a weekend gathering of people. The original Greek word, ekklesia, means simply assembly, meeting, or congregation. By this definition, you could make an argument that online church isn’t! Of course, virtual gatherings have legitimacy, especially when physical proximity is impossible.
The Nicene Creed states,
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
There may be a few words there that raise an eyebrow, so let’s unpack this 1701 year-old statement.
We believe. This may not include you, and if not, we don’t want you to feel excluded. We love spiritual seekers investigating the Christian faith. Welcome. For the rest of us, we believe…in one. That means one! Holy means set apart, distinct. As you can see in the brackets, small-c catholic is not a reference to Roman Catholic with a capital-C but universal. Apostolic refers to following the teachings and authority of the apostles, those who were with Jesus. Church, of course, is our subject. Notice it is capitalized to denote the assembly or gathering of all followers of Jesus, not referring to a local congregation such as College First.
We are part of a diverse, global family. I hope I don’t need to say the Church is not just a white or western or USAmerican experience, but a multi-ethnic population. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the future of the Church:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)
There’s one more sentence in today’s statement.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Baptism is a public expression of an inward faith, a symbolic water grave that we enter to show our death to our selfish sins and that we exit to demonstrate being resurrected, made a new creation, forgiven of our sins not from our works but the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Unfortunately, the Church does not have a stellar history of one…of unity.
Are you ready for a crash course in Church history?
Jesus invested in twelve disciples and many others who were gathered together in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit arrived.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
This was the reversal of the Tower of Babel. We’ll dive into this on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, but suffice it to say what began with a Jewish rabbi quickly spread to Gentiles. Jesus did not come to start a new religion, but the movement now known as Christianity has spread around the world. Where two or more are gathered, there is conflict! Church history is tragically filled with divisions and splits. As churches spread throughout the Roman Empire, language, culture, and leadership led to key centers in Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. For the first thousand years or so, there was one Church with many cultures.
In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, a split between the western Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Constantinople. We mentioned the filoque last week, the understanding of the Holy Spirit, and papal authority and cultural and political divisions led to this separation, splitting the Church in two.
In the 1500s, abuses and corruption in the Catholic Church and theological issues led to the Protestant Reformation. These “Protestant” churches emphasized the authority of Scripture over church tradition and salvation by grace through faith alone, not works. Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in Switzerland, and Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich were among the primary Reformers that led to new congregations and a 66-book Bible following the Hebrew Old Testament.
I wish we could simply say there are Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, but over the years a number of Protestant denominations have emerged following theological and cultural differences. In fact, according to the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois, there are more than 42,000 Christian denominations around the world…Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Baptist, Church of God, and others.
Ironically, two of the things that have divided churches over the years have been communion and baptism, specifically the meaning of the bread and wine and how much water is used in baptism.
Jesus prayed that we would be one in John 17.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
I can’t imagine who much worse the divisions would be if he wasn’t praying for our unity!
Unity is one of the five prayers that I pray for College First Church of God. I pray for direction, protection, passion, good fruit, and unity.
I’ll never forget my wedding day, that thrilling moment Heather and her dad rounded the corner of the back of the sanctuary and headed toward me. She was—and is—the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I was thinking, “Come on down!” As beautiful as she was—and is—if she came down the aisle dismembered—arms flailing, eyeballs rolling, feet hopping, torso wiggling—I would’ve probably screamed in horror. I didn’t want Mrs. Potato Head! Beautiful parts alone don’t make a beautiful bride. There must be unity!
It’s always a challenge for any family to get along given our own preferences, opinions, and desires. When our focus is on Jesus rather than our selfish rights and views, we become unified, not around our agendas but his.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
A lot of people talk trash about the church because it’s filled with imperfect people. Duh! I’ve been brutally hurt by the church, by church people, by sinners…just like me! We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. It’s His Church, not mine or yours. In the midst of disillusionment with scandal, idolatry, and pure sin in the church, I’ve decided to try to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The church is called the Bride of Christ and you can’t love Jesus and hate his wife!
The Church exists to glorify God. It’s really not about us, though we’re privileged to be invited into God’s family. We’ve been sent on a mission…to go and make disciples.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
So What?
