Scenic Stop #1 - Who We Are as Christians

SBPC’s vision statement sets the scene --  “We seek to be a growing community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”  At the heart of it all, we are simple followers of Jesus. Easy to say, but what do we mean?

The Bible starts with an encouraging word about you and me.
          “God created humans in His own image.
            God blessed them and said to them:
            ‘Be fruitful and rule over the earth’”
                                  Genesis 1:27-28

God designed a gloriously beautiful and intricately balanced world. The highpoint of His creative genius was a unique species – human beings. He created us to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him and to cooperate with Him in “caring” for the rest of creation (Genesis 2:15) so that all of creation would reflect the beauties and harmonies of its Creator. Each of us is made to, in some unique way, reflect or image the glories of God and to work with God to bring out those glories in the rest of creation. I love the way Paul puts it, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for a life of good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

For many years I didn’t feel this way. I’d compare myself to others and think “I’m not smart enough; I’m not musical enough; I’m not athletic enough; I’m not strong enough.” And the list  went on and on. If you think about it, the advertising industry spends billions of dollars every day to convince us that we are not enough – we don’t wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, or drink the right beer. Over time, I believed it. The liability list so depressed my soul that I wanted to end it all. I thought I belonged in a dumpster. At times I felt so low, I took comfort in planning my own demise.

Then the good news of the Bible got a hold of me – that God made me just the way He wanted me, for a purpose that no one else in all the world could fulfill. I began to believe this truth and spotted it on a little poster: “God made me and God doesn’t make junk.” Wow! That fact wrapped itself around me like a life jacket and has kept my head above water for decades!

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