32623 A Practical Guide for Finding a Church

These guidelines are designed to get you started on the discernment process. Since the decision to commit to a church involves both discernment and process, you know it’s not simple and it takes time!

Use the church’s website, their printed documents, what you observe while in their space, and tactful conversations with real people to help you check items off and get answers for the “Questions Section” at the bottom of this page. Don’t try and answer everything in one visit, or use the questions like an interview—again don’t miss out on really connecting with God and really connecting with other Jesus followers.

Any church you decide to pursue should meet these basic standards. If a church has a statement of faith on their website or in print, it will speak to many of these points. But if possible, also try and discern whether these beliefs and practices are demonstrated in the church’s services and the lives of people you meet.

Beliefs—What do they believe about God and church doctrines?

  • God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is one. Is anything elevated above worshiping God?
  • Jesus, the Son, is fully God and also fully human. He really died and really rose again to life so our sin would be forgiven and our relationship with God could be restored.
  • The Holy Spirit guides us in following God, convicts us of sin, reveals God to us, comforts us, equips us, instructs us, and forms us to be more like Jesus.
  • The church is designed to bring us together to worship God, grow in our individual and collective love for God and understanding of Him, and engage our world with words and actions that introduce others to God and His love and provision.
  • We have all sinned and all need to receive God’s forgiveness.
  • Salvation is a free gift of God’s—a gift that we accept through faith in Jesus, not a reward we somehow earn.
  • We respond to God’s gift of salvation with gratitude, which is worship, and the desire to live in a way that is pleasing and honoring to Him. We love and obey Him.

Authority—What is their foundation?

  • The Bible should be the ultimate authority—is it treated with respect, taught, understood, and followed? Are other writings elevated above or equal to the Bible?
  • The church leaders lead in a Christ-like manner. They should serve under Jesus’s authority, not be the ultimate authority themselves. They should sincerely serve the congregation and community, not simply to benefit themselves. Leaders should balance influence with humility and confidence with listening.
  • Do church members follow their leaders with a balance of respect but not adoration?

Relationships—How do they act?

  • Relationships between people in the church should be marked by warmth, love, and service.
  • There should be evidence of the church pursuing both the spiritual maturing of its people and the flourishing of its community (spiritually and physically speaking).
  • What are they doing about the rest of the world? The church should not be self-serving but rather value and pour into the world outside its walls.

For a quick refresher on what Christians through the ages have believed see the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed.

The discernment process doesn’t stop with assessing whether a church is reasonably healthy and holds to basic Christian beliefs. The next step is getting to know the church and beginning to discern your compatibility. That doesn’t mean that the church you are most compatible with is best choice—it still comes down to following God to the place He draws you. That sense of being drawn to a place, though, is at least partially related a sense of compatibility. Just beware of being drawn to a place simply because it’s filled with people just like you.

Some Questions to Help You Get to Know a Church

[The following questions are meant to be asked casually as you interact with people from the church or peruse the church’s documents.]

Who is this church?

  • Why did you decide to come to this church?
  • How have you grown as a result of the church?
  • What do you appreciate about it?
  • What were some of the significant moments in the history of this church?
  • Tell me about the personality of this church.
  • How does the church have fun together?
  • What are some of the traditions of this church?
  • What is a typical Sunday like here?

What is important to this church?

  • What does the church care about? How is that demonstrated?
  • What are some of the things this church does or has done that people are proud of (in a good way)?
  • What has become more important and less important to the church over the last several years?

[The following questions are meant for you to think about and explore (i.e. don’t ask these!)]

How could you serve this church?

  • What opportunities are there to get involved?
  • How does the church support and grow the people volunteering?

What do they believe and practice?

  • Many churches have a website that spells out what they believe. As you read these statements, does it seem like anything is missing? Anything seem over-emphasized? What excites you about what they believe?
  • If the church has archived sermons, take a look to see what topics and scriptures have been preached on. If there are some sermons by people you haven’t heard preach in person, listen for a little bit to get a deeper perspective on the people who lead the church.
  • Does what you hear preached match with the church’s belief statements? Are there aspects of what the church says it believes and practices that are absent from actual life and teaching of the church?
  • Are there factions or divisions?
  • Can you learn and grow from the teaching?
  • How do people treat each other?
  • Does the worship focus you on Jesus?

What is God telling you?

