The God We Confess

Sermon Series: The Creed

Text:

Date: June 8, 2025

Well good morning! It’s great to be here with you today. Again, if we haven’t met...if you came in after announcements or are watching online, my name is Chase, I serve as the lead pastor of The Corners. And I’m excited to open up God’s word with you this morning. If you have a Bible in just a second we’re going to read from Deuteronomy chapter 6 and the book of Jude. Deuteronomy is the fourth book of the Bible, and the Jude is the second to last, so it’s all the way at the end. And we’re going to read from a couple sections in both. So if you have a Bible and you’re able....go ahead and turn to both...maybe stick something in Jude. If you’re using a digital bible that might be hard for you to do, but you’ll get there in like three clicks so it’s fine.

While you’re turning there (or scrolling there) can we give a shout out to any first time guests in the room this morning! We’re so glad you’re here with us today. And for our elementary students joining us in big church this summer! We’re glad you’re in here with us! And let me just chat with our Elementary Corners Kids real quick...where are our Elementary students at? I remember when I was in elementary school going to big church is what we called it....and I didn’t understand all of it...I didn’t understand all the words the preacher was saying or all the words in the songs....but those times in big church helped me just as much as Sunday school.

So I want you to know this summer in Big Church...it’s not just for your parents...it’s for you too and even if you only learn one thing all summer, I hope it lasts with you for your whole life. Sound good? If you’re in Elementary say “Yep sounds good!”

Alright...well hopefully by now you’ve found Deuteronomy and or Jude...if you’ve got it say I’ve got it. (pause) And like I said we’re going to read a couple of sections of verses from both...and we’re not really going to work verse by verse through these this morning...I’ll refer back to them bit as we go....but we’re gonna read them and then my objective is to introduce this new series we’re starting today (back to Romans in falls)...so if you’re able and if you’re willing...please stand with me for the reading of God’s word.

6 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Jump down to verse 20

20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Now flip...or click...all the way to the other side of the Bible...the book of Jude...again the second to last book in the Bible. Jude was a brother of Jesus...and he’s writing this letter...and look at what he says starting in verse 3.

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

And then lastly...final section we’ll read together, jump down to verse 17.

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

PRAY

Well I want to start off this morning by telling you about a milestone we recently crossed in our household. And that was the conclusion of my son Hezekiah’s first T-ball season.

This was his first exposure to playing any sport on a team...and let me tell you...if you’ve never seen 3 and 4 year old T-ball...it is pure chaos. Okay you’ve got kids running the wrong way....kids in the field facing the outfield. I think there’s more adults in the outfield to manage the kids than kids. It’s chaos. And it’s awesome. My favorite moment of the season was there was this little girl just wildly swinging the bat...and one of the assistant coachs was trying to help the girl and the girl just took the bat and wacked the coach right in the shins. And then the little girl started crying. It’s great. And no one knows what’s going on...but very entertaining.

So what’s this have to do with anything...well...as I was watching him play...and I use that word loosely. It struck me that I think there’s some parallels between our faith...or should I say our attempt to follow Jesus...and 3 and 4 year old T-Ball.

You say what are you talking about...well...other than maybe some delusional parents...no one is going to a 3 or 4 year old t-ball game and scouting out future major league baseball talent, right?

Some of you dads are like well you haven’t seen my kid...okay lets be real....maybe little johnny will grow up and play in the big leauges...but you can’t tell that at that age, right?

No...the point of 3 and 4 year old tball is just to teach the fundementals...the basics. Right, like it’s to show the boys and girls that baseball and softball involve swinging the bat at the ball not at people’s shins. And that you should run to first base when you hit it...and you gotta go to second base before you go to third...all of that...that’s objective. And if the kids get that..and enjoy playing...then they’re good. And the goal of the sport has been accomplished.

It's not about hitting it over the fence. It’s not about stealing bases. It’s not about even knowing the position names...none of that...just know that baseball and softball involve hitting the ball with the bat...run the bases, and stay between the lines. That’s it!

Hit the ball....run the bases...stay between the lines.

This morning is an exciting morning for our church because we are starting a brand new series, that Lord willing will take us through the month of July. And this series is dedicated to studying and understanding The Nicene Creed. Everybody say Nicene Creed. (Nice Ian) Okay, we’ll get into that in just a second...some of you might be like I’ve never heard of the Nicene Creed...is that a new Rocky spin off movie or something...if that’s you I’m gonna explain all about this specific creed in just a second, and we’re actually gonna recite it together.

