We Believe in…4 January 2026
05 01 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
We Believe in…
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
January 4, 2026
Ephesians 2:8-10, 17-19
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: We become what we behold…and believe.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:8-10, 17-19
Happy new year! There’s nothing like new beginnings, and today we begin a new day, a new week, a new year…and a new sermon series. As I prayed about how to start 2026, I learned about an ancient creed that celebrated 1700 years…last year. The Nicene Creed is 1701 years old and whether you have it memorized or have no idea what a creed is, I believe this exploration of the basics of our faith will ground us in the good, beautiful, and true and equip us for a great year ahead.
Who are you? Years ago, I tried to summarize myself in as few words as possible. I think I can adequately describe myself as a spiritual pilgrim, artist, and entrepreneur. Upon further reflection, one additional word is necessary to convey my identity: papa!
Take a few moments to describe yourself. PAUSE
Who is God? What do you believe?
Tragically, many don’t really know, which has led to cults and false teachers through the centuries. It’s not uncommon to hitch your wagon to your favorite author, theologian, preacher, or online influencer. There are many myths about Christianity and fictitious scripture verses such as, “God helps those who help themselves” which is not in the Bible!
Although some call it a book, the Bible is really a library, a collection of 66 books. Despite Jesus’ prayers for unity in John 17, there are now over 40,000 Christian denominations in our world, most of whom would say the Bible is their authority, yet the interpretation and application of its timeless truths have created tremendous divisions, not the least of which is the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant camps.
A creed is “a summary statement of beliefs that unites Christians from all denominations and all generations.” It’s an overview of the Christian faith, coming from “credo” in Latin meaning “I believe.” Much like my summary of myself, a creed offers the highlights of the holy scriptures. Creeds connect us to the ancient roots of our faith. Some creeds are believed to date back to the apostles after Pentecost about two thousand years ago. Many of you know the Apostle’s Creed. Creeds that followed sought to clarify aspects of their predecessors. Describing God and summarizing thousands of pages is a daunting task, after all!
Last year, Pope Leo said,
In the unity of faith, proclaimed since the beginning of the Church, Christians have been called to walk in harmony, guarding and transmitting the gift they have received with love and joy. This is expressed in the words of the Creed, “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God… for our salvation he came down from heaven,” that were formulated 1700 years ago by the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical gathering in the history of Christianity.
All Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians believe the Nicene Creed…with one small exception, which we’ll address later in the series. So what does it say? What could all Christians possibly agree about?!
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.
Right about now you may be thinking, “Who cares about five paragraphs written 1701 years ago? How will that help me pay my Visa bill, get me a promotion at work, help me raise my kids, or ensure I don’t get the flu this winter?”
At our Christmas Eve services, I said we become what we behold. If we don’t know God, we can’t become like Him. If we don’t understand the basics of the faith, we don’t possess a reliable, useful, relevant faith.
One of the things that excites me about the Nicene Creed is how it clarifies closed-hand issues that are non-negotiable for anyone calling themselves a Christian. It illuminates what we have in common with followers of Jesus from other traditions. The family of God is quite diverse, not only in age and ethnicity but also in worship practices and what I like to call open-handed issues that are important but not essential to our faith. Some of those issues—the things which sadly divide Christians—include modes of baptism, the meaning of communion, and spiritual gifts.
For a bit of history, I want to take you back 1701 years to the town of Nicaea in modern-day Turkey. Between May and June 19, 325 AD, a council—a gathering of Christian leaders—was assembled Christians were wrestling with differences about the nature of Jesus, among other things, specifically the question was he created, a believe known as Arianism. That belief was condemned by the phrase
…true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father
There were other things clarified such as determining the date for Easter and various church laws called canons (not the war weapon!).
One of the influential members at the Council of Nicaea was an African from Alexandria, Egypt named Athanasius who was an outspoken critic of Arianism, that Jesus was created and, therefore, was not fully God. Based upon these scriptures (Isaiah 9:6, John 5-6, Philippians 2:5-13, Colossians 1:15-19 Hebrews 1:3), it was determined that
• Jesus Christ is “begotten, not made”
• He is “of the same essence” (homoousias) with the Father
• The Son is eternal, not created
As scholars and historians celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed last year, many lamented the fact that the town of Iznik, Turkey where the council occurred has no church today. Maybe it would be a good place to plant a new church!
About 2000 years ago, Paul wrote these words to a church in modern day Turkey:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
This is a portrait of every follower of Jesus, regardless of the church or denomination. We are all masterpieces, created in Jesus to do the good things God prepared for us to do before the foundation of the earth!
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4a)
A few verses later, Paul says of Jesus,
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:17-18)
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, (Ephesians 2:17-18)
We are one in Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters in a global family of approximately 2.3 billion people on our planet of 8 billion souls.
So What?
As we begin the new year, I want to challenge you to reflect upon two questions:
Who are you? Who is God?
We will address the second question throughout this series, grounding you in the holy scriptures that have united Christians for two thousand years. We become what we behold…and believe.
Your task, then, is to determine who you are, who God has uniquely created you to be, and discover the good works He has created you to do. In a broad sense, this is clearly to love God and love others as yourself. But as we behold the LORD, we will gain clarity on how we are created in His image and the masterpiece we see in the mirror.
Theologian and author Leonard Sweet recently spoke of “a creed not just to recite, but to live. A confession not just of what we believe, but of who we are becoming.”
