Core Values

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Scripture: Acts 13:42

As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.

Insights: Before we move on this week into our next two points from Sunday’s sermon, let’s return back to our hunger for God’s Word.  There is another reason we need to hunger after God’s Word.  It is because God’s Word is the very tool He uses to reveal to us our core values.  At FBC Bowling Green (FBCBG) we spent twenty-one months working through a process to understand who we are presently and who God wants us to be in the future.  One of the tasks we had to work through was the determining of our core values and they were driven by the Word of God.  At FBCBG we have six actual values and three aspirational values.  We have a paragraph written for each of these values and four supporting Scriptures to explain our understanding of them.  For today’s blog, I will share only a brief sentence or two regarding each value.  FBCBG’s values in order of ranking and priority are:

1. Family - We value families, and we believe marriages between a man and a woman built through Christ-centered love, accountability and growth through discipleship in God’s Word result in strong families.  

2. Preaching -  We value Biblical proclamation of the Scriptures and believe God has called every Christ-follower to be an ambassador of the gospel to non-believers for His glory.  

3. Worship - We value real worship of the One and only God who is worthy of that praise.  We believe this worship flows out of a personal relationship with the Lord God and is manifest in the spiritual gifts He has given us.

4. Fellowship - We value fellowship of like-minded Christ-followers that nurtures a spirit of unity. We believe fellowship is a gathering of people bonding together through church, community and social events.

5. Tradition - We value Biblical traditions which have been passed down to us through previous generations.  We believe when man-made traditions superimpose themselves over the glory of God, we are compelled to create new traditions based on the Word of God.

6. World Missions - We value the call of God to preach the gospel in our city, state, nation and world.  We believe God has called us to share His Good News to all people and to cross racial, social and cultural barriers to fulfill that great commission.

7. Evangelism - We value evangelism as a specific command from God to share His love with the world. We believe the body of Christ is committed to the spreading of the gospel by public preaching or personal witness.

8. Prayer - We value prayer as the primary method to communicate with God.  We believe prayer incorporates praise to our Lord for who He is, confession of sin in order to restore a relationship with Him, expressions of thanksgiving to our Lord for what He has done, and intercession for those around us, as well as for our own needs.  

9. Obedience - We value obedience as an outward expression of our true relationship with God.  We believe immediate obedience proves His will is above all and prevents road blocks in our relationship with the Lord.

Questions:

1. In what ways does the Bible impact your core values?

2. Are you intentional about determining your values and letting them be your guiding principles for your life?

Prayer: Father, thank You that Your Word tells us how we ought to live our lives.  Help me to clear hear from You as to the values that empower my life for Your glory.  Amen.