Faith: Belonging to Christ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

FAITH – FAMILY - FRIENDS Why Faith?

FOOD – FAMILY – FRIENDS

FINANCE – FAMILY – FRIENDS

FIDO/ FELINE – FAMILY – FRIENDS

FUN – FAMILY – FRIENDS

FAITH – FAMILY - FRIENDS Belonging to one another

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELONG TO SOMEONE?

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:15-16 (ESV)

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, Eph. 3:17 (AMP) WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DWELL?

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Eph. 2:11-13 (ESV) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Eph. 2:22 (ESV) WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DWELL?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Rom 1:16-17 (NKJV) “to act in good faith” “ to break faith” “…backed by the full faith and credit of the US Govt.” FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST BELIEVING

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Rom 1:16-17 (NKJV) …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (Eph 3:17 ESV) FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST BELIEVING

My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. Eph. 3:9-12 (MSG) A PLACE OF BELONGING

FAITH – FAMILY - FRIENDS A Place of Belonging