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
Amen.
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
January 4, 2026
Ephesians 2:8-10, 17-19
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: We become what we behold…and believe.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:8-10, 17-19
Happy new year! There’s nothing like new beginnings, and today we begin a new day, a new week, a new year…and a new sermon series. As I prayed about how to start 2026, I learned about an ancient creed that celebrated 1700 years…last year. The Nicene Creed is 1701 years old and whether you have it memorized or have no idea what a creed is, I believe this exploration of the basics of our faith will ground us in the good, beautiful, and true and equip us for a great year ahead.
Who are you? Years ago, I tried to summarize myself in as few words as possible. I think I can adequately describe myself as a spiritual pilgrim, artist, and entrepreneur. Upon further reflection, one additional word is necessary to convey my identity: papa!
Take a few moments to describe yourself. PAUSE
Who is God? What do you believe?
Tragically, many don’t really know, which has led to cults and false teachers through the centuries. It’s not uncommon to hitch your wagon to your favorite author, theologian, preacher, or online influencer. There are many myths about Christianity and fictitious scripture verses such as, “God helps those who help themselves” which is not in the Bible!
Although some call it a book, the Bible is really a library, a collection of 66 books. Despite Jesus’ prayers for unity in John 17, there are now over 40,000 Christian denominations in our world, most of whom would say the Bible is their authority, yet the interpretation and application of its timeless truths have created tremendous divisions, not the least of which is the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant camps.
A creed is “a summary statement of beliefs that unites Christians from all denominations and all generations.” It’s an overview of the Christian faith, coming from “credo” in Latin meaning “I believe.” Much like my summary of myself, a creed offers the highlights of the holy scriptures. Creeds connect us to the ancient roots of our faith. Some creeds are believed to date back to the apostles after Pentecost about two thousand years ago. Many of you know the Apostle’s Creed. Creeds that followed sought to clarify aspects of their predecessors. Describing God and summarizing thousands of pages is a daunting task, after all!
Last year, Pope Leo said,
In the unity of faith, proclaimed since the beginning of the Church, Christians have been called to walk in harmony, guarding and transmitting the gift they have received with love and joy. This is expressed in the words of the Creed, “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God… for our salvation he came down from heaven,” that were formulated 1700 years ago by the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical gathering in the history of Christianity.
All Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians believe the Nicene Creed…with one small exception, which we’ll address later in the series. So what does it say? What could all Christians possibly agree about?!
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.
Right about now you may be thinking, “Who cares about five paragraphs written 1701 years ago? How will that help me pay my Visa bill, get me a promotion at work, help me raise my kids, or ensure I don’t get the flu this winter?”
At our Christmas Eve services, I said we become what we behold. If we don’t know God, we can’t become like Him. If we don’t understand the basics of the faith, we don’t possess a reliable, useful, relevant faith.
One of the things that excites me about the Nicene Creed is how it clarifies closed-hand issues that are non-negotiable for anyone calling themselves a Christian. It illuminates what we have in common with followers of Jesus from other traditions. The family of God is quite diverse, not only in age and ethnicity but also in worship practices and what I like to call open-handed issues that are important but not essential to our faith. Some of those issues—the things which sadly divide Christians—include modes of baptism, the meaning of communion, and spiritual gifts.
For a bit of history, I want to take you back 1701 years to the town of Nicaea in modern-day Turkey. Between May and June 19, 325 AD, a council—a gathering of Christian leaders—was assembled Christians were wrestling with differences about the nature of Jesus, among other things, specifically the question was he created, a believe known as Arianism. That belief was condemned by the phrase
…true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father
There were other things clarified such as determining the date for Easter and various church laws called canons (not the war weapon!).
One of the influential members at the Council of Nicaea was an African from Alexandria, Egypt named Athanasius who was an outspoken critic of Arianism, that Jesus was created and, therefore, was not fully God. Based upon these scriptures (Isaiah 9:6, John 5-6, Philippians 2:5-13, Colossians 1:15-19 Hebrews 1:3), it was determined that
• Jesus Christ is “begotten, not made”
• He is “of the same essence” (homoousias) with the Father
• The Son is eternal, not created
As scholars and historians celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed last year, many lamented the fact that the town of Iznik, Turkey where the council occurred has no church today. Maybe it would be a good place to plant a new church!
About 2000 years ago, Paul wrote these words to a church in modern day Turkey:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
This is a portrait of every follower of Jesus, regardless of the church or denomination. We are all masterpieces, created in Jesus to do the good things God prepared for us to do before the foundation of the earth!
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4a)
A few verses later, Paul says of Jesus,
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:17-18)
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, (Ephesians 2:17-18)
We are one in Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters in a global family of approximately 2.3 billion people on our planet of 8 billion souls.
So What?
As we begin the new year, I want to challenge you to reflect upon two questions:
Who are you? Who is God?
We will address the second question throughout this series, grounding you in the holy scriptures that have united Christians for two thousand years. We become what we behold…and believe.
Your task, then, is to determine who you are, who God has uniquely created you to be, and discover the good works He has created you to do. In a broad sense, this is clearly to love God and love others as yourself. But as we behold the LORD, we will gain clarity on how we are created in His image and the masterpiece we see in the mirror.
Theologian and author Leonard Sweet recently spoke of “a creed not just to recite, but to live. A confession not just of what we believe, but of who we are becoming.”
You were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory.
Amen.