  • How do your non-essential beliefs correlate to the beliefs the church has? Could you see yourself adapting in areas that don’t match perfectly?
  • What do you feel like God is telling about your involvement with this church? Should you continue to pursue the relationship?
  • What, if anything, in the course of your time with a church focused your attention on Jesus?

32622 Discernment in Finding a Church

Discernment is hard work. Given the other stresses of transitions, we easily replace discernment with the more efficient church-shopping. If Amazon sold churches, we could just read customer reviews and select the one everybody likes best!

This is the tricky part—how to make wise decisions but not fall back into a consumerist mindset? How can we cultivate an openness to God’s leading?

What follows are some suggestions to help in making this decision.

1. View this season of discerning a church as an opportunity.

“I hate church shopping!” is a common complaint during seasons of transition. But what if we relished this season for the unique opportunity it affords us? You are free to experience the variety of ways Christians worship in your area. God will surprise you and convict you as you find faithful Christ followers in all sorts of churches, who all approach God in different ways. Once we commit to a particular family of Christians, we don’t often get to step back and experience the bigger picture of Christianity in our areas.

2. Go worship God with other Christians—don’t think of it as visiting or checking-out churches.

Our attitudes and expectations make all the difference. If you went on a first date clutching your spousal wish-list, not only would you get weird looks from your date, but you’d miss out on connecting with a person. Go for the purpose of worshiping God with others. Even if you won’t eventually commit to that particular church you can still worship God, be present to your fellow worshipers, and actively trust that God will lead you to a church family.

3. Be open to the new or unfamiliar.

Go with the attitude of a learner. Seek to understand how their particular forms of worship really allow them to worship. Expect to be surprised by beauty and significance in the unfamiliar.

4. Know yourself.

What strengths has God given you? How can you serve the Church? We can fight consumerist attitudes by embracing the opportunity and privilege to contribute to the life and service of that body. Relationships involve both people initiating and receiving, so part of discernment is understanding not just what you need from a church but what you can give as well.

5. Identify your speed bumps.

We should submit our non-essential (yet important) preferences about church to God. What, if anything, distracts you from worshiping God, whether theological, musical style, size, preaching, etc.? Talk to God and search scripture about what you’ve identified. As you listen to God speak through others, the Bible, or internally, ask yourself if you sense any of those preferences shifting. The fruit of this work will help you understand what preferences you should prioritize as you think about your compatibility with a particular church. Often times we see that in our friendships quirks that once annoyed us are endearing once we love a person. Other times however, differences actually hinder intimacy in which case, it is wise to not commit to that person any further.

6. Avoid debriefing.

The temptation is certainly there to walk out of a church service (really, whether we’re in the discernment process or not!) and immediately begin debriefing what we liked or didn’t like. When we talk about the service we should cultivate thankfulness instead of criticism. It might help our memories to record some of our observations, but it is more helpful to develop the habit of asking God to continue to bring that church to mind if He’d like us to worship there again.

7. Pursue spiritual growth during this discernment process.

It is easy for us to become apathetic about growing in our relationship with Jesus while we lack the stability of a primary spiritual community. But our sensitivity (developed through familiarity!) to God is the most important piece of the discernment process. So we should do whatever it takes to stay vibrantly connected to God during this time: devote time to being with God in prayer and scripture, meet or call mentors and friends, or take risks and ask for prayer, meet with church leaders, or attend mid-week events when you worship with different churches.

32621 Finding a Church

How to Avoid Church-Shopping but Still Decide on a Church

“What’s the most I can get for my money?” Whether it’s a return on an investment or looking for the best deal on a product, this question is central to a consumer mindset. Not a bad question to avoid wasting resources, but it’s a terrible question to ask when searching for a church!

So what’s wrong with shopping for a church? Why not simply attend the church we like best?

Picking a church based on simple preference creates a decision-making process centered on us instead of on God. One very basic assumption about the church is that while we are part of the church, church is not primarily about us. When we gather as Christians, it is God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who is our focus.

The shopping metaphor also sets us up to view a church as an object or a product. But a church is not a thing—it is the particular Christian people, the community of believers with whom we are in relationship. Thus a better, though surprising, metaphor for figuring out which church to commit to would be dating!

At its best, dating is a process of discernment whereby two people, often with input from family and friends, try and figure out how committed they want to be to each other. While some people certainly approach relationships with self-centered wish-lists for the perfect match, we don’t often talk about “shopping for a boyfriend” or “choosing a wife.” The language of consumers thankfully hasn’t crossed over too much into how speak about committed relationships.