The church is not a building or even a service, but a family. There is one church in Findlay with multiple congregations. Followers of Jesus are part of a global community of believers here to bring glory to God, love one another, and offer faith, hope, and love to our world as we go and make disciples of all nations. We are all different. We bring different gifts and resources together to serve one another and fulfill the mission, the Great Commission.
I want the Church to grow stronger, healthier, and larger. I long for every person on the planet to be invited into the family…about 8 billion people, billions of whom have never even heard about Jesus! I love it when we gather together, but it’s ultimately to equip you to scatter, to go, to share the gospel, the good news.
As a practical next-step, I want to challenge you to pray for three people you can invite to our Easter celebration, April 5 which will be…at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. We’re taking the Church to the community. We’ll have one 10:30 AM gathering, bringing our congregation together while welcoming our friends and neighbors to experience the Church…and Jesus!
College First family, I love you. We’re going to equip you with invite cards beginning next week, and we want to send you into the world to be salt and light, to spread good news, to invite your friends and neighbors to “come and see.” Let’s throw Findlay the biggest party it’s ever seen! Let the Church celebrate the bridegroom…Jesus Christ!
Holy Spirit, 1 February 2026
01 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
The Holy Spirit
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 1, 2026
Acts 1:6-8
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is a vital member of the Trinity seeking to make us like Christ.
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-8
In 1977, an emerging filmmaker created a science fiction movie that featured a line that has been quoted for decades, even leading to its own pseudo holiday on May 4:
May the force be with you.
As we continue our series on the Nicene Creed—an ancient statement of faith supported by Christians of all denominations—we turn from the Father and the Son to the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
My name is Kirk and it’s great to be back after being in Kenya training pastors. It was a fruitful trip, though it was a shock to the system to experience weather 80 degrees cooler when we arrived home! Thank you for your prayers.
Lance Finley and Alex Miller spoke the past two weeks about Jesus, the second member of the Trinity. Today we turn to the Holy Spirit.
There’s a lot of mystery and even fear concerning the Holy Spirit. Some think the Spirit is a force, as in Star Wars. This is not true. A force is ambiguous or nebulous, but the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a feeling, not an indifference or ambivalent element.
The Holy Spirit is not a ghost. The original Hebrew word, ruach, can be translated breath or wind. Visually, the Spirit is sometimes depicted as a dove, a reference to Jesus’ baptism.
We first see the Spirit mentioned in the second verse of the Bible.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
The Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—do life together, not unlike the biblical model of the family—mom, dad, and child. There is a synergy that exists when relationships are healthy, a mutual satisfaction resulting in the flourishing of all.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
If you will allow me to nerd out for just a moment, I’ve been saying the Nicene Creed has been embraced by all Christians—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant—with one exception. Here it is! Notice the brackets. Does the Spirit proceed from the Father or from the Father and the Son? Listen to this from the Colson Center:
The word filioque is Latin for “and the Son,” as in, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This is from the Nicene Creed, a widely accepted summary of Christian doctrine, which emerged from the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 and was finalized at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. The original text read only “who proceeds from the Father.” However, over subsequent generations, Christians in Western Europe included “... and the Son.” Eastern Christians did not.
Those three words in English, (and just one in Latin) carry enormous theological weight. Though other issues were at play, this was the final straw that led the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople to mutual excommunicate each other in 1054. For Western Christians, at issue is preserving the unity of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, who always works in the Name of Christ. For Eastern Christians, it’s a question of authority. For both, at stake is how best to understand the inner workings of the Godhead. Though certainly an issue of theological precision, the filioque is a matter of no small theological importance.
In other words, Orthodox Christians have a slightly different understanding of the Holy Spirit than Catholics and Protestants. You could spend days researching the ramifications of those three bracketed words. They don’t impact our salvation or practice, but it’s worth noting the theological difference it presents.
Theologian Michael Bird writes,
The divine persons have distinct operations or works appropriate to who they are, that is, the Father is the Creator, the Son is the redeemer, and the Spirit is renewer. But even then, their operations are inseparable, namely, the Father involves the Son and the Spirit in what he does, the Son is the Son of the Father and the bearer and dispenser of the Spirit, and the Spirit is sent by the Father through the Son.
The Holy Spirit is visible throughout the Old Testament, from the second verse of the Bible to helping Joseph interpret dreams in Egypt to giving builders skill to craft the tabernacle and its furniture to encounters with Balaam, Samson, King Saul, and the prophet Micaiah.
