We are Family Church

January 28th 2024

Series: The Essentials

Sermon Title: We are Family Church

Topic: A message launching our new name and tying it to Scripture.

Key Passages: Various

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message we will learn how we became named family church, why our logo is a redwood tree, and how it all comes from the Bible!

Green in sermons means illustration, something we are looking for a response from, or a picture that goes on the screens.

Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Sermon:

Hello Family Church!

Family Moment –

Start with something personal to help people get to know you.

Celebrate salvation’s / re-dedications / baptisms last week.

Welcome back to our FINAL week in our series called “The Essentials!”

This whole month we are looking at how we live like a FULLY devoted follower of Jesus!

We are LASER focusing on the things….

The activities….

The habits…..

The Biblical fundamentals….

That we believe are most VITAL to our Christian faith.

This whole month we are talking about the things that we think all of us need to do if we are to become healthy, mature, growing disciples of Jesus.

PAUSE

Three weeks ago, we jumped into what it means to love God and how we can grow in our love for Him through reading and obeying the Bible and talking with Him in prayer.

Two weeks ago, we looked at Jesus’ command to “Love our neighbor as ourselves.”

Last week we talked about the command from Jesus to make disciples…..who can make more disciples…

And this week we will wrap all of this up….talking about why we are called Family Church…

And why is our logo a Redwood Tree…

And how does ALL of this tie to our missions statement!!!!

Anyone remember what our missions statement is?

Hopefully now that we are into week 4!!!!

That right…. Write it down again!

Family Church Mission: Love God, Love people,and Make disciples.

Repeat

I think today will be very helpful for the hundreds of people how have started attending Family Church since we changed our name back in 2021….

Because all of you who are newer do NOT know why we changed out name and logo….

But after today you will!!!

PAUSE

We wanted to have a name that would communicate clearly who we are.

A name that will clearly communicate who we want to continue to be.

A name that would not compete with any other churches here in West Michigan.

And in addition, a name that is thoroughly Biblical….

PAUSE

We did not want to pick some super trendy name.

We were not looking for a hip name.

We were not looking for a name that confused people.

We wanted to pick something simple yet profound.

PAUSE

So, one of our SUPER amazing business owners said…. “I am going to pay for a marketing company that developed a few of my business names / concepts to do the same thing for the church.”

So, we started working with a creative in Holland and they helped us process through finding a name:

That would communicate clearly who we are.

A name that will clearly communicate who we want to continue to be.

A name that would not compete with any other churches here in West Michigan.

And in addition, a name that is thoroughly Biblical….

And they even made us a cool video to introduce it to us!!!

Some of you might remember it…

Let’s play that again….

This is back when I still wore glasses!!!!!

Check this out and then I will elaborate……

VIDEO of new name

Welcome Home…..

What a perfect ending to that video…

And how true to how we want you all to feel when you walk through the doors here.

New logo slide…..

PAUSE

Let me explain something….

When you walk into Family Church we do not want it to feel like a church.

Does that sound odd to any of you?

Let me explain why…..

When we started designing things, I felt God guiding me to make Grace not feel like walking into the church but walking into a home….

And not just any home…

Specifically, we wanted people to feel like they walked into their Mother’s or Grandma’s house.

Because we all love our moms….and if you don’t you better start because check out this verse:

Proverbs 15:20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

You better love your mamma and grandma God says!

And this is easy for me because…..

I grew up with an incredible grandmother.

I grew up with an amazing mom.

My wife is an incredible mom.

My mom is now an amazing grandmother.

And let me explain why I think so many of you over the years have walked into Family Church and said, “I felt like I was home the minute I got here.”

When we walk into our home, we instantly feel comfortable and we let our guard down.

That is what we want people to do here at church.

We want EVERYONE to feel comfortable.

We want EVERYONE to feel like they can be the real version of themselves.

And I know…..most people are the most raw and real version of themselves with their FAMILY….

Hence why we called ourselves Family Church….

And I KNOW…..most people love their mom and grandma so much….

But have you ever asked why?

Why do you love mom so much?

