Scripture: Ephesians 2:17-22
As we celebrate Back to Church Sunday, I hope that what we experience today is just the beginning—a taste of the belonging we can experience here, and an invitation to come back for more. Whether you’re a regular member, a first-time visitor, or on the fence about church, I invite you to commit to joining us for this four-week journey, where we will explore what the concept Together means for us individually, as a church, and as a part of our world as a whole. Over the next four weeks, we will discover together how we experience peace, love, strength, and purpose as we explore these themes:
- Together We Find Peace
- Together We Experience Love
- Together We Grow Stronger
- Together We Can Change the World
Peace in Unity
- No longer foreigner or strangers
- The church is a place of belonging
- Unity in God’s grace
Grace
- God’s unmerited favor towards mankind
- A gift from a loving God – we’ve done nothing to deserve
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Peace in God’s Presence
- Peace is not a thing – it’s a person
- Jesus Christ is our peace
- The Holy Spirit brings peace
The Way of Peace
- We are all being built together
- Live and worship in unity with Jesus as our source of peace
- Encourage and support each other
- Together reflect God’s nature and relationship