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Core Values of Fellowship Church Lubbock
Whereas the mission of the church is not up for change the vision is
under the constant revelation of God
These 4 truths, the Word, Community, Missional
Living, and, Lifestyle,
are the breath of our church and are our way of expressing to our member
and the community around us the life changing transformation that has
taken place in our lives as we said, “yes” to Christ (Romans
10:9) and continue to walk out the process of being a 21st century disciple
(Luke 9:23-24).
 The Word:
- We believe the inherent perfectly inspired word of God. The expression of the Word of God is two fold: 1. Through the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1), that the life of Jesus is the perfect expression of Truth. He came to be the Truth that sets men free (John 14:6, 8:32). 2. Through the Holy Scriptures, a compilation of 66 books (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament), written in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek, and bit of Aramaic), by 40 different authors over a period of about a thousand years. This book covers thousands of issues in the forms of letters, songs, historical documents, family trees, etc. Each author was inspired and prompted by the Holy Spirit to write those things that he saw, experienced, heard about, or had visions of. Therefore this book, every word and sentence in it is the mind of the Godhead revealed to men and therefore is unable to have any errors. This book is our compass to the heart and mind of a Holy God.
Walking it out:
- By searching the Scriptures through teaching, meditation, and studying we are introduced to the three in one Godhead and discover the truth that sets the heart, soul, and mind free, Jesus (John 5:39). By living out the truth that we have found in the Word, we are in turn called to introduce to the world around us this life changing grace that comes only through the Truth, Jesus Christ.
Fruit
- We believe that the Truth of the Word of God is best expressed through grace. The grace that God has shown to us through sending His only Son (John 3:16) and when that grace takes root we are called to express that to the communities that we are in (Acts 2:40-41).
 Community:
- One of the main themes all through out the Word is the idea and concept of community. Beginning with the creation of man and extending into Israel and the First Century Church, God has put a massive emphasis on people growing and doing life together. This was expressed even as the Israelites were marching around in the wilderness. They organized themselves into groups that ultimately formed synagogues where they could serve alongside one another and worship together. This action is expressed best in the New Testament in Acts 2. Here the first century believers met in the temple (Sunday morning service) and from house to house (small groups). This small group concept is also modeled by Jesus Christ, and the twelve disciples and how they walked with, grew, and challenged each other. It is here, in these small groups, that we imitate the attitude and follow the example of those who walked with and followed Jesus. We express community best through authenticity.
Walking it Out:
- Small groups are an intentional effort to follow in the footsteps of the
Bible, providing the opportunity for men and women, believers and non-believers
to explore, search out, study, pursue Jesus together. In order that we may
walk out our transformation and grow to become a sweeter example of the essence
of Jesus. We believe the best way to continue to grow in our knowledge and
understanding of Jesus is in community.
Fruit:
- Authenticity- Community creates in us something that is genuine and real, when we are warring with fellow brothers and sisters on a regular basis we become transparent people, people with real hurts, real pain, real victories. As we are in community we are spurring one another on towards love and good deeds (Heb. 10-24-25). This type of relationship is something that must be fought for, but we believe that nothing worth having was ever easy. But authenticity is the fertile soil on which growth and unity are grown (Acts 2:46-47). Community thrives when people are authentic and genuine, but it is misleading and disingenuous when authenticity is sparse.
 Missional Living:
- Life was never meant to be compartmentalized, yet so many of us walk around in a life filled with areas that rarely bleed over into each other. We place work over here and family over here and fun over here and church in this box. We believe that Christ came to show us that life is meant to be lived intentionally, that He has made our lives for a specific end, to glorify God in everything that we say and do. He was intentional when He formed us (Ps. 139:13-16), and therefore we should live our lives with the same thought in mind. He has placed us into specific places in this world: jobs, neighborhoods, gyms, coffee shops, etc. Life is therefore not random and each place that we are was designed to be a place where we should be living, serving, walking out our lives the same way that Jesus did.
Walking it Out:
- We want to create an atmosphere in this city where we are living in a way that Jesus’ name is being made much of. We love, serve, and care for those who the Lord has divinely placed into our lives in the hope that they see us living like Him, talking about Him, and in turn are drawn to Him. As a church we also seek opportunities to take this restoring work of Christ to the nations, by providing yearly mission trips to other parts of the world, in order to expand our vision here at home. As we obey Christ in this area we become the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of the saving, redeeming, reconciling, restoring work of a loving and mighty savior, Jesus Christ.
Fruit:
- Obedience- Jesus declared in Matt. 28:18-20 that we are to GO and make disciples.
The Great Commission is the basis of mission and is not an optionfor the believer.
True joy is found only in knowing the Father, knowing and loving the Father
is found only when we are walking in obedience of what He has said (John 14:21).
Jesus did not leave us to figure this obedience out on our own but rather
has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, comfort us, and reveal
to us those deep things of the Father. Therefore the work of obedience is
a joint work of the believer and the Holy Spirit.
 Lifestyle:
- Life is meant to be lived in the truth setting freedom of Jesus Christ and as we see His life we are called to follow and do likewise. We believe that the two most important lifestyle characteristics that can become part of our lives are the two most important to Jesus and the early church, prayer and fasting (Acts 2:43). Prayer as we understand it is not just a mere action but rather something that transcends our everyday life and bleeds over into everything that we do. It is constant communion with the Father, much like Jesus had, one where we live a lifestyle on our knees, where we say, “amen,” but don’t mean it. Prayer allows us to press into the Father and draw near but forming a relationship that goes beyond mere head knowledge and moves into a deeper heart understanding (Matt. 6:5-13). Fasting is not merely the absence of food, but rather the removal of anything that distracts me from experiencing the revelation knowledge of God to its fullness. It is the simple act of us saying that nothing is more important that the pursuit of Jesus and we much like the disciples are encouraged to mourn of the return of Christ by expressing this through fasting (Mark 2:19-20).
Walking it Out:
- The Bible is clear that the House of the Lord is to be a House of Prayer (Is. 56:7, Matt. 21:13). We will engage Jesus on both a corporate level as well as an individual level. We will offer corporate and individual times to enter in to the gift of fasting. Providing proper teaching and direction in how to fast, in order that we as a body of believers are of one mind, one spirit, one purpose (Acts 1:14, Acts 13:3).
Fruit:
- We believe that as we as individuals and as a corporate body gather together and commit our hearts, minds, and strength to prayer and fasting we are becoming one with the Savior and as a body. As we dedicate ourselves to prayer and fasting we are transforming ourselves into Christians, who have no greater desire than to be like the Son.
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© RM