Why do you love grandma so much?

Let me venture a theory……and show you how we have lived out that theory here…..

Who here has a memory of walking into mom’s or grandma’s house and smelling delicious cooking….raise your hands for me….

Look around….almost everyone…..

Let me ask a follow up question….when you walked in and mom or grandma were making cookies did they EVER charge you $ to eat cookies?

NO WAY!!!

Everyone loves mom and grandma because they make GREAT food and it is always FREE!!!!

Did mom, or grandma, every ask for $ before they made you FRESH coffee or tea???

NO WAY!!!!

Generosity….is natural….. with your family…..

PAUSE

So we want you to feel like you are coming home when you walk into Family Church…….

Which is why we are making fresh cookies NON-Stop!

Which is why we have fresh donuts.

Which is why we have fresh coffee.

Which is why we have tea, lemonade, and lattes for FREE.

Because mom or grandma will make you ANYTHING you want and it is always FREE!!!!

Do you see it Family Church???

How we are trying to pull you into the family…..

PAUSE

But is not just food…..

We love Mom and Grandma because their homes exude comfort.

Well, maybe not the plastic on some of their couches…..

But there is always that spot where you just love to sit.

The spot where you know you can find mom or grandma.

The décor, while it might not be to your taste, brings you a sense of comfort somehow.

And while dad or grandpa might worry about your kids making a mess or writing on the walls….

Grandma for sure says….don’t worry about that….let the kids be kids….

And you feel at ease….

PAUSE

Which is why the decorations at Family Church are things you would see in a house.

Which is why at Family Church say, “Let your kids run around. Let your kids be kids.”

I say to the staff all the time….

If stuff is not getting broken around here we are doing something wrong….

Because we want our teens and kids to feel free to be kids and if something breaks that is OK!!!!!

PAUSE

Do you see it Family Church??? How we are trying to pull you into the family…..

PAUSE

But it is not just food or comfy environments….

The biggest reason we LOVE mom and grandma is because they love us UNCONDITIONALLY!

They will always forgive us.

They will always encourage us.

They will always cheer us on.

They will always help us.

They will always be there for us in GOOD times or BAD times.

And that is EXACTLY what we strive to be as a church family!

A church family that lets you know.

In Jesus you are always forgiven.

We will always be there to encourage you.

We will always be there to cheer you on.

We will always be there to help you.

Family Church will always be there for you in GOOD times or BAD times.

Do you see it Family Church???

How we are trying to pull you into the family…..

PAUSE

But it is more than about becoming a part of the Family here…..

When we accept Jesus, we are welcomed into a new family….

So even if you are here and you grew up with a terrible family.

Even if you grew up as an orphan.

Even if you hate everything to do with your family….

Even if you had a TERRIBLE mom or grandmother…

Or father….

The GOOD NEWS is no matter if we had a GREAT family growing up or a TERRIBLE one…..

When we accept Jesus, we are welcomed into a NEW family!

We are welcomed into God’s family!

Listen to how John phrased that…

John 1: 12-16 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Do you see it church….

This has NOTHING to do with your biological family!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

When we look at life through Jesus lens…….

Through the grace of Jesus, we are welcomed into a NEW family!

Into a new family that is all about forgiveness.

Into a new family that is all about love.

We are welcomed into a family that is unlike anything we have ever experienced and will only fully understand how amazing it is in the next life…..

PAUSE

And Jesus created the church to help us experience it here on earth!

PAUSE

And that leads us to this logo……logo

How many of you have wondered why the tree?

Let me explain…..here is where we hope more deep significance comes in….

That is not just a tree.

That is not just a tree growing from the ground.

That is a Redwood tree growing out of an opened Bible.

And you can tell that is one of the great study Bibles we give away because look how thick that Bible is!!!!!

This is ALL intentional…..

Because we as a church are…..

We are a people called to be ROOTED in the Word of God!

And John 1:1 tells us Jesus is the Word of God

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In the beginning was Jesus. And Jesus was with God and Jesus was God…..

Our foundation must grow from Jesus….