But before I talk about this particular creed...let me just say Creeds...are just simply formal written statements in the church about what we believe. Okay...again we’ll get into the specifics in just a second and talk about why we’re devoting this summer to this and particularly why we’re going to be looking at the Nicene Creed...but that’s all a creed is.

It’s not the bible. And they’re not supposed to be seen on the same level as the bible...but Creeds are rooted in biblical truths...and so church’s all throughout church history...like since the time of the new testament...would use creeds to articulate and clarify biblical truths and to teach biblical truths...and the goal of these creeds isn’t to give the grand full picture of all biblical truths...but to teach something specific about God.

Okay...so catch this...just like the purpose of T-Ball is not ultimately to teach everything we’ll see when we go to the Guardians game at the end of this month...it’s just to teach the basics...the same is true with the Creeds.

Our objective in studying a Creed of the Church...is to learn just how to get started hitting the ball if you will. (pause) it’s to learn how to began to run the bases as we learn the fundamentals of our faith...and more than anything the creeds keep us between the lines of orthodoxy.

Okay...elementary students...Orthodoxy is just a big long word that means what Christians believe. Ands while Christians disagree on a lot of things...even within our own church family we might have some disagreements about things. Orthodoxy is the word used to talk about the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Like what is essential to being a Christian.

Okay let me give an example. Communion. (pause) We here at The Corners we take Communion or some call it the Lord’s Supper...we do it every week that we are gathered here as a way to remind ourselves that we are united by our belief in the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. And when we do that we’re not getting good luck points from heaven or anything like that, we’re declaring that we belief Jesus’ death was for us. And so we do it every week – and one of the reasons we do it every week is because that’s what the early church did when they gathered.

Other church’s do it once a month...some maybe quarterly or once a year. Does that make them worse than us? No not at all. Just different convictions, but we’re all within orthodoxy.

Another example is baptism. We at the Corners believe in believers baptism which means we believe your baptism should follow your being able to understand and articulate the Gospel. And we believe that baptism is by immersion which means you’re lowered into the water not as a means to be saved, but as an outward symbol of an inward transformation.

And so we believe that if you’re a Christian you should be baptized, and even if you were baptized as an infant you should be rebaptized as a professing believer. That’s our belief.

- Shameless plug for baptism Sunday....but our belief as a church...is in believers baptism by immersion.

However, we have brothers and sisters within orthodoxy who believe in infant baptism. Do we disagree, yes. To the point where we might not be able to be a part of the same local church...but we still believe we’re brothers and sisters in Christ. Right, together...we’re still within orthodoxy.

Okay...now orthodoxy...the opposite is heresy. And this word is sometimes overused because people use it to talk about any disagreement. But heresy is something outside of orthodoxy.

Right, again using the sports example...I’ve was getting really into the Softball World Series...okay If you see someone on the softball diamond and like the catcher doesn’t throw the ball back ot the pitcher, she throws it into the dugout...and then the ump keeps giving her a new ball and she just keeps throwing it into the dugout instead of back to the pitcher...you can’t play the game....that’s outside of the lines...you can’t play.

Well the same is true with our faith...people who hold views outside of historic orthodox Christianity...they’re playing a completely different game. Does that make sense?

Let me give you an example...if someone says I’m a Christian...but they don’t believe that Jesus literally rose from the dead...that’s outside of Orthodoxy. And that might seem like how can someone believe that...well it’s actually really common. Many people believe Jesus was a great moral teacher...and they say they trust in Jesus’ teachings but they don’t believe he was literally God in the flesh....and so they’ll say he was a good guy, but when he died that was it and now we should just follow his moral example...well that’s outside of Orthodoxy.

No, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 14 that if Jesus didn’t literally rise from the dead...like if that’s not an historical event than all of this is just a waste of time. There’s nothing to our faith without the resurrection (pause) And so we’d say, to those who hold that view that he didn’t actually raise from the dead...we’re playing a different game.

One final example...and this might hit closer to home for some...but this would include Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Okay, if you have come from those backgrounds or have family members in those belief systems I’m glad you’re here...and I say this lovingly...those belief systems are outside of Orthodoxy. And this might not seem like a big deal to some, but there’s a growing push within both Morminism and with Jehovah’s Witnesses to downplay the differences and say oh we’re just a different denomination....but we’re on the same team.

Among other things, the Mormon church teaches that the Book of Mormon is additional revelation from God that stands on par with the Old and New Testament, they believe that God the Father has not always been the Supreme Being of the universe and they believe God the Father has a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” – that’s a direct quote from their book...and then they also believe that after we die we become mini-gods.