It’s not until Acts 2 that the Spirit is simultaneously present in every follower of Jesus. In our text for today, Jesus predicts the coming of the Holy Spirit.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This is a fantastic verse revealing the spread of the gospel from its epicenter in Jerusalem to eventually the ends of the earth. It forms a great metaphor for our mission to love, equip, and send as our Jerusalem is obviously Findlay and Hancock County, it includes the Great Lakes Conference covering Ohio and Michigan, moves throughout our nation, and encompasses the world, including Haiti, Kenya, and Thailand.
You can read about the Holy Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost in the next chapter, Acts 2. It describes the birth of the Church which we will celebrate on May 24. So what is the role of the Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin to the world. (John 16:8-11)
2. The Holy Spirit glorifies and reveals Jesus. (John 16:12-15)
3. The Holy Spirit enables us to confess Jesus is Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:3b)
4. The Holy Spirit gives us new birth. (John 3:5-6)
5. The Holy Spirit gives us a new life and a new status as children of God. (Romans 8:10-17)
6. The Holy Spirit brings comfort, helps us to pray, reveals truth, inspires and illuminates scripture.
7. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to serve the Church, witness to the world, and glorify God.
8. The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
I want to highlight one aspect of the fruit today: love. Followers of Jesus are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are commanded to love our enemy. This means if you call yourself a Christian, you are to love Republicans, Democrats, atheists, members of ICE, immigrants, Jews, Palestinians, Asians, LGBTQIA persons, Muslims, addicts, …and let’s not forget Wolverines!
I can hardly believe some of the things so-called Christians are saying and posting online. We are not going to all agree on every political candidate or issue. We are going to have different opinions about what to do with legal immigrants and illegal immigrants. We are going to see economics, government, and the second amendment differently.
But we are always called to love—to look out for the best interest of the other person—even when in the flesh you might want to hurt, harm, or hate. That’s the way of the world. The fruit of the Holy Spirit begins with love, and Jesus modeled it perfectly, praying for Roman guards nailing him to a cross.
It’s not easy to love…some people. It’s certainly not easy to love one’s enemies, whoever they may be. But that’s the litmus test of our faith—love. Don’t believe me? Read 1 Corinthians 13. College First, we must be a people of love, first and foremost. It’s about Jesus. He is our example. Don’t get sucked into political idolatry, worldly reactions, or selfish living. Remember the Golden Rule. We love God by loving others.
So What?
We need the Holy Spirit! We can’t love my enemies on my own power. We can’t experience peace by trying harder. We can’t produce joy on our own. One of the oldest prayers of the church is, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Pray it regularly. Seek the fruit. Surrender your will. Make space for the Holy Spirit in your heart.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18)
This is not a one-and-done filling, but a continuous filling, like if I say, “Breathe!” We are to breathe constantly and be filled with the Spirit constantly. We make space by confessing our sins (exhale) and welcome the Holy Spirit (inhale), surrendering to the Spirit and receiving the fruit and gifts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
The Holy Spirit is not a force, a ghost, or feeling, but a Person, God, one third of the Trinity. We need the Holy Spirit to know Jesus and become like Jesus. There is life and power and fruit and gifts that the Holy Spirit offers. We simply need to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 1, 2026
Acts 1:6-8
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is a vital member of the Trinity seeking to make us like Christ.
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-8
In 1977, an emerging filmmaker created a science fiction movie that featured a line that has been quoted for decades, even leading to its own pseudo holiday on May 4:
May the force be with you.
As we continue our series on the Nicene Creed—an ancient statement of faith supported by Christians of all denominations—we turn from the Father and the Son to the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
My name is Kirk and it’s great to be back after being in Kenya training pastors. It was a fruitful trip, though it was a shock to the system to experience weather 80 degrees cooler when we arrived home! Thank you for your prayers.
Lance Finley and Alex Miller spoke the past two weeks about Jesus, the second member of the Trinity. Today we turn to the Holy Spirit.
There’s a lot of mystery and even fear concerning the Holy Spirit. Some think the Spirit is a force, as in Star Wars. This is not true. A force is ambiguous or nebulous, but the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a feeling, not an indifference or ambivalent element.