And we know it is talking about Jesus…because drop down 13 verses….

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus was made flesh and dwelt among us….

To bring us into this family…..

Colossians 2: 6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

We must be rooted Jesus…in the word of God….

That is a common theme in our Bibles

Ephesians 3:7 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Jeremiah 17:7-9 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

When we are planted….rooted….in the Word of God…the Bible we have nothing to fear….

And we as a Family Church want to champion that truth throughout the world!!!

When our foundation is in the Word of God…we have nothing to fear!

John 4:14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Go back to the logo picture. (logo)

I love this picture!!!!

When we are founded….rooted….planted…..in the Bible the Word of God!!!!!!

Jesus brings us into the His Family which is called Church!

And through that Family, called Church, we are refined to become like Jesus….

And through Jesus, we find eternal life with this new Family we call church!!!!!

I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!

PAUSE

But this logo has an even deeper meaning…..

So again why…..

Why the tree?

Why not a person?

Why not a cross?

Why not something more obvious?

PAUSE

Let me explain why…..

That is not just a tree.

That is a Redwood tree….

If you have never seen a redwood tree, they look like something out of a fairy tale.

The average redwood tree is 80’ tall and 20’ around.

There are some that are over 375’ tall!

To put that into perspective that is a tree taller than the Statue of Liberty and ticker than a gray hound bus!

Redwoods are actually the largest living things on planet Earth!

A Redwood forest is the MOST visible living thing on planet earth!

PAUSE

Just like how Jesus wants us to be the greatest light for him in the world!

PAUSE

Look at this picture….height pic

If you have ever seen a space shuttle that is massive! But not compared to a Redwood.

Blue whales we massive….but not compared to a Redwood.

Big Ben in London….not even as tall as one of these trees!

PAUSE

But that is not the most amazing part to Redwood trees…..

The part that is amazing about Redwood trees….is how they tie to us as well…….

Redwood forests are unlike any other forest in the world.

Like how we should be unlike any other group of people in the world.

PAUSE

See, Redwood’s root systems are actually very shallow.

Redwood’s roots only grow about 10’ deep.

So, riddle me this….

How can the tallest thing in the world have one of the shallowest root systems of ANY tree?

I mean the Empire State Building goes down 55’…..

How can these trees stay up????

How are they not blown over by the wind?

How come they do not just fall over?

PAUSE

The answer is 100% in the way God designed them.

God designed their roots to intertwine with the trees around them!

Look at this picture…..roots pic

God designed these trees to intertwine their roots and by doing so they can use the root system of their fellow trees to stand strong…..

Teamwork literally prevents them from falling!!!

Do you see the correlation to us?????

PAUSE

We ARE designed by God to be like a Redwood Forest!!!!

We are designed to be rooted in the word of God!

When our foundation is in the word of God, we grow together with our new Family God calls church!

And together we help hold each other up!

Together we help each other to not fall!

Do you see it Family Church?????

PAUSE

When we allow our lives to tangle together like this picture…..

We become one….

We become family….

When we allow our lives to tangle together like this….

We can support each other through life's storms…

This picture makes it clear…..

We are NOT a church that rises and falls on one pastor or leader.

PAUSE

Let me close with this….

Now you might wonder why does every campus have a Campus name?

That is because we believed from the start God had bigger plans for Family Church.

And we wanted to HONOR the churches God chose to send to us to help.

The Grace Campus used to be called Grace Chapel Zeeland…so we kept the Grace name to honor that heritage…

The Ebenezer Campus used to be called Ebenezer Reformed Church… so we kept the Ebenezer name to honor that heritage…

As God give us future locations….we will honor their history as well…

PAUSE

Life Application: God wants you to be an active member of His family. How could you get MORE involved in God’s family? As a result of today’s message I will ______________________.

Prayer:

Make sure to do a salvation call.

Offering Talk:

Thank you again for taking part of your weekend to spend time with us!

If you would like to give God your tithes or offerings, there at boxes by the doors as you exit that you can place those or any connection cards in.

Have a GREAT week!