Jehovah’s Witnesses – among other things – reject the doctrine of the Trinity, they believe Jesus was created by God....not equally God...but created by him...and that the Holy Spirit is a force not a person.

Now, if you’ve ever met people in either of these camps, they’re some of the nicest people, and maybe we want to say do those differences really matter? Like we still all believe Jesus was a good guy and he wants us to love people...well that’s true...but listen, there are defining elements of our faith...that are rooted in what the Word of God says that if we depart from them – we’re playing a different game.

I told you we weren’t gonna spend a lot of time unpacking the Deuteronomy and Jude passages we read...but that’s the point of those passages we read.

God revealed himself to his people Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt...and by giving them the law...and he said here’s what you need to know about me....I’m one God. And make sure all the following generations know about me. Fast-forward about 1500 years to the time of Jude...and what does Jude say? He says – people have forgotten about what God did by bringing his people out of Egypt! And he even gives a warning that in the future more and more people are gonna come teaching different stuff and twisting the faith....but what do weneed to do...we need to hold on to the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.

And so how do we know how to differentiate from these false teaching that creep into the church and the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints...first and foremost by the knowing what God has revealed to us about himself through the Word!

Check this out, Paul...the Apostle...the guy who wrote like half of the New Testament...and he’s writing to the church in Galatia, but also by the inspiration of the Spirit, he’s writing to us today...and he says:

6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

So it didn’t take long for heresy to creep into the church. Jesus had been gone for like 15 years. But look at the next verse...one of the most intense verses in the Bible...Paul says.

8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.

So in other words he’s like...if anyone is contradicting this it’s a fake Gospel. Don’t believe it!

So whether we’re talking about Muslims who believe that some guy named Mohammad got a new Gospel in 610AD, or if we’re talking about Mormonism or the Jehovah Witness faith both which started in the 1800s...we can’t be swept away by the New...we need the Old and the unchanging Word that was once and for all delivered to the Saints, Amen?!

And the Creeds....while not scripture are rooted in scripture to help us discern biblical truth, and have been passed down...just like the verses in Deuteronomy told them to pass them down from generation to generation...these Creeds have been passed down from the early chuch fathers to us today...to help us discern biblical truth.

And so...like I said we’re going to spend the next couple months unpacking one of them...one of the earliest of them called The Nicene Creed.

Now...what we’ve done for this series is created these Series Guides, and let me explain what these are real quick.

- Creed which we’ll recite each week (including at the end of the message here today)

- Additional Information, Timelines and other and Resources about the Creed and the Council of Nicaea where it was written

- As well as a summary paragraph about what we’ll be talking about each Sunday, a spot for Sermon notes, AND, some questions to think through before coming on Sundays

- QR codes for this Sunday page and discussion questions

Okay, so this is a lot...but here’s why...we say always, being a part of this church isn’t just a Sunday thing.. right, we want to go deeper than just Sundays...and whether your’re in a home group or not...my hope is that these messages are not just for in this room, but ultimately it’s to see our lives’ transformed.

And especially when we’re talking about something like the creed, it can be easy for us to think – why does this matter...like maybe there’s some interesting history...or something like that...but why and how does it apply to my life today...& hopefully this series guide will help with that.

Okay, so if you would like one of these guides, raise your hand. If you don’t that’s okay, but if you would like one raise your hand...since there’s a notes space, I’d encourage you to go one per person, we should have enough for everyone in here today and more for those next week, but please don’t take one like for your nephew’s uncle or something.

But keep your hand up...and as those are being passed out, check out this quick video.

VIDEO

Alright, so I hope that helps give a little bit of background to what we’re talking about. I know that’s a lot of theological words, but over the next couple months, my hope is that we’ll understand a little more about what we’re talking about and these names and words won’t sound foreign.

But here’s what I want to do for the rest of our time this morning. For just the next 15 minutes or so, I want to talk just a little bit about The Crisis that caused the need for the Nicene Creed, the Conclusion of the Council, and then we’ll just look at first five words of this Creed and look at what it is that we believe and that we’re confessing when we say it. Sound good? So the Crisis, the Conclusion, and the Confession.

First...what was the Crisis? Well....we just saw it in the video...and without repeating everything the video said...in the early 300’s AD, there was this guy named Arius. And Arius was studying the Bible...and he had a high view of God, but he just couldn’t wrap his mind around how someone could be born into the world...and also be God.

And so he concluded...Jesus can’t be fully God. And so...again, we saw in the video that he was going around teaching “there was a time when the Son was not.” And this became a hit song lyrics...it was spreading through the church.