So if we don’t shop for a church, what do we do? What is a way to approach the decision-making process without being self-focused and acting like consumers? Discernment. What if we said to each other, when we’re in a transition time and without a church family, “I’m trying to discern a church” or “we’re still in the church discernment process.” Discernment has two important connotations. First, it is a wisdom word. It suggests more than the simplistic “I like this” / “I don’t like that” responses. Rather, it suggests intentionally seeking depth of  understanding before coming to a decision.

Discerning a church also suggests that listening is a part of the decision-making. We listen to what is being said and what isn’t being said when we worship at different churches. We listen to others who know us well. We listen to our own thoughts, responses, and reactions and, if applicable, to those of our families. Primarily, however, discerning a church involves listening to God. [Read Discernment in Finding a Church]

If we cut off a relationship every time our needs aren’t being met, or there is conflict, or something isn’t comfortable then it’s a good bet that we also won’t experience intimacy or grow in our emotional maturity.

God uses the hard work of perseverance, self-sacrifice, and daily dependence on His provision as the means by which we grow. Staying in an imperfect church (i.e. every church!) is about our growth in becoming more like Jesus.[1] When aspects of our community become uncomfortable and frustrating, God begins to form our motivations and desires to reflect his and away from focusing only on ours. We are also more willing to work toward a peaceful, effective, and healthy church if we’re committed to that particular Christian family for more than our individual benefit.

But not every relationship is a good one to really commit to, and neither should we commit to a church on a whim. We need discernment to understand the culture, beliefs, and priorities of a particular church. We need discernment to value compatibility without making it all about us. We need discernment when we listen for God’s direction so we don’t simply hear our own preferences.

If we begin at a church because we sense God drawing us there, we’ll be more likely to stick around to see why He has us there! Let’s get the most for our wisdom and the biggest bang for our discernment. Let’s drop the shopping and go worship with fellow Christians until God draws us to a particular church family.

32612 Why Church?

Paul Simon sang in “I am a Rock”: “I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain…If I never loved I never would have cried. I am a rock, I am an island.”

The Church, at its heart is about relationships—relationships with others and relationship with God. But relationships are hard and being truly open in a relationship involves the risk of getting hurt. It’s safer to avoid vulnerability—to be an unfeeling rock.

Or why not be an island, why not go it alone? Many of us desire spiritual experiences, want to connect with God, or even sincerely desire to follow Jesus, but we’re skeptical and suspicious of church.

The church, after all, has been guilty of all sorts of terrible things: the crusades, the inquisition, witch trials, siding with oppression, not to mention how individuals have been hurt by judgmentalism, abuse, scandal, and just plain old meanness. Being an invulnerable rock seems pretty appealing in the face of this kind of church. Or for others of us, church seems like a club that requires thoughtless adherence to rules and prescribed ways of thinking. Wouldn’t it just be easier to follow Jesus as a blissfully independent island and forget other Christians? For many of us, Jesus is inspiring and intriguing but Christians are petty and hurtful. [Read “Being the Church to One Another”]

One of the primary ways the Bible talks about God’s people is as a family. Indeed for the entire history of God’s people, up until Jesus, God’s people were a family—a nation proud of having descended from Abraham. With Jesus, this literal, blood-related family was expanded to include those of other races. This inclusion had been the point all along—it was the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to Abraham, “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18)

In Jesus, anyone can receive the blessing of being saved from sin. But even though the Church doesn’t exclude all non-Jewish people, the family metaphor hasn’t changed. Non-Jewish Christians are described as: children of Abraham (Romans 9:8), children of God (Luke 20:36, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:16-17), and adopted children (Romans 8:14-15, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5).[1] So if we follow Jesus, we’re family.

Family is the place where we learn, grow, are loved, and form our identity and foundation for experiencing the world. As Christians it seems easier and less risky to avoid other Christians or at least those not like ourselves.[2] So the only way it makes sense to do the hard work of paddling off our islands or breaking our rocky shells is if we see the Church as a network of relationships—that, like a family, give us life and growth precisely because they occur in the nitty-gritty of life. If, however, we see the Church as a product to be used for our individual benefit, we begin to desire the benefits without the messy and difficult work of connecting to imperfect people as part of an imperfect church. This disconnection can happen even when attending a church, if we aren’t also vulnerably connecting with real people at that church!  [Read “Discernment in Finding a Church”]

The church plays an additional role apart from its family role of providing identity, growth, love, and learning. The church also connects us to God’s work in the world and the part we play in that work. It’s through the church (that network of relationships extending around the globe) that we get glimpses of the work of God that is so much bigger than us as individuals. [Read “God’s Call to Reach Out”]

Family and purpose. Christianity is not an individualistic religion. That’s what makes it different than a philosophy or ideology. Take relationship out of the doctrines and practices and it’s not Christianity. We are meant to grow together, to pursue God’s purposes in the world together. For this reason it says in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We are not islands or rocks. We are a family—vulnerable in our openness, obviously imperfect, but given the incredible opportunity to love God and love others together.