The Holy Spirit is not a ghost. The original Hebrew word, ruach, can be translated breath or wind. Visually, the Spirit is sometimes depicted as a dove, a reference to Jesus’ baptism.
We first see the Spirit mentioned in the second verse of the Bible.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
The Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—do life together, not unlike the biblical model of the family—mom, dad, and child. There is a synergy that exists when relationships are healthy, a mutual satisfaction resulting in the flourishing of all.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
If you will allow me to nerd out for just a moment, I’ve been saying the Nicene Creed has been embraced by all Christians—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant—with one exception. Here it is! Notice the brackets. Does the Spirit proceed from the Father or from the Father and the Son? Listen to this from the Colson Center:
The word filioque is Latin for “and the Son,” as in, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This is from the Nicene Creed, a widely accepted summary of Christian doctrine, which emerged from the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 and was finalized at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. The original text read only “who proceeds from the Father.” However, over subsequent generations, Christians in Western Europe included “... and the Son.” Eastern Christians did not.
Those three words in English, (and just one in Latin) carry enormous theological weight. Though other issues were at play, this was the final straw that led the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople to mutual excommunicate each other in 1054. For Western Christians, at issue is preserving the unity of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, who always works in the Name of Christ. For Eastern Christians, it’s a question of authority. For both, at stake is how best to understand the inner workings of the Godhead. Though certainly an issue of theological precision, the filioque is a matter of no small theological importance.
In other words, Orthodox Christians have a slightly different understanding of the Holy Spirit than Catholics and Protestants. You could spend days researching the ramifications of those three bracketed words. They don’t impact our salvation or practice, but it’s worth noting the theological difference it presents.
Theologian Michael Bird writes,
The divine persons have distinct operations or works appropriate to who they are, that is, the Father is the Creator, the Son is the redeemer, and the Spirit is renewer. But even then, their operations are inseparable, namely, the Father involves the Son and the Spirit in what he does, the Son is the Son of the Father and the bearer and dispenser of the Spirit, and the Spirit is sent by the Father through the Son.
The Holy Spirit is visible throughout the Old Testament, from the second verse of the Bible to helping Joseph interpret dreams in Egypt to giving builders skill to craft the tabernacle and its furniture to encounters with Balaam, Samson, King Saul, and the prophet Micaiah.
It’s not until Acts 2 that the Spirit is simultaneously present in every follower of Jesus. In our text for today, Jesus predicts the coming of the Holy Spirit.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This is a fantastic verse revealing the spread of the gospel from its epicenter in Jerusalem to eventually the ends of the earth. It forms a great metaphor for our mission to love, equip, and send as our Jerusalem is obviously Findlay and Hancock County, it includes the Great Lakes Conference covering Ohio and Michigan, moves throughout our nation, and encompasses the world, including Haiti, Kenya, and Thailand.
You can read about the Holy Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost in the next chapter, Acts 2. It describes the birth of the Church which we will celebrate on May 24. So what is the role of the Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin to the world. (John 16:8-11)
2. The Holy Spirit glorifies and reveals Jesus. (John 16:12-15)
3. The Holy Spirit enables us to confess Jesus is Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:3b)
4. The Holy Spirit gives us new birth. (John 3:5-6)
5. The Holy Spirit gives us a new life and a new status as children of God. (Romans 8:10-17)
6. The Holy Spirit brings comfort, helps us to pray, reveals truth, inspires and illuminates scripture.
7. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to serve the Church, witness to the world, and glorify God.
8. The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
I want to highlight one aspect of the fruit today: love. Followers of Jesus are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are commanded to love our enemy. This means if you call yourself a Christian, you are to love Republicans, Democrats, atheists, members of ICE, immigrants, Jews, Palestinians, Asians, LGBTQIA persons, Muslims, addicts, …and let’s not forget Wolverines!
I can hardly believe some of the things so-called Christians are saying and posting online. We are not going to all agree on every political candidate or issue. We are going to have different opinions about what to do with legal immigrants and illegal immigrants. We are going to see economics, government, and the second amendment differently.
But we are always called to love—to look out for the best interest of the other person—even when in the flesh you might want to hurt, harm, or hate. That’s the way of the world. The fruit of the Holy Spirit begins with love, and Jesus modeled it perfectly, praying for Roman guards nailing him to a cross.
