1st Faith is an idea. A dream. A vision. A hope. We’re naive enough to believe it can happen. If you believe too, hop on board.
First, some background
Our team’s faith journey is a long, winding road. We come from different Christian backgrounds, different experiences, different understandings of what is most important about our faith.
Yet with all our differences, we agree on this: We want our faith to mirror those first followers of Jesus. We don’t have all the answers, but when we see their passion, their contagious faith and their amazing ability to influence the culture around them, we realize, “We want that.”
We’re not the first to want a first century faith that changes the world. You probably do, too. There are dozens of books tackling this idea. We can find Christian leaders talking about it on podcasts, in sermon series, interviews and on social media.
1st Faith then, is not “the answer.” Instead, it is our attempt to walk a road toward those 1st century believers who shifted the culture in which they lived. This journey, however, is not just about our little team. It’s about us. You. Us. All of us. We want to do this together.
We may be a bit off-the-wall in our thinking, but we believe there is a path to influencing our culture today, just like they did back then. Just like they did. Really, we do.
Some may think this is impossible. We get it. They may be right.
For instance, how can we be as united as those first Christians? Today, we’ve got a gazillion denominations because we struggle to find agreement on so many issues. Oh, and dozens of doctrines to debate. And let’s not forget, what is vital and important to one person may be a blip on the radar to another.
Let’s Get Started
Like we said, we don’t have all the answers. We do, however, have a few core beliefs which unite and bond each of us. If you share these ideas, join us.
1. Faith is Simple
Remember when Jesus talked of the two greatest commandments? Number one was, to love the Lord our God with all we’ve got. The second? Love our neighbor as ourselves.
These two commands are not just extra ideas or icing on the Christian cake. These are central to everything we do. Everything. We believe that if we do these two, every day, faith spreads. Here, we’re going to think about who our neighbor might be, and search for powerful ways to love those who come across our paths. We’ll figure it out together.
At 1st Faith, we won’t spend time fretting over this doctrine or that denomination. In fact, you may never see a denomination even mentioned here. We’re not against denominations and doctrines. It’s just that our focus is on the two. Loving God. Loving Others.
These two commands unite us. Hold us together. If you’re up for these, join us.
2. Anyone, at Any Time, Can Grasp Faith
In the first century, there were no limits on who could have faith. A fisherman like Peter became one of the great evangelists. A persecutor like Saul became Paul. A woman “living in sin” met Jesus at a well and within hours, was inviting others to join her in following Jesus.
These were ordinary people from all walks of life. Some were educated. Some weren’t. Some were rich, some poor, many in-between.
The New Testament is full of stories about regular people who encountered Jesus in different ways and suddenly, everything changed.
At 1st Faith, we’re open to anyone. If you’ve had faith for decades, join us. If you are skeptical of what you see in today’s ocean of Christianity, feel free to stick your toe in the water here. Here, no one is trying to fix you or debate you.
3. Faith is Contagious, Spreading Rapidly as We Tell Our Stories
Sometimes, we think faith is only spread through sermons, evangelistic techniques or by expounding on our understanding of the Bible. These are certainly avenues to share faith. But they aren’t the only ones.
In truth, the early faith swept through the known world through stories. They had no Bibles, so people had to tell people . . . their stories.
Jesus started it all by telling stories to help everyone grasp the love of God.
After God raised Jesus from the dead, Peter connected with 3,000 people by saying (shortened version here), “Look what God did for Jesus! I saw it for myself!” Basically, he told a story.
How did Paul spread his faith? He told his story to anyone who would listen.
At 1st Faith, we believe anyone can do the same. Anyone. It’s not predicated on our education, our training, our background. That’s why you’ll see a lot of stories on this site. Stories unite us. Encourage us. Empower us. Change us. And who knows? You might want to tell your story here, to strengthen and encourage others.
So, three ideas.
One, faith is simple. Two, anyone is welcome. Three, stories spread faith contagiously, influencing those around us and changing our culture.
Join us. Read, comment, connect, share your story.
Along the way, we’ll roll out resources to assist us as we love God, love our neighbor and tell our stories.
We’re thrilled to have you here. Welcome to the journey.
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