Meanwhile...others are like, no Jesus is fully God and fully man. And so...the Emperorer Constantine who was a new Christian was like..we gotta figure this out...and so he called the first official Ecumenical Council.

Okay everybody say ecumenical...thats just a big word that means the decision at this council would affect the whole church. On page 10 in your series guide you’ll see some of the other later church councils...this was the first big one....it wasn’t technically the first because there was one in Jerusualem in the book of Acts...but this was the first to this scale...

And this council...the council of Nicea happned in 325 AD...which means...it was going on exactly 1700 years ago this year. That’s part of why I wanted to study this this year.

And the issue that was on the table at this council in 325 AD was “IS JESUS REALLY FULLY God?” Like was he just a man? Was a lesser God like the demi-God’s in ancient Greek religions? That was the purpose of the council of Nicea to get to the bottom of this question using the scripture...not to just sit around and say what do we want to believe....or what make sense to us....but what does the Bible teach?

Now...anyone ever seen or listen to Hamilton...you remember the Cabinint meeting songs. They’re kind of like distracks and Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson are going back and forth with each other and it gets of the rails pretty quick. Even if you’ve never seen Hamilton, right even modern political debates and congress meetings can get messy real quick.

Well, this was no different. In fact...there’s a story in church history...there were no videos or pictures so we don’t know if it’s true...but the story goes that St. Nicholas...yes that Saint Nicholas...he was one of the guys at the Council of Nicaea...the story goes that when Arias was up saying Jesus wasn’t God, Saint Nicholas got so mad...that he walked up and slapped Arias in the face. (pause) Which has led to one of my favorite memes I see pastors and theologians posting on social media every Christmas....

But again...we don’t know if that actuallyhappened...but whether or not that happened...this council...the council of Nicea was an intense meeting, because people realized they were not just discussing something trivial...but the foundation of the Christian faith. Is Jesus God?

Now...you say so what...yeah that was a big deal in 325 1700 years ago...well here’s what I want you to know...this debate...about the divinity of Jesus...is very much the issue on the table in 2025 as well.

A few years ago...in 2022...there was an article released by Christianity Today, with this title... “Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals” And the subtitle of the Article was...It’s 2022, but Arianism and Pelagianism are steadily making a comeback.”

And in this article...they revealed that according to a recent survey of people professing to be Evangelical Christians...so this isn’t including those who are not claiming to be Christians...no these are professing Christians...and let me just read from the article.

A surprising 73 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” (read again)

And it goes on to say...This is a form of Arianism, a popular heresy that arose in the early fourth century. Those believing it caused such a stir that it led to the gathering of the very first ecumenical council of church leaders. They discussed and denounced these and other unorthodox beliefs as heretical for being contrary to Scripture.

Out of the Council of Nicea came the Nicene Creed, which states in part that Jesus was “not made” but “eternally begotten” and “one in being with the Father,” as found in passages including John 3:16 and John 14:9.

And then one more...later it says

Given the above beliefs on Jesus as a created being, it’s not too surprising that 43 percent affirmed that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God,”...again these are professing Christians...and it says...this is another form of Arian heresy. This effectively denies the divinity of Christ and his unity with God the Father as an equal member in the Trinity, who is one God in three persons. This has been considered classic orthodox belief since the early church

Okay, now I’m reading this, and dwelling here for one reason...to show that this is not just an ancient crisis...but a modern one. (pause)

And friends if these statistics are to be believed, which I think they are...than that means that maybe there may be even many of us in this room who wrestle with this question. (pause) And if that’s you...I’m glad you’re here. We want to wrestle with this with you...and I hope that you feel like this is a place where you can ask these questions...but I want you to know...this is why we need the early Creeds.

Because 1700 years ago, 300 Christians got together to dive into the scriptures, and literally wrestle with this if the Saint Nick story is to be believed...and we can reap the benefit of their leg work. Does that make sense?

This isn’t a trivial question...and it isn’t an ancient one. It’s at the center of what we believe.

So...what was the conclusion. Well... the conclusion...and this is what the whole Creed unpacks that YES, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON (JESUS), and the HOLY SPIRIT ARE ALL FULLY GOD.

If you look at the Creed which is on page one of the guide...you’ll see it’s broken down into four sections...and four statements about what we believe. And you’ll see the largest section is about Jesus right? Not because he’s any more important than the father the Spirit...but because that was the issue on the table. But if you look at just the layout and we’re gonna read it in just a few moments, you’ll see it affirms the full deity of God the Father, The Son, and the Spirit.