It’s not easy to love…some people. It’s certainly not easy to love one’s enemies, whoever they may be. But that’s the litmus test of our faith—love. Don’t believe me? Read 1 Corinthians 13. College First, we must be a people of love, first and foremost. It’s about Jesus. He is our example. Don’t get sucked into political idolatry, worldly reactions, or selfish living. Remember the Golden Rule. We love God by loving others.
So What?
We need the Holy Spirit! We can’t love my enemies on my own power. We can’t experience peace by trying harder. We can’t produce joy on our own. One of the oldest prayers of the church is, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Pray it regularly. Seek the fruit. Surrender your will. Make space for the Holy Spirit in your heart.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18)
This is not a one-and-done filling, but a continuous filling, like if I say, “Breathe!” We are to breathe constantly and be filled with the Spirit constantly. We make space by confessing our sins (exhale) and welcome the Holy Spirit (inhale), surrendering to the Spirit and receiving the fruit and gifts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
The Holy Spirit is not a force, a ghost, or feeling, but a Person, God, one third of the Trinity. We need the Holy Spirit to know Jesus and become like Jesus. There is life and power and fruit and gifts that the Holy Spirit offers. We simply need to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Father, 11 January 2026
11 01 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
One God, the Father, the Almighty
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
January 11, 2026
Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 42:5-7
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: God the Father is good, faithful, and one Person of the Trinity.
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 42:5-7
What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever made? Perhaps it was a song, a painting, or a poem. Maybe it was cookies, a gourmet meal, a shed, or a pinewood derby car. When considering the question, I thought of our children, though technically I co-created them!
The first verse of the Bible states,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
After an introduction last Sunday, today we dive into the text of the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith assembled 1701 years ago in a city in modern day Turkey designed to clarify the teachings of the Bible and unify Christians. Today, it is a statement affirmed by Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians (with one small exception we’ll discuss later). The creed begins,
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
I realize some of you might not believe this—or any part of the Nicene Creed—and that’s fine. We’re glad you’re here and we invite you to explore what 2.3 billion people around the world believe. This is a safe place to bring doubts and questions.
The statement itself has several parts we will explore. First, we believe in one God. This may not sound radical, but throughout human history there have been atheists who do not believe in God, polytheists who believe in multiple Gods, and monotheists who believe in one God. The Greeks had many gods and temples that were the backdrop for much of the writing of the New Testament. Obviously, Christians are monotheists, though some have questioned whether we believe in three Gods. We do not.
For thousands of years, Jews have recited a prayer known as the Shema, a declaration of faith. It begins,
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
We believe in one God who exists in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There have been many metaphors to explain what we call the Trinity. We’re describing God, so we shouldn’t be surprised it’s mysterious or overwhelming. Someone said if we could fully understand God, we would be God!
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
When we look at this verse in the original Hebrew, the word for God is Elohim. It refers to one God but is grammatically plural. We don’t have time to explore the details, but this is one of about 2600 times elohim is used as a singular noun.
My favorite metaphor for the Trinity is my son, grandson, and myself. We are three different people, but we are all 100% Mr. Schneemann. If the three of us were together and someone said, “Mr. Schneemann!” we would all respond. I’m not more or less Mr. Schneemann than the others. We have distinct personhood, but we’re all one family. This is not a perfect metaphor, but it’s my favorite. To clarify, we are NOT God!
Our theme today focuses on God the Father.
We believe in one God, the Father…
We believe in one God, the Father. Tragically, the word Father has negative connotations for some based upon their biological dad. As a result, some have replaced the noun with mother, but the scriptures consistently use the male word.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty. The Hebrew word for Almighty is Shaddai.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)
Almighty—Shaddai—is a title for God. He appeared to Abram to announce he would become a dad…at nearly one hundred years of age! Only God Almighty could accomplish this!
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible. I think that covers everything!
This is what God the LORD says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: (Isaiah 42:5)
Potters create with clay.
Baristas create with coffee.
Musicians create with instruments.
Legoists create with…Legos!
God creates with…His voice! From nothing!
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)
Some of the rabbis believe God sung creation into existence, which gives me the chills!