32570 Visions and Dreams

Throughout the history of the people of Israel, there were occasions when God spoke in visions and dreams as documented in the Scriptures.

God appeared to Abraham in a vision and repeated his promise to make him great (Genesis 15:1).

Prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, Hosea, Nahum and others recorded in their writing that they received instructions, warnings, exhortation, and other oracles from the Lord in visions.

In the New Testament, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision to encourage him (Acts 10:17). It was the vision of a Macedonian man that directed Paul and his missionary company to Macedonia (Acts 16:10). 

The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision and instructed him to go see Paul (Acts 9:10). At the same time, Paul was also visited by the Lord in a vision concerning Ananias so that Paul might expect Ananias (Acts 9:12). The Lord brought them together through visions. In the similar way, Cornelius and Peter met because God gave them instructions in separate visions (Acts 10:3; 10:17). 

God also spoke to people in dreams.

In the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob in a dream (Genesis 31:11). Joseph had a dream which foretold his future (Genesis 37:5-11). In Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and exchanged a conversation with him.

It is interesting to realize that God spoke through dreams not only to the people of Israel but also to the peoples of other nations. In the life of Joseph, for example, you read that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt both had a dream in the prison where Joseph was also kept (Genesis 40:5). Later, Pharaoh also received a message from God in a dream, which Joseph was able to interpret (Genesis 41:15). Joseph explained to Pharaoh that God revealed to the king what the Lord was about to do.

In the New Testament, perhaps, the most well-known are four dreams Joseph had concerning Jesus. God gave him insights in his difficult and uncertain situations.

The first insight through a dream was concerning his marriage with Mary.

“When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit… 

“When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife.” – Matthew 1:20, 24

Then he had another dream when King Herod sought the life of Jesus.

“After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” – Matthew 1:13

Without an insight from God in this dream, Joseph would not have known to flee from Herod and endangered the life of Jesus.

Later, Joseph was instructed in two dreams to return from Egypt. In a dream, Joseph learned Herod’s death and that they were safe to return to Israel.

“After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead… But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee.” – Matthew 2:19-20, 22

Because of God’s warning in another dream, Joseph settled his family in Nazareth. This fulfilled a prophecy concerning Jesus that he would be called a Nazarene. God’s insight to Joseph, in this case, accomplished the words which he had spoken long ago.

32560 Parallel Examples

We can glean insights from God through parallel examples. 

There are two kinds of parallel examples. 

The Bible is written as an example for us. The stories and characters in the Bible give us insights into life as it is and as it should or could be. The power of the Biblical narratives is the presence and intimate interactions of the Lord with people. 

The Biblical stories show us that God always enters our life and meets us where we are. He guides and instructs us “on the go” while we live our everyday life. He uses what is available in our life at the time and brings resources that we are not aware of. 

As you read the stories of Abraham, Moses, Esther, prophets, the stories from Judges and 1 and 2 Kings, and many others, you may find parallels in your current situation. When you do, pay closer attention to those stories. 

What are some similarities between their situations and yours? What did they do? What was the result? What are some principles you see at work in the lives of Biblical characters? How was God at work in their life?

Keep in mind that the Biblical stories are descriptive, meaning they are telling you what happened. They may be examples of what NOT to do, examples not to be followed.

Another parallel examples that can bring insights from God are testimonies. 

Testimonies are your sharing with others your first-hand experience with God. It can be as simple as how a Scriptural passage you read spoke to you and as large as how God brought healing to your body or to your relationship. Testimonies glorify God by telling others how wonderful God is.

You may find parallel examples in the testimonies others give. Just like the stories and characters in the Bible, these testimonies may give you valuable insights into who God is and what he does. As you witness to how God has worked in other people’s situation and circumstance similar to yours, you can ask the Holy Spirit for insights into your situation and align your reality to his truth.