Again, this is so important...this isn’t just something that should be interesting to those of us who love history...this is important for every Christian because this Creed is not the opinion of people...it’s rooted in the Scripture! These remind us to stay in the baselines!

And look at how it starts...this is our confession...look at what it says... “We believe in One God!” This is the start of the Creed and the starting point of our faith! It’s how the Bible starts isn’t it? In the beginning – God. Not in the beginning the gods...We believe in one God...that’s the starting point.

But how can we claim to believe in one God...while claiming that God is Triune....is that not contradiction? God’s the father, the Son, and the Spirit...Yes. but he’s one. Yes.

I’ve showed this chart before...And Corners Kids this is in your activity packet...I should have put in the booklet...but this is one of the most helpful trinitarian graphs I’ve seen. Shows that we believe in one God. And that the Father is not the Son and the Son’s not the spirit....but they’re all equally God.

The Father didn’t make Jesus...and Jesus didn’t make the Spirit. And so we’ll talk about what all this means as we work through the Creed...but let me just say – we’ll never fully wrap our mind around it. But we stand on the shoulders of not only men like Athanasius and Agustine who helped us articulate all this...but the scripture is dripping with these truths as well. (pause) Men didn’t make this up. Because we couldn’t make this up!

Like if you were creating your own religion wouldn’t you at least make it so it’s complelty understandable. (pause) So the complex truths shouldn’t discourage us or cause us to throw it all away, it should encourage us that we’re dealing with something...or really SOMEONE that our finite minds can’t fully grasp namely the infinite, all knowing, all powerfull, omnipresent, omnipotent, everlasting, sovereign, Triune God!!!

And again, this is all throughout Scripture...let me just show you where it is in some of the verses we already read – namely the full divinity of Jesus – and then we’ll land the plane here.

Deuteronomy 6...verse 20 and 21...we read it earlier. It says:

20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Who? The Lord....YAHWEH!

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

Wait but I thought Yahweh...the one true fully divine all powerful God of the Bible did it. Yep.

But Jesus did it? Yep. So are you saying Jesus is fully 100% God. Yep.

So why’s this matter...why are we spending two months getting to know the Creed, and why does it matter that Jesus is God and that God is three in one...three quick reasons.

1. We have to know the God we believe in. (repeat). See...at the risk of sounding overly repetitive...this isn’t trivial. This isn’t just ancient history. (pause) Because if we believe God has revealed himself as three in one. And that the Father and Son and Spirit are fully God and that’s the God we claim to worship...than that means we are worshipping a different God than those who reject that claim. (pause) We’re playing a different game.

Which leads to 2. WE HAVE TO KNOW THE TRIUNE GOD TO OBEY THE GREAT COMISSION. If you don’t know what the Great Commission is that’s okay...it’s Jesus’ marching orders to his church. He said...right before he left – Go into all the world and make disciples...doing what...teaching them all I commanded you...and baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. (pause) we have to know the Triune God, and to do that we have to Study his word an what it means...so that we can properly obey his call...but then last of all, but maybe the most timely for some of us.

3. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. But why? So what...well here’s why. Last week, I shared my story of what I’ve been going through and what the Lord’s been teaching me...and one of the things I said was that all of us will face trials. Being a Christian doesn’t exempt us from hardship and it doesn’t make us exempt from suffering. And so...when...not if...when we’re in those moments of hardship...we have to know that our faith didn’t start 5 years ago when the Corners Chapel started...it didn’t start 100 years ago or even 1000 years ago....but we are tied back to a resurrected Christ 2000 years ago...and that God used committed people in his church 300 years later to help articulate the truths of scripture...but even more that that that God we serve and worship is the same God who got the Isrealites through the sea....and he’s the same God who showed up to Abraham...the same God who was with Daniel in the lions den....the same God who used a shephered boy to take down a giant...

and so whatever you and I go through...we have this hope...this faith...that was once and for all delivered to the Saints...that stretches all the way back to the beginning....

And when we’re in times of hardship we can fall back on that truth...knowing we’re not alone...and so we don’t have to be afraid....because we believe in the one true God. Amen.

That’s the game that we’re playing in this game of life...and so we’re gonna dive into this creed over the next couple months because it’s rooted in scripture, and will remind us of the fundementals...hit the ball straight...run the bases...and stay between the lines...thats what the Creed is for.

And so, as our music team comes back up...we’re gonna sing one more song..

Another one we haven’t done before...but it expresses the truths from the Creed, and so before we sing...lets stand and recite the Nicene Creed together as a church family...in alignment and unity with what the church has done for now 1700 years.

- Will be on the screen but is also on page 1 of your books.