The rest of our text from the prophet Isaiah says,
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6-7)
Here’s where this gets exciting: Almighty God, Creator of the universe, uniquely created you and me for—wait for it—a relationship with Himself. I’ve heard this for more than five decades, but it never ceases to amaze me. The One who put the stars in the sky, created the giraffe, made the redwood trees, spoke into existence the sun, moon, and planets…He wants a relationship with you! And me!
If that’s not enough, Isaiah says He has work for us to do. We’re on a mission from God! I love how one writer describes this: invitation and challenge. God invites us into relationship—to sit on His lap, so to speak—and then gives us an assignment.
“…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Don’t miss that last sentence. He is with us. Always. That’s relationship. He goes with you when you leave today. He’ll be at the office, rec center, or classroom tomorrow. He’s always available, always listening, always eager to hear your voice, always good, always faithful, always loving…and He’s all-powerful, ever-present, and all-knowing.
And He knows your name! He knows my name! Can I get a witness up in here?!
Last week I challenged you to seek to understand who God uniquely created you to be with the homework to describe yourself in ten words or less. We are exploring who is God? in this series, and if you can answer who are you, clarity will emerge about meaning, purpose, and joy.
To assist you, we are hosting a powerful four-week workshop entitled Refocus on Purpose. There’s info in your bulletin and in the lobby. This is a perfect next-step for you as you not only step into this new year but literally the rest of your life.
So What?
Whenever we talk about God, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. As I said on Christmas Eve, God is truly awesome, arguably the only One worthy of such a description. It’s incredible that the Creator of heaven and earth would tolerate us, much less embrace us. I can barely conceive of the reality that a holy God would want to have a relationship with a broken, sinful, ragamuffin like me. But the good news gets even greater!
Three of the four gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—record a miraculous event that occurred the moment Jesus died. Matthew wrote,
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:50-51a)
This curtain separated an area called the Holy of Holies from the people. Only the high priest could enter this space, and only once a year. This was the most special place on earth where God’s presence dwelt. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can go there, into the presence of Almighty God.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
We are invited in, to know the Creator of the universe, to do life with Him. That’s why we were created, to know God and glorify Him.
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
Followers of Jesus are related by blood—the blood of Jesus. We have a good, good Father who knows us by name, knows the number of hairs on our heads, knew us before the foundation of the world, and who will welcome us into His presence for eternity.
Do you know Him? If not, today can be the day you say “yes” to Jesus, the one whose death and resurrection reconcile us—reconnect us—to our Creator. No matter what words you use to describe yourself, your greatest identity will always be “child of the most high God, the Almighty, creator of the universe.”!
What’s the greatest thing God ever made? It’s you…and me. Unlike trees, angels, or dolphins, we were created in His image with dignity, value, and worth…and He invites us into His throne room, into a relationship with Him now and forever. He’s a good, good Father.
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
January 11, 2026
Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 42:5-7
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: God the Father is good, faithful, and one Person of the Trinity.
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 42:5-7
What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever made? Perhaps it was a song, a painting, or a poem. Maybe it was cookies, a gourmet meal, a shed, or a pinewood derby car. When considering the question, I thought of our children, though technically I co-created them!
The first verse of the Bible states,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
After an introduction last Sunday, today we dive into the text of the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith assembled 1701 years ago in a city in modern day Turkey designed to clarify the teachings of the Bible and unify Christians. Today, it is a statement affirmed by Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians (with one small exception we’ll discuss later). The creed begins,
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
I realize some of you might not believe this—or any part of the Nicene Creed—and that’s fine. We’re glad you’re here and we invite you to explore what 2.3 billion people around the world believe. This is a safe place to bring doubts and questions.
The statement itself has several parts we will explore. First, we believe in one God. This may not sound radical, but throughout human history there have been atheists who do not believe in God, polytheists who believe in multiple Gods, and monotheists who believe in one God. The Greeks had many gods and temples that were the backdrop for much of the writing of the New Testament. Obviously, Christians are monotheists, though some have questioned whether we believe in three Gods. We do not.
For thousands of years, Jews have recited a prayer known as the Shema, a declaration of faith. It begins,
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
We believe in one God who exists in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There have been many metaphors to explain what we call the Trinity. We’re describing God, so we shouldn’t be surprised it’s mysterious or overwhelming. Someone said if we could fully understand God, we would be God!