32550 Spirit-Inspired People

God speaks through others who are filled and led by the Holy Spirit.

They are spiritually mature and have known and walked with Jesus through the ups and downs of life. They have trained themselves in righteousness and discernment (Hebrews 5:14), handling the Word of truth rightly (1 Timothy 3:15).

God designed us to live in a community. Just as God exists in three Persons in perfect harmony and fellowship, we are designed to function as unique members of a single body of Christ. For this reason, God delights to use other believers in your life for encouragement, training, and guidance. God uses others to show his goodness, love, and wisdom.

Asking Spirit-filled believers in Jesus, you can receive insights from God through them.

It is sometimes wise to seek more than one person for counsel. When two or more people tell you a similar thing or the same thing, that is weightier for you to consider more carefully.

32540 Divine Flashes of Insight

“After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:12-13

When you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are spiritually born again and have become a new creation. You have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Holy Spirit now resides in you.

When the Holy Spirit speaks, he speaks softly. It sounds like your inner voice. You must learn to distinguish between your own thoughts and the soft whisper of the Holy Spirit.

Divine flashes of insight are when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you softly. You have an “aha!” moment.

You may experience this when you are reading the Bible. The Scripture verses that did not make much sense to you before all of a sudden become clear. Some passages of the Word jump out and penetrate your heart with a conviction or comfort.

According to Ephesians 1:17, the key to having spiritual wisdom and revelation is to know Jesus more intimately. Make Jesus the center of your life evermore. Bring Jesus into your every situation. Open and invite Jesus into every room in your heart. The deeper your relationship with Jesus becomes, the more clearly you will know God’s heart and thoughts.

32530 Christ’s Incarnation

“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” – John 1:14

Insights from God come through Christ’s incarnation. Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence (Hebrews 1:3). In Jesus all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). 

As Jesus commands us, we must remain in him to gain insights from his incarnate presence. When we are close to him with our mind fixed on him, the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of our hearts.

One key way to remain in Jesus is to have his words remain in us (John 15:7). 

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the proclamation of who Jesus really is. They are “making a convincing case” for the true identity of Jesus in a historical narrative. In other words, the Gospels are showing you Jesus in action in the real historical context. You are invited to enter the story and to be with Jesus for yourself. 

When you enter the story of Jesus by spending time in the Word, particularly, in the Gospels, you begin to see who Jesus really is. At the same time, the Holy Spirit will give you insights you need through the life, words, and deeds of Jesus.

You also find many different encounters people of the New Testament had with Jesus recorded in the Gospels. Jesus interacted with all kinds of people. He healed some, rebuked others, and encouraged those who needed the words of affirmation only He could speak. Some reached out to him, while He simply knew how to respond to others who possibly were unaware of what they needed most. Rich, poor, young, old … Jesus knows and cares for us all; no one is beyond his love and compassion! The stories of his encounters with the people of His day are also our stories. As you identify yourself with these Biblical characters, your encounter with Jesus will give you a new insight into who He is and make you more like Him.

32454 Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

“I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12

When Jesus became human to be with His twelve disciples, He was full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1). Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, fed thousands, walked on water, and performed other miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, it was a life fully submitted to and directed by the Father. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is a life fully submitted to and directed by Christ. Just as the Son is one with the Father, and the Son does nothing except for what he sees the Father do, the Spirit-filled life is the Christ-directed life by which Christ lives His life in and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 15).

The Holy Spirit plays a critical role in the life of a believer from the beginning to the end. One becomes a Christian through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8). From the moment of spiritual birth, the Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times (John 1:12; Colossians 2:9, 10; John 14:16, 17). He guides us into all the truth. The Holy Spirit is the source of the overflowing life (John 7:37-39). His “job” is to glorify Christ (John 16:1-15) and to intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:27). In His last command before His ascension, Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:1-9).

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the proof that a person truly belongs to Christ (Romans 8:9). But the fullness of the Spirit enables a person to live the supernatural and abundant life as Jesus did (see Acts 2:5; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9, 52)

Meditate on the following Bible passages and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a supernatural life!

Bible Verses on Our New Life in the Holy Spirit

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

“I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love.” – Ephesians 3:16-17

“Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

“—since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 1:18-20

“I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.” – 2 Peter 1:3

“I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens.” – Philippians 4:13

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

“For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.'” – Acts 17:28

“For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.” – Ephesians 2:10

“For the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.” – Philippians 2:13

“And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.” – 1 John 5:14-15