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
When we look at this verse in the original Hebrew, the word for God is Elohim. It refers to one God but is grammatically plural. We don’t have time to explore the details, but this is one of about 2600 times elohim is used as a singular noun.
My favorite metaphor for the Trinity is my son, grandson, and myself. We are three different people, but we are all 100% Mr. Schneemann. If the three of us were together and someone said, “Mr. Schneemann!” we would all respond. I’m not more or less Mr. Schneemann than the others. We have distinct personhood, but we’re all one family. This is not a perfect metaphor, but it’s my favorite. To clarify, we are NOT God!
Our theme today focuses on God the Father.
We believe in one God, the Father…
We believe in one God, the Father. Tragically, the word Father has negative connotations for some based upon their biological dad. As a result, some have replaced the noun with mother, but the scriptures consistently use the male word.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty. The Hebrew word for Almighty is Shaddai.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)
Almighty—Shaddai—is a title for God. He appeared to Abram to announce he would become a dad…at nearly one hundred years of age! Only God Almighty could accomplish this!
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible. I think that covers everything!
This is what God the LORD says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: (Isaiah 42:5)
Potters create with clay.
Baristas create with coffee.
Musicians create with instruments.
Legoists create with…Legos!
God creates with…His voice! From nothing!
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)
Some of the rabbis believe God sung creation into existence, which gives me the chills!
The rest of our text from the prophet Isaiah says,
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6-7)
Here’s where this gets exciting: Almighty God, Creator of the universe, uniquely created you and me for—wait for it—a relationship with Himself. I’ve heard this for more than five decades, but it never ceases to amaze me. The One who put the stars in the sky, created the giraffe, made the redwood trees, spoke into existence the sun, moon, and planets…He wants a relationship with you! And me!
If that’s not enough, Isaiah says He has work for us to do. We’re on a mission from God! I love how one writer describes this: invitation and challenge. God invites us into relationship—to sit on His lap, so to speak—and then gives us an assignment.
“…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Don’t miss that last sentence. He is with us. Always. That’s relationship. He goes with you when you leave today. He’ll be at the office, rec center, or classroom tomorrow. He’s always available, always listening, always eager to hear your voice, always good, always faithful, always loving…and He’s all-powerful, ever-present, and all-knowing.
And He knows your name! He knows my name! Can I get a witness up in here?!
Last week I challenged you to seek to understand who God uniquely created you to be with the homework to describe yourself in ten words or less. We are exploring who is God? in this series, and if you can answer who are you, clarity will emerge about meaning, purpose, and joy.
To assist you, we are hosting a powerful four-week workshop entitled Refocus on Purpose. There’s info in your bulletin and in the lobby. This is a perfect next-step for you as you not only step into this new year but literally the rest of your life.
So What?
Whenever we talk about God, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. As I said on Christmas Eve, God is truly awesome, arguably the only One worthy of such a description. It’s incredible that the Creator of heaven and earth would tolerate us, much less embrace us. I can barely conceive of the reality that a holy God would want to have a relationship with a broken, sinful, ragamuffin like me. But the good news gets even greater!
Three of the four gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—record a miraculous event that occurred the moment Jesus died. Matthew wrote,
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:50-51a)
This curtain separated an area called the Holy of Holies from the people. Only the high priest could enter this space, and only once a year. This was the most special place on earth where God’s presence dwelt. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can go there, into the presence of Almighty God.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
We are invited in, to know the Creator of the universe, to do life with Him. That’s why we were created, to know God and glorify Him.
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
Followers of Jesus are related by blood—the blood of Jesus. We have a good, good Father who knows us by name, knows the number of hairs on our heads, knew us before the foundation of the world, and who will welcome us into His presence for eternity.
Do you know Him? If not, today can be the day you say “yes” to Jesus, the one whose death and resurrection reconcile us—reconnect us—to our Creator. No matter what words you use to describe yourself, your greatest identity will always be “child of the most high God, the Almighty, creator of the universe.”!
What’s the greatest thing God ever made? It’s you…and me. Unlike trees, angels, or dolphins, we were created in His image with dignity, value, and worth…and He invites us into His throne room, into a relationship with Him now and forever. He’s a good, good Father.